• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Website of Steve Neff

  • BLOG
  • SHOP
  • MY ACCOUNT
  • RAVES
  • CONTACT

Search Neffmusic

You are here: Home / Reviews / Mouthpiece Reviews / Alto Mouthpiece Reviews / Alto Medium Baffle Reviews / Meyer Bros New York Connoisseur Series Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

Meyer Bros New York Connoisseur Series Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

August 11, 2022 by Steve 16 Comments

Today, I am reviewing two new Meyer Bros New York 7 and 8 Connoisseur series alto saxophone mouthpieces made by JJ Babbitt.  The Connoisseur Meyer Bros NY alto saxophone mouthpieces are advertised as being a reproduction of the original Meyer Bros New York alto saxophone mouthpiece that Cannonball Adderley played as described in this quote from the JJ Babbitt website:

“Yes, the original Meyer Bros New York alto saxophone mouthpiece that Cannonball played and had retro-fitted with a brass retention ring due to a cracked shank is now available to you. We believe it’s the best Meyer hard rubber alto sax mouthpiece JJ Babbitt has ever made and have even included the original Bonade style ligature. We believe you will agree, “It’s Back…”

I have only played a few vintage hard rubber Meyer alto saxophone mouthpieces over the years and am very excited to try one of these new hard rubber Meyer Bros NY connoisseur alto saxophone mouthpieces out!

Meyer Bros New York 8 Connoisseur Series Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

The original hard rubber Meyer Bros New York alto saxophone mouthpieces that were made from 1948-1959 came in three chamber sizes according to the Theo Wanne mouthpiece museum.   Here is a quote from Theo Wanne’s page on the vintage Meyer Bros NY alto sax mouthpieces:

The most sought after of the Meyer mouthpieces is the Meyer Bros New York model. These had a fat body and came in a small, medium, and large chamber. The small chambers were very bright, and the large chambers were very dark. Hence most people played on the medium chambers. The large or small chambers are still very good playing mouthpieces though. The finish work on these was excellent. They had very rounded inner side walls and a small rollover baffle at the tip. The Meyer Brothers mouthpieces are also known for having a very good quality hard rubber compound that produces a very rich sound.

The vintage Meyer Bros NY mouthpieces were made with a large, medium or small chamber.  When comparing my photos of the chambers of these new Meyer Bros NY Connoisseur alto mouthpieces they look the most like the chambers of the medium chambered vintage Meyer Bros NY alto mouthpieces in the photos.  I asked Steve Rorie at JJ Babbitt if these were indeed medium chambers just to confirm what size chambers these have and here is his reply:

“What seems to be a simple question has a fairly complex answer;

What most people don’t know, is prior to Babbitt acquiring Meyer Bros., they were sourcing blanks from multiple sources ( 3 and sometimes 4 sources). Even including JJ Babbitt in the last couple of years leading up to the acquisition.  So when you are comparing the current Meyer Bros NY Connoisseur mouthpiece to an old vintage Meyer Bros NY mouthpiece,  how closely it compares depends largely on the blank source of the original mouthpiece you have. We studied the various iterations from the past and had some pro players we trust provide us feedback and elected to reproduce the version we felt best duplicated the intended sound and blow of the Meyer Bros. NY that Cannonball Adderley played and recorded with. 

Also, regarding the chamber…the Connoisseur is actually in between a medium and a small, just like the vintage blank version we chose to reproduce. But it is closer to a medium than a small so we referred to it as a medium just like the Meyer Brothers did back in the day.”-Steve Rorie-President/CEO JJ Babbitt

The most notable sax players that I know that played a Meyer Bros NY alto saxophone mouthpiece are Cannonball Adderley and Sonny Stitt.  I have read that Jim Snidero plays one also and that he actually owns Cannonball Adderley’s original Meyer Bros New York mouthpiece!  Wow!   That is pretty awesome!

Meyer Bros New York 7 Connoisseur Series Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

I received a 7 and 8 Meyer Bros NY Connoisseur alto saxophone mouthpiece directly from JJ Babbitt along with an Otto Link Early Babbitt 7* Connoisseur tenor saxophone mouthpiece that I have already reviewed.  All the mouthpieces were packaged well and came with metal ligatures and mouthpiece caps.  The Meyer Bros NY alto mouthpieces came with what JJ Babbitt describes as an “original Bonade style ligature”.   “Meyer Bros” is engraved on the ligature as well as the mouthpiece cap.

