Today, I am reviewing the new Gaia 4 gold tenor saxophone mouthpiece made by Theo Wanne. I have reviewed the original Gaia model many years ago and the hard rubber Gaia 3 and gold Gaia 3 in 2019. I even posted a comparison review between the the hard rubber and gold Gaia 3 models as well. Now, Theo Wanne has released the new Gaia 4 model of this great tenor saxophone mouthpiece with some interesting changes. Let’s check it out……….
Theo Wanne Gaia 4 Gold Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece
The Theo Wanne Gaia 4 tenor sax mouthpiece was shipped with the usual high standards of the Theo Wanne company. Each mouthpiece comes in a perfectly designed box with stylish gold printing on it with all the details about the sax mouthpiece inside. Inside the box is a beautiful black leatherette Theo Wanne mouthpiece case with the Gaia 4 tenor saxophone mouthpiece well protected inside. The Gaia 4 tenor saxophone mouthpiece I am reviewing today has a 7* tip opening which is measured at .105.
The Gaia 4 metal tenor sax mouthpiece has a built in ligature included called the “Liberty Ligature” that is already attached to the mouthpiece. The mouthpiece comes with a detailed information card with specific directions on how to adjust the built in ligature, the affects on the saxophone tone when the ligature is in different positions and directions on how to change the pressure plates on the ligature.
The Gaia 4 mouthpiece comes with a reed replacer cap which is on the mouthpiece where the reed goes and the ligature is tightened down on the reed replacer cap to protect the mouthpiece in shipping and when you are not playing it.
Although the reed replacer cap is a cool idea, the Gaia 4 7* tenor mouthpiece does not come with a “regular” mouthpiece cap that you slide on the mouthpiece over the reed and around the ligature. At the time of this review, there is a page on the Theo Wanne website that has new Theo Wanne mouthpiece caps for sale (save 15% by using this link) . Theo sent me one of these new mouthpiece caps to try out and like all of the Theo Wanne products, this mouthpiece cap is a quality mouthpiece cap. It is strong, durable and fits on all the metal Theo Wanne tenor mouthpieces perfectly!
Theo Wanne Gaia 4 Gold Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece
As you can see above, the Liberty ligature on the Gold Gaia 4 tenor saxophone mouthpiece is connected to the mouthpiece through screws on the ligature that tighten into holes on the sides of the Gaia 4 mouthpiece. The mouthpiece comes with a hex screwdriver that can be used to loosen these screws and move the ligature forward or backwards in relation to the reed and mouthpiece table.
The Gaia 4 tenor sax mouthpiece has five positions (holes) that can be used to adjust the ligature. I personally liked the ligature in the middle hole setting as it puts the ligature plate towards the rear of the saxophone reed allowing the reed to vibrate and flex freely but not so far back that I feel it might not put enough pressure on the reed to seal.
Theo Wanne Gaia 4 Gold Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece
Even before you look at the Theo Wanne mouthpieces themselves, everything about the Theo Wanne packaging and presentation just speaks to quality and high standards. Just the process of opening the package and unpacking the mouthpiece brings about an excitement and anticipation that this mouthpiece you are about to play is going to be amazing!
Here is how the Theo Wanne website (save 15% by using this link) describes the new Gaia 4 tenor saxophone mouthpiece:
The GAIA 4 tenor sax mouthpiece does everything previous GAIA tenor mouthpieces did, but with an incredible CORE to the sound!
GAIA 4 has evolved into work of art and is now the most technically advanced mouthpiece Theo has ever made. The Shark Gill™ baffle has been updated, and Theo’s completely new Large-Stadium Chamber™ added. It takes the huge, warm and free sound the previous GAIA mouthpiece have become famous and iconic for, to a whole new level. It has greatly increased the ‘presence’ and core of the mouthpiece. It still has the large chamber sound, but no ‘hollowness’….just fullness!
The GAIA 4 lends itself well to a traditional Jazz taste, but due to its amazing flexibility, it is at home in any style of playing. It comes in 24K gold plated or a unique thin-body premium hard rubber which has mazing vibratory qualities.
