Comparing Four SYOS Signature Model Tenor Saxophone Mouthpieces Side by Side

Today, I am comparing four SYOS tenor saxophone mouthpieces that I have reviewed in the past side by side so that you can more easily hear and compare these tenor saxophone mouthpieces and sound clips to each other. The comparison is between the SYOS Chad LB 8* tenor saxophone mouthpiece, the SYOS Tivon Pennicott 8 tenor saxophone mouthpiece, the SYOS Michael Wilbur 8* tenor saxophone mouthpiece and the SYOS Lorenzo Ferrero 8* tenor saxophone mouthpiece.

The SYOS company hit the saxophone mouthpiece scene a few years ago and immediately caught the world’s attention by producing these really bright colored 3D printed saxophone mouthpieces made of plastic at a more reasonable price than conventional saxophone mouthpieces. Although today’s review is of mouthpieces in that are white (I hate white! So hard to line up your reed……), blue, and yellow, you can order SYOS saxophone mouthpieces in almost any color you can think of.

SYOS Chad LB, Tivon Pennicott, Michael Wilbur and Lorenzo Ferrero Signature Model Tenor Saxophone Mouthpieces

The four SYOS tenor sax mouthpieces I am comparing today are rated by SYOS in the categories of brightness and power. You can see the mouthpiece ratings below. They are between 1-10 with 1 being the least bright and least powerful and 10 being the most bright and most powerful. You can see that the Chad LB tenor sax mouthpiece is the brightest and most powerful of the four mouthpieces being compared today. The Tivon Pennicott model tenor sax mouthpiece is rated as having the darkest tone and least power of the four mouthpieces.

Neff Reviewed SYOS Tenor Sax Mouthpieces

SYOS Mouthpiece	Brightness	Power
Chad LB	7.8	8.0
Michael Wilbur	5.7	7.5
Lorenzo Ferrero	3.7	6.4
Tivon Pennicott	2.4	5.5

SYOS Chad LB Signature Model 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

I organized the sound clips below in six categories with the clips right next to each other. The categories are: Moose the Mooch, Donna Lee, Tonguing, Jazz Lines, Bluesy and Altissimo. Each clip was recorded with the same microphone and with the same recording levels so if one mouthpiece sounds a lot louder than the others, it is probably because that mouthpiece has more power.

I did use Rigotti Gold saxophone reeds on all the clips but the Chad LB and Tivon Pennicott mouthpieces played best with a Rigotti Gold 3 Light reed and the Michael Wilbur and Lorenzo Ferrero played best with a 2 1/2 Strong Rigotti Gold saxophone reed. These two reed strengths are pretty close in strength but there might be some difference attributed to the different sized reed used.

SYOS Michael Wilbur Signature Model 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

If you are not familiar with SYOS saxophone mouthpieces, below is some information on the SYOS company, their sax mouthpieces, what they are made of and how to order a SYOS saxophone mouthpiece.

First of all, you have two choices when you visit the SYOS website and order a sax mouthpiece. You can order a “SYOS Signature Mouthpiece” which is basically what the mouthpiece that the player whose name is on the mouthpiece plays.

If, however, you want to be unique and are on a quest to find your own unique sound, you might want to pick the second choice of ordering a custom mouthpiece from SYOS which I have to say looks like a pretty cool process. Here’s what you do on the SYOS website:

First, you choose what saxophone you play. Soprano, Alto, Tenor or Bari Sax
Second, you choose whether you are a beginner, intermediate or professional sax player
Third, you choose what type of music you play (you can pick more than one category)
Fourth, this is the coolest part, you choose your sound preferences. There is a slider for tone that goes from very dark to very bright. You can choose where in that tone spectrum you feel you would like to be. There is also a slider to choose how powerful you want to be. The slider goes from soft to powerful. Now here’s the coolest part because as you are reading this you might be confused about how you might choose what you want or you might be confused about what your preferences are. SYOS gives you a bunch of examples with sound clips! How cool is that? The following list of player are listed and rated for tone and power. Ben Webster, Chris Potter, Coleman Hawkins, Dexter Gordon, Joe Henderson, Michael Brecker, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz and Wayne Shorter. (Can I just point out at this point, how awesome Chris Potter must feel about being included in this list!)
You click “Submit” and wait by your mailbox for your custom mouthpiece that will answer all your dreams to be delivered.

SYOS Lorenzo Ferrero Signature Model 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Here is a quote from the SYOS mouthpiece website on the specifics of ordering a custom mouthpiece from SYOS:

SYOS is the first custom mouthpiece maker to use a high-tech process to design its products. It is different from all the other brands who only make standard series of mouthpiece models. SYOS gives you the possibility to have your custom mouthpiece created on-demand according to your needs and preferences.