The Meyer Bros New York Connoisseur alto saxophone mouthpieces look like you would expect a great hard rubber Meyer alto sax mouthpiece to look with the exception of having a gold band that circles the shank of the mouthpieces.  This gold band is not something the vintage Meyers had on them but it is a cool looking as well as functional addition.  The gold band encircles the hard rubber shank and offers protection against having the shank crack as has happened in the past to Cannonball Adderley.

The top of the Meyer Bros NY mouthpiece has “Meyer Bros” and “New York” engraved into the hard rubber. The lettering is painted gold as you can see in the many mouthpiece photos in this review.

The table of the Meyer Bros NY mouthpiece has a triangle with the tip opening and “Meyer Lapped Facing M” engraved in the triangle.  The box the mouthpiece comes in says that the facing length is medium so I believe the M engraved on the table is in reference to the facing length and not the chamber size.

Meyer Bros New York 8 Connoisseur Series Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

The new Meyer Bros New York Connoisseur Series alto saxophone mouthpiece comes in four tip opening options.  5M=.071, 6M=.076, 7M=.081 and the 8M=.086.   I usually play alto sax mouthpieces with a tip opening between .076 and .080 but when communicating back and forth with Steve Rorie at JJ Babbitt, Steve was very enthusiastic about the Meyer Bros NY alto mouthpiece in the 8 tip opening and said a number of professional players were blown away by the 8 tip opening mouthpiece.  After hearing that, I asked if I could perhaps review a 7 and an 8 tip opening.  I was a bit skeptical that I would love the 8 tip opening because I have usually not cared for alto sax mouthpieces with a .086 tip opening but in retrospect, I am glad that Steve convinced me to give the 8 tip opening Meyer Bros NY alto saxophone mouthpiece a try.

Meyer Bros New York 7 Connoisseur Series Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

The JJ Babbitt Meyer Bros NY connoisseur alto sax mouthpiece looks very well made and the table, side rails and tip rail look within normal parameters to the eye.  The side rails look even and uniform as they travel towards the tip and the tip rail looks even and well curved.

The tip rail is close to the shape of my Rigotti cane reeds that I use (BSS, Rigotti Gold, Roberto’s Winds, Syos reeds are all Rigotti cane reeds) but the Rigotti cane reed shape curves at a sharper decline on the outside edges of the reed than the curve of the tip rail on the Meyer Bros NY Connoisseur alto sax mouthpieces. All the reeds I used for this review sealed well when performing the suction test and played great for me.

Meyer Bros New York 7 Connoisseur Series Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

The baffle of the Meyer Bros NY Connoisseur alto sax mouthpieces is what I would consider a medium rollover baffle height.  It travels about a 1/4 of an inch and then rolls over where the baffle then proceeds to head at a greater angle towards the rear of the mouthpiece chamber.   The baffle looks even and balanced from side to side.  The entire run of the baffle after the rollover has a slight curve from side to side.  I believe the mouthpiece side walls have a very slight scoop to them as they head towards the chamber as well.  With the eye, the sidewalls look straight to me, but when I feel them with my finger, it feels like they are scooped out a small amount.

The mouthpiece chamber is what I would consider a medium chamber and the bottom floor of the chamber looks to be scooped out slightly when the light hits it at the right angle.   The chamber is a little bit larger than the diameter of the bore of the mouthpiece.  The roof of the mouthpiece chamber is a medium thickness.

Meyer Bros New York 8 Connoisseur Series Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

The Meyer Bros NY Connoisseur alto saxophone mouthpieces played great with a variety of reeds.   For the sound clips below, I used a Rigotti Gold 3 light reed on the 7 tip opening and a Rigotti Gold 2 1/2 strong on the 8 tip opening.  These reed strengths felt the most comfortable to me on these tip openings.  I would have liked to use the same reed on both mouthpieces for comparison sake but the 3 light reed felt too hard on the 8 tip opening and the 2 1/2 strong reed felt too soft on the 7 tip opening.

I have posted seven clips of the two Meyer Bros NY alto sax mouthpieces below and grouped them together in pairs for comparison sake.  At the end I added a lone clip of the 7 tip opening playing “My little Suede Shoes” just because I liked how light and crisp the tone of the 7 tip opening Meyer Bros NY mouthpiece was.  Unfortunately, I didn’t record “My Little Suede Shoes” on the 8 tip opening Meyer Bros NY to compare it to.

Each sound clip was recorded dry (without effects) but I also posted two clips with reverb added to the recording.  I like to add clips with reverb added to my reviews to give the listener a taste of what a mouthpiece might sound like with a little reverb added. This also gives the listener an idea of how the mouthpiece might sound when played in a big hall or theater with a natural reverb in the room.