The GAIA 4 has an updated medium roll-over Shark Gill Baffle™, precision-sculpted inner sidewalls, and our newly created Large-Stadium Chamber™, which is a technologically advanced version of a traditional large chamber.
Take a close look at our baffles, rails, and chambers™, you will see they are manufactured with a quality and accuracy higher than any other mouthpiece ever made, vintage or new!
SOUND
- Built to outplay Theo’s very best Vintage Florida Otto Link. Theo succeeded!!!
- Inspired by the genius of Dexter Gordon.
- Full, rich, and fat traditional sound with a big projection and plenty of edge.
DESIGN
- Includes our newly designed Large-Stadium-Chamber! Rounded inner side walls all the way to the tip. Perfectly sculpted roll-over baffle.
- Crafted to the highest accuracy in the history of saxophone mouthpieces.
- Designed by Theo Wanne, the foremost expert on the design and manufacturing of vintage and new mouthpieces.
DETAILS
- Case: Beautiful Leatherette Case! Like the case? See our other Mouthpiece and Reed Cases here!
- Serial Number: Includes serial number showing care given to your mouthpiece.
- Plating: Reticulated 24K Gold plating with highlights on globe logo on metal mouthpiece.
- Premium Hard Rubber: The Hard Rubber GAIA 4 uses the finest vintage style hard rubber on the planet!
- Ligature: The metal GAIA 4 includes our integrated two-point contact 24K Gold Plated Liberty Ligature and Alive Gold pressure plate. The Hard Rubber GAIA 4 includes the Enlightened Ligature, rated #1 ligature in the world. To truly individualize your sound, try our premium Pressure Plates, which fit all of our mouthpieces and ligatures!.
- Cap: Patented Reed Replacer Cap. The most secure cap in the world.
- Bite Pad: User Replaceable Bite Pads allow you to peel and stick on new bite pads. Try our varying hardness bite pads to personalize the feel.
Theo Wanne Gaia 4 Gold Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece
The Theo Wanne Gaia 4 tenor saxophone mouthpiece is beautifully made and has a perfect looking symmetry and balance to it. The mouthpiece engraving is as perfect as can be. Not a flaw or mistake anywhere. Each Theo Wanne mouthpiece has a unique serial number on it which I really love as I know which mouthpiece is mine and if I decide to sell a mouthpiece everyone knows from the serial number that this is the mouthpiece I reviewed on my site.
The tip, rails, baffle, table and chamber all look perfect as well. Smooth, even, symmetrical…….flawless. The sidewalls are scooped out as they head towards what I would describe as a large chamber (Theo Wanne Large Stadium Chamber). The window of the Gaia 4 mouthpiece is squared off at the bottom and looks to be slightly longer and more open than the window on the Gaia 3 model tenor sax mouthpiece.
The mouthpiece chamber looks to be slightly bigger in diameter than the bore of the mouthpiece. In comparison to the Gaia 3 mouthpiece chamber, the chamber of the Gaia 4 looks to be slightly smaller in size. The roof of the chamber is nice and thin.
The Gaia 4 mouthpiece has a medium high and long “shark gill” baffle that rolls over and then descends into the chamber as you can see in the photos above and below. The baffle of the Gaia 4 mouthpiece looks to be a little lower than the Gaia 3 baffle when I compare them side by side.
Theo Wanne Gaia 4 Gold Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece
Like many of you, I already own a previous model of the Gaia tenor saxophone mouthpiece (I own the Gaia 3 model) and I was curious what the differences between the Gaia 3, the Lakshmi model (I just reviewed this model a few weeks ago) and the Gaia 4 model were, so I reached out to Bryan at Theo Wanne who sent me this helpful information:
GAIA 3 vs 4: The GAIA 3 tenor mouthpiece has True-Large Chamber, whereas the GAIA 4 tenor mouthpiece has a Large-Stadium-Chamber™. The Stadium-Chamber™ is not perfectly round, but shaped like a football stadium, being large in some areas, and medium in others, resulting in the big bottom end large chamber mouthpieces are known for, but with added focus. Acoustically, the GAIA 3 mouthpiece feels more spread and more prone to “breaking up” when really pushed, particularly in that area between D-G at the top of the staff. Whereas the GAIA 4 tenor mouthpiece has more fatness and projection, with less break-up.