You are helped by an acoustic expert who will help guide you in your sound research.
You can test the mouthpiece(s) at home or in rehearsal without having to go in to a shop.
You can try your custom mouthpiece for 30 days, with the possibility of requesting adjustments on its shape to modify the sound, to get it even closer to your need.

Simply fill out the customization form on our online shop: you tell us about your saxophone level, the music you like, your favorite sound, which kind of sound you are looking for (bright? Dark? Powerful? Warm…) and we design your mouthpiece based on that. With SYOS, satisfaction is guaranteed. If you have any question, we can answer you on the mouthpiece chat, or you can give us a call: we will help you define your requirements.

Here is a few comments about the material SYOS mouthpieces are made from in case you are curious:

We use ABS plastic to craft our mouthpieces: this material allows us to get the highest degree of precision, with an improved resistance and durability. And you can get that in 18 colors to build a perfect style on stage!

The plastic we use to make SYOS mouthpieces has been certified non-toxic in laboratory (EN 71 and CE 1907/2006 standards). In fact, the same kind of plastic is used to make toys for children, which can be put in mouth without any risks. At the opposite, with the “ebonite” plastic, some sulfuric acid releases are observed when the mouthpiece is old, which gives it a yellow-green color.

And finally, here is a quote about the manufacturing process and how the minute details affect your tone which I found interesting:

For wind instruments, it’s the internal geometry of the bore that gives all the acoustic properties. We work at 1/100th millimeter to adjust the shape and the length of the baffle, the chamber section and size, the tip opening, the facing length… We study and compute the effect of all these parameters on the sound, to predict the timbre of each combination of them.

SYOS Tivon Pennicott Signature Model 8 Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

I’m not going to do a lot of writing on what I discovered about each of these mouthpiece as I have already done an in-depth review of each mouthpiece here on the site. You can click on any of the links here to find out more details about each mouthpiece. Here are links to the full reviews: The SYOS Chad LB 8* tenor saxophone mouthpiece, the SYOS Tivon Pennicott 8 tenor saxophone mouthpiece, the SYOS Michael Wilbur 8* tenor saxophone mouthpiece and the SYOS Lorenzo Ferrero 8* tenor saxophone mouthpiece.

I will say that my impressions of each of these mouthpieces as I listen to the clips side by side is that SYOS did a great job with their brightness and power ratings above. The mouthpiece that is best for you is really up to you and your preferences. One person might absolutely love the brightness of the Chad LB model and the next might think it is too bright for their tastes. Listen to the clips below and see which saxophone mouthpiece you like the best.

When you listen to the clips below, I would suggest listening for these elements:

How bright or dark is the tone?
What volume levels are achieved?
How smooth is the articulation?
How clean is the articulation?
Does the midrange of the horn sound “tubby”?
Does the high end thin out?
Is the low end full and fat sounding?
How even through out the range of the horn are all the notes when playing fast lines?
Is there any issues with intonation between the clips?

SYOS Chad LB, Tivon Pennicott, Michael Wilbur and Lorenzo Ferrero Signature Model Tenor Saxophone Mouthpieces

I provided all of the clips without effects (reverb, etc….) so you can hear how each mouthpiece sounds in it’s natural state without any effects added.

If you like the sound and look of these tenor sax mouthpieces by SYOS, you can find them at the SYOS website. Neffmusic also gets a small commission from each sale when you use this link to purchase a mouthpiece which helps support this website, so thank you in advance.

The SYOS website has a ton of artists and signature models available so if none of these four tenor saxophone mouthpiece models are for you, there are a ton of other tenor sax mouthpieces to choose from. Or, you can be courageous and go for a custom tenor sax mouthpiece made specifically for you. The amazing thing is that SYOS has a 30 day return policy which is unheard of in the sax mouthpiece industry.

The other great thing about the SYOS saxophone mouthpieces is the price point. As of today, the signature model sax mouthpieces are at about 165.83 EUROS (Approximately 189 USD as of today), which in my mind is a great price for a sax mouthpiece that plays this well. The custom model sax mouthpieces are 249.17 EUROS (Approximately 284 USD), which is still a great deal for a custom sax mouthpiece that is made to your preferences. From what I read on the SYOS website, you can send your custom sax mouthpiece back for adjustments if you want tweaks made to it also.

If you have any other thoughts or comments about this comparison, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below. Thanks, Steve

*For best results, it is best to listen to these clips with good speakers or headphones.

SYOS Tenor Sax Mouthpiece Comparison 1:Moose the Mooche

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