GetASax GS SLANT 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

Today,  I am reviewing the GetASax GS SLANT model tenor saxophone mouthpiece, that is a replica of a great playing, original facing, 7* Florida Otto Link Slant Signature tenor saxophone mouthpiece. These cool white mouthpieces are made by Brian at GetASax.com.  I have already reviewed the GetASax GS RESO tenor sax mouthpiece as well as the GS FG RESO tenor sax mouthpiece which were both copies of two phenomenal Otto Link Reso Chamber tenor saxophone mouthpieces.  I have been looking forward to reviewing this GetASax GS SLANT tenor mouthpiece as well and today is the day……….

GetASax GS SLANT 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The GetASax GS SLANT 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a very precise copy of Brian at GetASax’s favorite Florida Otto Link Slant Signature tenor saxophone mouthpiece.  Brian is the owner of GetASax and has over 750 saxophone mouthpieces in his collection so when he says that this is a replica of one of his favorite saxophone mouthpieces, we should pay attention.

I have never played an original Otto Link Slant Signature tenor saxophone mouthpiece just because they are so darn expensive ($1200+ dollars) but these new reproductions from GetASax are only $199 which is a great deal for a copy of a world class vintage Otto Link Slant Signature tenor saxophone mouthpiece!

GetASax GS SLANT 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The most notable players that I know that played an Otto Link Slant Signature tenor saxophone mouthpiece at one time or another are Stan Getz, Jerry Bergonzi, Joshua Redman, David Newman and Joel Frahm (I am sure I am forgetting a bunch of other players).

Here is how Brian at GetASax describes the GetASax GS SLANT tenor saxophone mouthpiece on his website at GetaSax.com:

“The big idea here is to let you experience the magic of the best mouthpieces I have ever played, for a price that makes them widely accessible for the first time.

The GetASax GS SLANT is an extremely precise copy of my BEST vintage Otto Link Slant Signature tenor saxophone mouthpiece. More precisely, it’s a copy of an original facing 7* Florida Slant Signature Otto Link Tone Edge tenor mouthpiece in perfect original condition.

This is the version of the ‘Slant’ that nearly everybody wants. It’s the most iconic and desirable hard rubber tenor saxophone mouthpiece ever made. When I hear people describing their ideal tenor saxophone tone online, it’s most frequently a description of what a good vintage Otto Link Slant tenor sax mouthpiece sounds like: Dark and powerful, with a good amount of focus and projection. Brightens up and projects when pushed, but never thins out. Super even across all registers. Tunes great on almost any saxophone whether vintage or modern. That’s what the GS SLANT gives you, for only 15% the cost of an original vintage Otto Link Slant Tone Edge tenor saxophone mouthpiece.

Compared to the GS RESO, the GS SLANT is a little brighter and punchier (but not bright), and more focused (though still warm and full). It has an instantly recognizable 50’s-60’s jazz tenor tone. 

If you’re a pro looking for the best do-it-all jazz tenor saxophone mouthpiece for an affordable price, I think you’d be hard pressed to beat the GS SLANT. It really captures the magic of the original mouthpiece, and that is saying a lot. It’s the only Slant copy I’ve seen that exactly copies a vintage Slant. Even upgrading to a vintage Link Slant at 8x the price wouldn’t actually sound better! And if you’re an amateur or younger player looking for your first good mouthpiece, this gives you the chance to jump right to an excellent mouthpiece that is completely hand faced, without messing with a bunch of machine faced intermediate mouthpieces.

Finishing:

Each GS Slant gets carefully hand faced and finished before coming to you. This is super important. The magic of a mouthpiece is in the facing. If you buy a generic, mass-produced mouthpiece, chances are the table is not flat and the facing is uneven between the side rails. As a result, the reed vibrates unevenly. It feels stuffy and dead, resistant, and all-around disappointing to play. SO many people have this problem, whether they know it or not. I don’t know how many players I’ve helped to get their first actually good mouthpiece, and all of a sudden playing is fun!

Since we flatten the table, you get an easy reed seal. There are no print lines or marks messing up the facing. It’s smooth and perfect like a boutique mouthpiece. The facing is also finished by hand, which is a BIG plus. I’m really picky about this, so I learned to do it myself so I could be sure these pieces were actually the same as the great facings on the original mouthpieces. Each facing is measured at ten points to make sure that it is even and consistent throughout. 

Mouthpiece facings are unforgiving. Small problems can make a big difference in playability. Unlike any other mouthpiece of its kind or anywhere near its price, each one of these GS mouthpieces goes out the door only when it is faced just right. Every one is as good as the best mouthpieces I have played.