Theo Wanne Gaia 4 Gold Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece
The Theo Wanne Gaia 4 tenor saxophone mouthpiece played perfectly with a Roberto’s Winds 3 soft tenor saxophone reed. I have spent the last couple of days going back and forth between the Theo Wanne Gaia 4, the Gaia 3 and the Lakshmi model tenor saxophone mouthpieces to try to grasp and define the differences between the mouthpieces because many of you have asked how they differ.
I have found the Gaia 3 model to be brighter than the Gaia 4 model and the Lakshmi model. When I am playing and turn to a wall, the Gaia 3 becomes much more focused sounding. When played out into a room, I lose some of the focused highs I hear when playing into the wall. The Gaia 4 mouthpiece seems like it has less highs in the sound and the tone is thicker, meatier and more complex where as the Gaia 3 seems brighter and purer in tone. The sound I get from the Gaia 4 in the room is not too different from the sound I get when I play into the wall. It’s remarkably close in my opinion. I was curious why this difference in focus when playing into a wall exists and put the question out to the saxophone public on Facebook and SOTW (Sax on the Web). Lance Burton gave me an amazingly detailed answer in response:
The Mouthpieces: The Gaia 3 model has a higher/longer baffle than the Gaia 4, so it generates stronger high frequencies.
The Horn: Because of the tone hole cut-off frequency, the frequencies below 800Hz reflect at the open tone hole back to the mouthpiece and create the standing wave. This is what powers the reed oscillation. Some of that sound emits from that open tone hole.
The frequencies above ca. 800Hz (tenor) travel the length of the body where those below ca. 1800Hz (tenor) reflect at the open bell, back to the mouthpiece. Some of that sound comes out of the open holes below the 1st open tone hole.
The frequencies above ca. 1800Hz (tenor) escape the horn, by coming out of the bell. These are largely gobbled up by room acoustics, but they are what you hear as focus, when you play against the wall or you are close-miked.
More high frequencies, more sound coming out of the bell.-Lance Burton (Facebook)
Thank you, Lance Burton, for this great explanation. I have wondered why some sax mouthpieces sound more focused when played into a wall while other mouthpieces didn’t seem as focused when played into the same wall. This explanation really helps me understand why that is.
The Lakshmi model seems to be somewhere in-between the Gaia 3 and the Gaia 4 in regard to brightness. It seems like it has more highs than the Gaia 4 but not as bright as the Gaia 3. Honestly, all three mouthpieces played great for me and I had a hard time figuring out which mouthpiece I liked the best. The best thing is that the facings are so similar if not exact, that I can use the same exact reed while comparing all three mouthpieces and the reed plays great on all of them.
As far as “spread tone versus focused tone” of each of these Theo Wanne mouthpiece models, it is really hard for me to figure out exactly. I’m told by Bryan at Theo Wanne that because the Gaia 4 model and Lakshmi model have a similar “stadium chamber” they share the attributes of core and focus that these chamber designs give to the tone. The Gaia 3 tenor mouthpiece has a more traditional round large chamber that makes the tone more spread when playing out into a room.
My experience was that the Gaia 3 mouthpiece sounded more spread when played into the room but more focused when played into the wall. The Gaia 4 mouthpiece sounded more focused than the Gaia 3 when played into the room but not as focused as the Gaia 3 when played into the wall. The Lakshmi was between the Gaia 3 and the Gaia 4 in regard to focus and spread when played into the room as well as into the wall.
Theo Wanne Gaia 4 Gold Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece
The Theo Wanne Gaia 4 tenor saxophone mouthpiece had a thick beefy tone to it that was fat and full sounding. I would describe the EQ of the tone to sound more like the mids are boosted and the higher frequencies decreased. There is still some interesting brightness and edge left in the tone but the tone is not as bright as the Gaia 3 tenor sax mouthpiece in my opinion. This gives the Gaia 4 a meatier tone than the Gaia 3 model in my opinion.