Meyer Bros New York 7 Connoisseur Series Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

I have to admit that the 8 tip opening Meyer Bros NY mouthpiece really surprised me in that the tip opening did not feel too big for me.  It felt quite comfortable for me and I hardly ever go over an .080 tip opening on alto saxophone mouthpieces, so feeling comfortable on the 8 tip opening was a nice surprise.

I had a heck of a time figuring out which of these Meyer Bros NY alto sax mouthpieces I liked the best.  They both played great for me and had different attributes that I really enjoyed.  The 8 tip opening Meyer Bros NY seemed to have a bigger sound that was more round and fat sounding.  That roundness of tone seemed really pleasant and beautiful to listen to.  I was indeed reminded of Cannonball’s fat alto saxophone tone while playing this 8 tip opening Meyer Bros mouthpiece.

The 7 tip opening seemed to have a more concentrated core to the sound.  The bright accents while playing bebop lines seemed to pop out more when playing fast bebop lines which  made the lines more crisp and easier to accent. I really enjoyed this.  The 7 tip opening also seemed to have a lighter tone to it in general.  I really loved the light, crisp tone at the softer and more medium volumes.  It also seemed like the articulation on the 7 tip opening was a little lighter and faster than the 8 tip opening but I think that might simply be connected to the fact that the 8 has a fatter tone and the 7 a lighter tone to it.  It makes sense that articulating a lighter tone would seem lighter than articulating with a fatter tone.  The 7 tip opening reminded me more of a Phil Woods kind of tone.

I did feel like I could get more volume out of the 8 tip opening which is most likely due to being able to force more air through that .086 tip opening.  I do hear a little of the hollowness in the tone of the 8 tip opening that I describe in many reviews when I play larger tip openings, but I don’t mind it and the tone sounds great to me on this 8 tip opening.  I notice that the 7 tip opening seems to have a more tight, concentrated core to the tone in comparison to the 8 tip opening.

Meyer Bros New York 8 Connoisseur Series Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

When I listen to the sound clips, I think the brightness of the 7 and 8 tip openings are very similar.  I do get the impression that the 7 tip opening is a little brighter but I wonder if this is because the 7 tip opening seems like the brightness is right on the surface of the tight core of tone where as the 8 tip opening seems like the brightness is diffused a tad by the fat round tone if that makes sense.

Both mouthpieces were easy to play expressively.  Vibrato and bending were easy to implement and use.  I don’t play much in the altissimo on the alto sax just because it irritates my one remaining good ear but the little I played up in the altissimo range seemed easy to play.

The intonation of both mouthpieces was excellent and pretty darn close to “0” on the tuner up and down the range of the alto saxophone.

 

Meyer Bros New York 8 Connoisseur Series Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

The differences between tip openings written about above are really subjective and personal.  I know many of you will be tempted to ask me “Steve, which one is better?” or “Which one should I get?” but I can’t answer that question for you, you have to decide that for yourself.  When I have students ask that question in lessons, I tell them that answering that question for them would be like me telling them what person they should date.  It just doesn’t work that way, it is a personal decision each person has to make.   I could go around telling everyone they should date and marry someone like my wife but not everyone is attracted to the same qualities that I am.  It’s the same with mouthpieces……..Everyone is different and has different tastes and preferences.

Meyer Bros New York 7 Connoisseur Series Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

Some thoughts about the sound clips below:

The first two clips are extended random fragments of lines and melodies to listen to.  You can immediately hear the lightness of the line and tone with the first line of the 7 tip opening clip.  I totally loved this sound and vibe on this clip.  That lightness I describe makes it seem like I could play the lines even faster.  I also think that lightness makes the articulation and accents pop a little more within the smooth light bebop lines.  When I play Kim at the 2:30 mark, I think that is the fastest I have ever played that line due to the tone being so light and crisp.

In comparison, the second clip, of the 8 tip opening,  sounds more fat, bold and “in your face”.  The volume difference is apparent immediately.  Both clips were recorded exactly the same and although I am playing at different volume levels initially, the fact that the first clip stays lighter and the the second clip continues with a fatter, heavier tone shows the difference in tone between these two mouthpieces for me.  At the :34 mark of the second clip, I play that line from Kim again.  I’m playing lighter and softer but I think the tone sounds a bit fatter and heavier than the tone when playing it at 2:30 on the first clip using the 7 tip opening.

At the 1:04 mark of the second clip, you can hear how the tone of the 8 tip opening fills out and fattens up even more with a little more air.  To me, the 7 tip opening sounds more dainty, polite and sophisticated and the 8 tip opening sounds more bold and in your face.  At 1:54, I play a blues lick with even more air and you can hear how the 8 tip opening takes all the air and converts it to a tone that is more forceful.   I think if you are a player that plays a good amount of R&B and loud pop music on the alto saxophone , then the 8 tip opening would give you a bit more of the volume and presence you would need for those types of settings.