I have been collecting mouthpieces seriously for over ten years now, and I have been saving the very best ones over that time. I currently have about 750 pieces, and of those there are about 20 that I think are in that Holy Grail category. Those are the mouthpieces that will be coming out in the GS Mouthpieces line. Keep an eye on this, if you want to put together a collection of the best playing saxophone mouthpieces ever, while keeping costs to a minimum. Each one has a magic of its own, and each one gives you a unique and beautiful tone and response that makes it a joy to play!”-Brian Curry 

GetASax GS SLANT 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The GetASax GS SLANT 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece is made of white biocompatible dental resin.    Here is what Brian at GetASax writes about the material:

“GS Mouthpieces are made of a premium biocompatible dental resin, and printed at an especially high resolution. You don’t see messy print lines everywhere, because the print is so high quality! This dental resin is designed to be in your mouth, so it’s ideal for a mouthpiece.-Brian Curry

GetASax GS SLANT 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

This GetASax GS SLANT tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a 7* tip opening which measures at .105.  The facing curve of the GS SLANT tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a copy of the original facing curve on the best original Otto Link Slant Signature tenor saxophone mouthpiece that Brian owns.  Each facing curve of the GS SLANT mouthpieces is measured at ten points to make sure that each mouthpiece produced is an accurate reproduction of the original facing curve.  

The GetASax GS SLANT tenor saxophone mouthpiece looks great to the eye.  The tip, rails and table look even, flat and well crafted.  The tip rail and side rails are nice and thin, and the tip rails shape perfectly matches the shape of the Rigotti Gold tenor saxophone reeds I used on it.

The baffle of the GetASax GS SLANT tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a low rollover baffle. It is a short baffle and looks to be about 1/8 of an inch before it rolls over and descends down at an angle into the large chamber. The floor of the baffle during the decent has a side to side curve to it.

The GetASax GS SLANT tenor saxophone mouthpiece looks to have a higher rollover baffle than the GS RESO tenor mouthpiece I reviewed last year.  The other big difference that I can see when comparing the GS SLANT to the GS RESO and the GS FG RESO is that the RESO mouthpieces look to have more of a scooped out floor to the chamber making the chamber bigger than the GS SLANT mouthpiece.

The baffle of the GS SLANT travels at an angle down through the chamber of the mouthpiece where it terminates at the beginning of the bore at the end of the chamber.  The opening to the mouthpiece chamber looks to be a large sized chamber that is similar in size to other typical hard rubber Otto Link sized chambers I have seen.  The roof of the mouthpiece chamber under the table isn’t what I would describe as thin but more of an average roof thickness.

The sidewalls are scooped out from where they start near the tip all the way to the chamber where they expand out to round out the mouthpiece chamber.  I typically like scooped out sidewalls because they seem to go hand in hand with a fatter more round tenor saxophone tone in my opinion.

GetASax GS SLANT 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The diameter and beak profile of the GetASax GS SLANT tenor sax mouthpiece feels the same as the diameter and beak profile of a typical hard rubber Otto Link tenor saxophone mouthpiece.  All of my ligatures that fit comfortably on hard rubber Otto Link tenor saxophone mouthpieces fit on the GS SLANT tenor sax mouthpiece perfectly.

The weight and consistency of the dental resin feels more substantial than the weight of other materials like Delrin mouthpieces I have reviewed in the past.  As I hold the GS SLANT tenor sax mouthpiece in my hand, the weight feels similar to a hard rubber saxophone mouthpiece.  You can see a few side by side comparison photos of the GS SLANT and the Original Florida Otto Link Slant Signature tenor sax  mouthpiece that it was copied from in the photos below.

GetASax GS Slant 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece next to a vintage Otto Link Slant Signature Mouthpiece

I found that the facing curve of the GetASax GS SLANT 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece seemed to prefer a reed with a 3 Light or 3 Medium strength when using the Rigotti Gold tenor saxophone reeds I have left. (I have been out of BSS-Boston Sax Shop and Roberto’s Winds reeds for a number of months now unfortunately)

The Rigotti Gold 3 Light tenor sax reeds felt easy to play but a tad on the soft side when pushed. The Rigotti Gold 3 Medium tenor sax reeds felt better to blow harder against for more volume.  I enjoyed aspects of the sound and tone while playing on both reeds so I included sound clips of both below.

GetASax GS Slant 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece next to a vintage Otto Link Slant Signature Mouthpiece

The GetASax GS SLANT tenor saxophone mouthpiece has a rich, warm balanced tenor saxophone tone that I found to be sightly brighter and perhaps more focused than the GetASax GS RESO tenor sax mouthpiece I have already reviewed.  I have not played these two mouthpieces side by side but the GS SLANT seems to give me more volume when pushed than I remember the GS RESO giving me.

Although I describe the GS SLANT as slightly brighter than the GS RESO, I would still consider this as a darker and warmer mouthpiece especially when considering the plethora of mouthpieces with medium to high baffles out on the market today.

Compared to a modern day hard rubber Otto Link, I find the GS SLANT to be far superior in tone, balance and playability to the modern hard rubber Otto Links I have tried out.  I would imagine that most of that improvement comes from the hand finishing and specific attention given to the exact 10 point facing curve, tip rail, baffle and chamber.

GetASax GS Slant 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece next to a vintage Otto Link Slant Signature Mouthpiece

The tone of the GS SLANT is a thick, round and warm tone with character to it. Although I would still describe it as having a darker tone, it does have some sparkle and brightness to make the tone more vibrant in the upper range of the horn. I found the Rigotti Gold 3 Light saxophone reeds to give a tone that seemed to be more spread, round and with a soft lushness to the tone.