The Gaia 4 had great intonation and the notes felt really solid and locked in as far as tone and intonation. When pushed for volume the Gaia 4 was solid in tone and did not break up. Although the Gaia 4 did get a little brighter when pushed, I felt it still kept that higher mid boosted EQ at higher volumes that I wrote about earlier in the review.
The low notes were nice and thick and I loved sub-toning on this mouthpiece. The altissimo register was also easy to attain and play around in as well. The articulation was clean and smooth. I felt like the articulation was cleaner and smoother on the Gaia 4 tenor mouthpiece than the Gaia 3 mouthpiece.
On the sound clip below, I try to give a good range and variety of saxophone sounds and textures so that you can hear how the Theo Wanne Gaia 4 tenor saxophone mouthpiece performs in different styles. I demonstrate the sound of the Gaia 4 tenor mouthpiece with all my usual lines and melodies so if you want to compare it to my other sound clips and reviews, you should be able to find many of the same lines to compare this sound clip to. The first sound clip is recorded dry and the second sound clip is a more bluesy clip with reverb added.
Theo Wanne Gaia 4 Gold Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece
In my opinion, the Theo Wanne Gaia 4 tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a great metal tenor saxophone mouthpiece for those looking for a straight ahead mouthpieces that can be pushed into overdrive to handle more modern music when needed. As I told Bryan at Theo Wanne in an email, I am having a really hard time figuring out which of these Theo Wanne tenor sax mouthpieces I like the best. He replied that he has a hard time choosing between the Gaia 4 and the Lakshmi as well, so I guess I’m not alone.
If you like the sound and look of the Gaia 4 tenor saxophone mouthpiece by Theo Wanne, you can find them at Theo Wanne’s website Save 15% by using this link). I have agreed to be an affiliate for Theo Wanne so if you purchase a Theo Wanne Gaia 4 mouthpiece from this link (save 15% by using this link), neffmusic.com will receive a small commission on the sale. (This helps to support my site and keep the saxophone related reviews, articles and transcriptions coming to you…..).
If you are lucky enough to play a Theo Wanne Gaia 4 tenor saxophone mouthpiece or have any other thoughts or comments, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below. Thanks, Steve
Theo Wanne Gaia 4 Gold Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece – Roberto’s Winds 3 Soft Reed-No Effects
Theo Wanne Gaia 4 Gold Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece – Roberto’s Winds 3 Soft Reed-Reverb Added
I tried the Gaia 3 and found it a little prone to chirping. I’m sure it was because of the limited time I had getting used to it. However, I ended up returning it mainly because it seemed quite a bit brighter in the palm keys which greatly contrasted with richer sound and different character lower on the horn. I think Theo did a good thing by taming the top of the range of the Gaia 4 compared to the Gaia 3.
I never experienced any chirping on my Gaia 3 even once. Strange.
Hey Steve,
Love all your reviews and have really gained knowledge through research on your site. Like many players, I’ve struggled to find just the right mouthpiece, I’ve tried many of the names on your review list. I come back to the Gaia every time! It feels like the best of most but…..there’s a tiny inconsistency in tone shade from the top to the bottom registers imo, it’s totally tamable but on Drake mouthpieces I never experience that. Also the palm key notes are harder to control and tune for me while the Drake, Berg, and most others play much more clear and with great tone. Have you experienced this and do you feel this is improving on the 4 model?
David, Which Gaia model are you describing? Original, 2 or 3?
I’m not Steve, but I thought I would share with you what helped me.
Different mouthpieces require very different reeds. For the Gaia mouthpieces, the reeds that work best for me is the Boston Sax Reed and the Francois Louis Excellence reeds. The Boston Sax Reed is darker, but you can still get some sparkle in the sound with it. The Francois Louis Excellence reeds are amazing at playing beautiful and playing with extreme dynamics, but if you have a bright sounding neck, you will probably prefer the Boston Sax Reeds.
The Drake mouthpieces are darker sounding in the high range, so reeds with a thinner profile from the vamp to the tip will work fine for them. Theo’s mouthpieces have more baffle up near the tip so that’s why they need a reed with more material near the tip.