In the comparison clips of “The Summer Knows” and “On the Sunny Side of the Street”, I think it helps to play a phrase from one clip, pause it and then play the phrase on the other clip to compare phrase to phrase.  Listening to these clips was really helpful to me. Although I had the impression while playing the 7 tip opening that it had a tighter core of tone while playing, listening to the clips leads me to believe that what is coming out of the front of the saxophone is a more “in your face” and distinct core of tone from the 8 tip opening mouthpiece.  The brightness of both mouthpieces sound similar to me but the 8 tip mouthpiece has a fatter tone that has a more round solid definition to the edges of the tone where as the 7 tip opening has a lighter tone that has more of a soft diffused border to the tone rather than a hard line like the 8 tip opening has.  It’s interesting how you hear one thing from behind the saxophone and then something else when you listen back to a recording.

Meyer Bros New York 7 Connoisseur Series Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

In my opinion, the JJ Babbitt Meyer Bros NY connoisseur alto saxophone mouthpiece is a great hard rubber alto saxophone mouthpiece for those looking for a classic vintage Meyer kind of alto saxophone sound.  A great characteristic to these Meyer mouthpieces is that they don’t pigeon hole you into one sound.  Think about all the players that played Meyer alto saxophone mouthpieces! Cannonball Adderley, Phil Woods, Sonny Stitt, etc…..  Heck,  even Mark Russo!  I heard Mark Russo playing live with the Yellowjackets back in the 80’s and wondered what mystery mouthpiece allowed him to get that really bright tone and killer altissimo…….. a Meyer 6 I believe it was!  That blew me away!   My point here, is that a lot can be done with these mouthpieces and the Meyer design allows the player to mold and shape the tone in whatever way they would like.

I will say that as I tried these two Meyer Bros NY connoisseur alto saxophone mouthpieces for this review, I imagined being able to try these mouthpieces back in the 80’s and 90’s when I was searching for a great alto sax mouthpiece.   I would have been incredibly excited to try a Meyer hard rubber mouthpiece like these two back then!  These two alto mouthpieces are very different than the many Meyer hard rubber alto sax mouthpieces I tried out in the 80’s through the 2000’s that is for sure.  JJ Babbitt did a great job with this new Connoisseur series Meyer Bros NY alto saxophone mouthpiece!

If you like the sound and look of the Meyer Bros NY Connoisseur alto saxophone mouthpiece by JJ Babbitt, you can find them for sale at Sweetwater. I have agreed to be an affiliate for Sweetwater so if you purchase a Meyer Bros NY Connoisseur alto sax mouthpiece from 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…..). Sweetwater even offers the option to pay in three installments as well which is nice.

If you are lucky enough to play a Meyer Bros New York Connoisseur series alto saxophone mouthpiece or have any other thoughts or comments, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below.  I would also love to hear what you think of the differences between these two mouthpieces and which you like better in the comments below.    Thanks,   Steve

Long Clip Comparison Between Meyer Bros NY 7 & 8 Connoisseur Alto Sax Mouthpieces 

https://cdn.neffmusic.com/2022/MeyerConn7.mp3

Meyer Bros New York 7 Connoisseur Series Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece – Rigotti Gold 3 Light Reed

https://cdn.neffmusic.com/2022/MeyerConn8.mp3

Meyer Bros New York 8 Connoisseur Series Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece – Rigotti Gold 2 1/2 Strong Reed

 

Short Clip with Reverb Comparison Between Meyer Bros NY 7 & 8 Connoisseur Alto Sax Mouthpieces 

https://cdn.neffmusic.com/2022/MeyerConn7-Reverb25.mp3

Meyer Bros New York 7 Connoisseur Series Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece – Rigotti Gold 3 Light Reed -Reverb

https://cdn.neffmusic.com/2022/MeyerConn8AltoReverb.mp3

Meyer Bros New York 8 Connoisseur Series Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece – Rigotti Gold 2 1/2 Strong Reed-Reverb

“The Summer Knows” Comparison Between Meyer Bros NY 7 & 8 Connoisseur Alto Sax Mouthpieces 

https://cdn.neffmusic.com/2022/TheSummerKnows-MeyerConn7.mp3

Meyer Bros New York Connoisseur Series Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece – Rigotti Gold 3 Light Reed

https://cdn.neffmusic.com/2022/TheSummerKnows-MeyerConn8.mp3

Meyer Bros New York Connoisseur Series Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece – Rigotti Gold 2 1/2 Strong Reed