The harder Rigotti Gold 3 Medium saxophone reed seemed to have more of a hard defined perimeter around the tone and a bit more brightness and edge in my opinion. I also felt like the harder reed had a bit more overtones and texture to the tone than the softer 3 Light tenor sax reeds.

GetASax GS SLANT 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The low notes on the GS SLANT saxophone mouthpiece were fat, thick and robust while having a spread quality to the tone.  The tone down low seemed more pillowy and round with the softer Rigotti Gold 3 Light saxophone reeds and more complex, rich and spread with the harder Rigotti Gold 3 Medium saxophone reeds.

Unfortunately, on the last clip with the harder Rigotti Gold 3 Medium reed, I was so focused on altissimo and volume that I didn’t demonstrate much, if any, sub-toning.  You can hear some sub-toning in the first sound clip with the softer reed though.

GetASax GS SLANT 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The intonation on the GetASax GS SLANT tenor saxophone mouthpiece was very good and the GS SLANT  tenor mouthpiece was a great match for my Selmer Super Balanced Action tenor saxophone (from the 50’s).  I would imagine the GS SLANT tenor sax mouthpiece would be a great match for any vintage tenor saxophone like a Selmer or Conn since it is a reproduction of a vintage tenor saxophone mouthpiece.

The evenness and smoothness of notes throughout the range of the saxophone was nice when playing fast lines.  The character and warm tone seemed to blend well as I played faster lines throughout the low, mid and high range of the saxophone.  I think you can hear this smoothness in the fast technical lines I play on the sound clips below.

The altissimo register of the saxophone was easy to produce on the GetASax GS SLANT tenor saxophone mouthpiece and the notes were easy to control and manipulate.  I believe the higher rollover baffle and slightly raised floor of the chamber compared to the GS RESO model mouthpiece makes the GS SLANT a bit easier to get around in the altissimo although both mouthpieces are great in regard to the altissimo range of the horn.

The GS SLANT mouthpiece had a good amount of power when pushed.  I would say the volume was about an 8.5 when pushed on my 1-10 volume scale. (I gave the GS RESO a max volume of 7 on my scale)

GetASax GS SLANT 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

On the sound clips below, I try to give a good range and variety of saxophone sounds and textures so that you can hear the GetASax GS SLANT tenor saxophone mouthpiece perform in different styles with two different saxophone reeds.

The first clip is my usual mix of the random kind of Steve Neff licks that I usually play on these mouthpiece review clips.

The second clip is a short clip of the melody of Pure Imagination and the third clip is my usual Moose the Mooche/Donna Lee melody that I play on most of my reviews.

The fourth clip was an addition at the end because I realized that I did not play one note of altissimo in the first three clips.  This clip was recorded in a barn near my house that has a big natural reverb to the recording.  There is a lot of altissimo lines in this clip, so if you hate that high range of the horn, you might want to skip this clip.  This last clip was made with the slightly harder 3 medium tenor sax reed because I wanted to show what the GS SLANT could do as far as volume, brightness and altissimo and I could push the 3 medium reed harder.

GetASax GS SLANT 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

In my opinion, the GetASax GS SLANT tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a great tenor saxophone mouthpiece for those of you looking for a tenor sax mouthpiece with a tone that leans to the round warmer side of the tenor saxophone tone spectrum but can get a nice brightness when pushed.  It is a great jazz mouthpiece that would be incredible for straight ahead jazz playing in my opinion. It’s lush full textured tone is also incredible for ballads as I try to demonstrate a bit in the sound clips below.

Although I do try to show what it can do with louder blues and altissimo lines, I don’t think the GS SLANT has enough brightness and edge to cut through in those loud settings for me. Although, like I have stated in other reviews, Bob Reynolds played a hard rubber 9 Otto Link tenor sax mouthpiece while touring with John Mayer, so maybe for the right player this mouthpiece could work in that setting as well.  You never know.  For me, I would need something with some more brightness in the tone to cut through the mix of a really loud band I think.

If you are interested in the GS SLANT tenor saxophone mouthpiece you can purchase one from Brian at GetaSax.com for a very reasonable price in my opinion.

Brian has said he has about 750 saxophone mouthpieces in his collection and that he would put 20 of those mouthpieces in his “holy grail” category.  He is hoping to release reproductions of many of these “holy grail” saxophone mouthpieces in the near future which I am very excited about! Stay tuned…….

If you try a GetASax GS SLANT tenor saxophone mouthpiece or have any thoughts, comments or questions on this review,  I would love to hear what you think in the comments below. Thanks,   Steve

Clip 1-Mix of Licks and Lines-GetASax GS SLANT 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Rigotti Gold 3 Light Reed-No Effects Added

Clip 2-Pure Imagination-GetASax GS SLANT 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Rigotti Gold 3 Light Reed-No Effects Added

Clip 3-Moose/Donna Lee-GetASax GS SLANT 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Rigotti Gold 3 Light Reed-No Effects Added

Clip 4-Altissimo Clip Recorded in Barn with Natural Reverb-GetASax GS SLANT 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Rigotti Gold 3 Medium Reed-Barn Reverb Included