I have a beautiful sounding Navarro Maestra tenor mouthpiece that requires very different reeds. Navarro designed his mouthpiece with less baffle up near the tip. The Rigotti Gold reeds sound great with the Maestra mouthpiece because that reed is a lot brighter near the tip and it balances the very mellow mouthpiece very well. Steve is using a Roberto’s Winds reed in this demo, which is a little darker than the Rigotti Gold, but it still plays a little bright in the high notes. I think Steve would love playing the Gaia 4 mouthpiece even more with the reeds I suggest (if the size works for him). I use size 2 1/2 in both of those reeds for my 7* and 8 mouthpieces.
My comment above is in reply to David who was asking about high notes on the Gaia mouthpieces.
Added note to my above comments about reeds for Gaia mouthpieces. I was sharing what reeds worked great for my Gaia 3 and Gaia 4 mouthpieces. I forgot about my Gaia 2 mouthpiece. I loved using the Rigotti Gold reeds with my Gaia 2 mouthpiece because that mouthpiece is so mellow. I never tried the Gaia 1 mouthpiece because that mouthpiece sounded too bright in the high notes when I listened to demo recordings.
The Gaia 2 was the only Gaia model I didn’t care for. I can’t even remember why as I didn’t review it but sent it back. Not sure why.
Your sound on the Gaia 4 is great, but not all that dissimilar to many others. Your sound on the Lakshmi blew my mind. To my ear, it sounded unique. I’ve been thinking about both mouthpieces and had a very hard time figuring out if I wanted to order either, if any. Hearing your clips made it very easy. I’m going to give the Lakshmi a try as it seemed to offer exactly the sound I’ve been looking for. Hopefully, when I give it a run, the result won’t be too different than yours. Thanks a ton for the reviews!
That’s great Brian. Thanks! If you can use the link in the Lakshmi review that helps to support my site here at neffmusic. I appreciate it. Glad I could help you come to a decision on this. Steve
After two weeks of playing with the Lakshmi, I can’t imagine something could be better! Since you haven’t lost your enthusiasm for the Lakshmi, even though the Gaia 4 may be really good, I am standing pat. But clearly, Theo’s products are special. By the way, great time today with a Nexus 3 reed on the 7* Lakshmi.
That’s great to hear that you are loving the Lakshmi so much. Honestly, after all these years of reviewing mouthpieces, I don’t really think of them as better or worse but just different. Each mouthpiece has different strengths. Theo’s products are so top of the line that they all work and play great. After that, we just have to decide what coincides with our tastes as far as a saxophone sound. For me, between the Lakshmi, the Gaia 3 and the Gaia 4, I think it is the Lakshmi but the Gaia 3 has that brighter powerful Link type sound really nailed. The Gaia 4 has that meaty, thick, masculine (not implying gender but more gutsy, tough, hardcore) tenor sound really nailed. It really is a personal choice and although I can give my opinion what another person sounds the best on, they have to make a personal decision for themselves.
Hey Steve, enjoyed your review of the Gaia 4. Your sound clips are amazing. Allow me to share my experience with the Gaia 4.
I purchased a 7* about 2 weeks ago after deliberating for many months. In the short time I’ve had this mouthpiece, it has been an amazing experience. It’s been on a couple of gigs so far, one a straight ahead “restaurant jazz” gig, where it played beautifully, giving me warmth, clarity, and a big fat sound throughout the range of the horn. The very next night was a plugged-in, big sound system electric rock/blues gig. And did it ever cut. No problem keeping up with electric instruments. At the end of the night the sound man came over and complemented me on my “big” sound. A complement from a sound guy is a big deal. LOL.
I’m so in love with the sound throughout the horn but especially the bell keys. I didn’t know my MVI could sound so good on the bottom end until I played this piece….and I own many mouthpieces. It seems very reed friendly. I’ve used Nexus, BSS, Vandoren green box on cane and Legere synthetic so far. All perform great.
I think the Gaia 4 may finally be my “everything” mouthpiece, replacing a 12 year old original model Durga I use on electric gigs, but which is not versatile for me and struggles on the bottom end. And replaces a couple of very nice hard rubber and Cocobolo wood mouthpieces I use just for straight ahead gigs. Since it’s only been a couple of weeks, more to discover what this mouthpiece can do. Hopefully my search is over.
Thanks so much Steve for your review.
Hi Frank,
I only play for fun…I could never get a Legere reed to stay on my Gaia mouthpiece without moving from side to side..what’s the trick..?
Hi Steve,
Many thanks for your great site and work with all mouthpiece reviews. I’m currently playing a Gottsu sepia tone jazz mouthpiece, since a couple of years, after first hearing it here. And I’m satisfied with it and like the tone I get. But now I’m really interested in the Gaia 4. Been listening back and forth a lot here on the site trying to compare them…
As you and others here already stated it’s very much a matter of taste and personality. To me the Gaia 4 seems to be a little bit brighter than the Gottsu, and I think I can hear the difference in response time, being the Gaia has a really quick response. That’s how I hear it. Just wondering what’s your reflection, Steve?
I have a Gaia 3, metal 7* and 8 (tenor). I have a Gaia 4, metal 7* and 8 (tenor) and I also have a Gaia 4, hard rubber tenor mouthpiece. I love these mouthpieces. I did have some chirping in both of my Gaia 3 mouthpieces because the baffle was too high up next to the tip of the mouthpiece. Theo must have corrected this in his Gaia 3 tenor mouthpieces. I didn’t have any chirping on my Gaia 3 alto mouthpieces. I had the baffle near the tip reduced a tiny bit on both of my Gaia 3 tenor mouthpieces and they were my Holy Grail pieces until I tried the Gaia 4 mouthpieces. I love using the Gaia 4 mouthpieces with my brighter sounding neck and I love using the Gaia 3 mouthpieces with my darker sounding neck.
I heard a demo of the hard rubber Gaia 4 mouthpiece and decided to try it. This is the first hard rubber mouthpiece that I have ever loved on tenor. I actually like it better than the metal pieces for playing beautifully. I still prefer the metal pieces for the screaming sax solos because the sound stays so clear and powerful with the metal pieces. The hard rubber Gaia 4 mouthpiece is amazing at playing beautifully and if I use a Francois Louis Excellence reed it is almost as good as using a metal mouthpiece when I push the volume. For playing jazz I love using the Boston Sax Reeds, especially with my brighter sounding neck because the darkness of the Boston Sax Reeds balance my bright neck beautifully.
Steve, thanks for sharing your jazz language in your books. I love your books titled “Devastating Minor Lines” and “Devastating Dominant Lines”. I had to take several years off from being a musician so I could be a single parent. Now I’m back to playing and your books gave me some good inspiration. I am good at both reading music and playing by ear, so your books really speed up the process of increasing my vocabulary. I actually couldn’t remember some of my old vocabulary or I didn’t feel good about some of my old vocabulary. I couldn’t reconnect with some of my old vocabulary (if that makes sense). But I immediately connected with some of the vocabulary that you shared. I plan on doing a lot of recording soon and I will share with you when I realize I’m using some of your vocabulary. I find that I integrate your vocabulary with mine very easily. I find that I can blend my vocabulary with yours and that’s why it works so well for me. I actually already knew some of your interval vocabulary. I think we got some of it from “Patterns for Jazz”. I found that book very useful for some vocabulary. I also remember learning interval vocabulary from modern sax players, and I realized that it was easy to make up your own interval lines. Anyway, thanks for your help.
Thanks for adding your impressions of the various Gaia tenor mouthpieces, Mark. Comments like these really help those visiting the site to look for a mouthpiece.
Also, thanks for the encouraging review of my Devastating books. I was so excited to write these because a book like these did not exist when I was coming up through high school and college. I honestly would have been so excited to get those killer lines in a book form like that. I’m glad you connect with them!
Hello Steve. I like your sound on this mouthpiece. What reverb do you use ? Do you know its pre-delay and decay ?
Unfortunately, I am not a tech guy in the least. I have no idea what you are even asking. I basically use Garageband to record and there is an effect dial labeled reverb. I turn it up about 3-4 notches to where I think it sounds good and that is what I use. I don’t even know if it can be adjusted or tweaked outside of that…….. Sorry I couldn’t be more informative.