 

“On the Sunny Side of the Street” Comparison Between Meyer Bros NY 7 & 8 Connoisseur Alto Sax Mouthpieces 

https://cdn.neffmusic.com/2022/OntheSunny-MeyerConn7.mp3

Meyer Bros New York 7 Connoisseur Series Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece – Rigotti Gold 3 Light Reed

https://cdn.neffmusic.com/2022/On%20the%20sunny-MeyerConn8.mp3

Meyer Bros New York 8 Connoisseur Series Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece – Rigotti Gold 2 1/2 Strong

“My Little Suede Shoes” Meyer Bros NY 7  Alto Sax Mouthpiece 

https://cdn.neffmusic.com/2022/SuedeShoes-MeyerConn7.mp3

Meyer Bros New York 7 Connoisseur Series Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece – Rigotti Gold 3 Light Reed

Disclosure: I received the sample mouthpieces reviewed above for free in the hope that I would try them and perhaps review them on my blog. I also receive a small commission when you purchase from the link provided in this review that helps to support this site. Regardless, I only review sax mouthpieces that I enjoy playing and believe will be good for other saxophone players to try also. Steve

Filed Under: Alto Medium Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews, Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Alto Saxophone, Connoisseur Series, JJ Babbitt, Meyer Bros, new york, review, sax mouthpiece

Steve

About Steve

Steve Neff has been playing and teaching saxophone and jazz improvisation around the New England area for over 30 years. He is the author of many best selling jazz improvisation methods as well as founding the popular jazz video lesson site Neffmusic.com.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. AvatarGiuseppe C. says

    August 12, 2022 at 6:34 am

    Hi Steve,
    Both excellent mouthpieces; I prefer the 8 on the high notes and the 7 on the middle and low notes.
    If I were to buy one of the two I would probably buy the 7 (hard to say without trying them) or, better, in my case, probably the 6.
    I hope that JJ Babbitt will also market the tenor model and that the shops in Rome, being a well-known house, will order it in order to be able to try it on and choose if, and what size, to buy.
    Thanks for the long description, which I read with real interest, and the many sound clips …
    Giuseppe.
    PS How does the mouthpiece bore enter the sax neck cork?

    Reply
    • SteveSteve says

      August 12, 2022 at 9:43 am

      The mouthpieces fit fine on my alto neck cork. Thanks for taking the time to read the review and listen to the clips…….

      Reply
      • AvatarGiuseppe C. says

        August 13, 2022 at 6:11 am

        Thanks to you for taking the time to try , describe and prepare the sound clips for our knowledge!
        Giuseppe.

        Reply
    • AvatarAlex says

      August 13, 2022 at 10:46 am

      I have such a mouthpiece number 5, it works on yas62. Yamaha does not go well with Meyer, but I like this combination.

      Reply
  2. AvatarSeraphim says

    August 13, 2022 at 2:45 am

    Dear Steve,

    Could you share with me your impressions of this Meyer connoisseur vs. the Phil Tone Rift? Which do you think is the fatter, rounder, mouthpiece, and which can get more edge? I am playing an Aaron Drake NY Jazz 6 on a Ref. 54. Alto.

    I am looking for a rounder, bigger, fatter tone with more presence, and some edge when pushed. More of a Tenor sound on alto. Cannonball often could get a Tenor sound on an alto.

    Have you tried the Phil Tone Intrepid? I have a number of stock Meyer’s from the late 80’s. But I’m looking for something bigger, with more presences. Even a bigger sound then the Drake NY Jazz 6.

    Have you tried the Rift vs. the Intrepid? Does this new Meyer 8 compare to them for power, fatness, presence and edge. The Intrepid is a interesting beast with a reso like chamber.

    I don’t have a ability to try them all back to back. I’m leaning toward the rift to get something more like Cannonball’s Them Dirty Blues to a more powerful, round, Tenor- ish sound with out having to constantly push the mouthpiece.

    Any Thoughts, are you selling any of these mouthpieces?

    I will also contact Phil, but I also wanted your thoughts.

    God Bless,
    Seraphim

    Reply
    • SteveSteve says

      August 13, 2022 at 9:59 am

      The Drake NY 6 you are playing has a nice fat sound in my opinion. The one I reviewed years ago was fatter than any of the Meyer mouthpieces I had played. The Rift also has a fat sound but is considerable brighter than the Drake NY mouthpiece from what I remember. I still have the Rift I reviewed so many years ago. Actually, the one I have was the prototype that Phil sent around and I liked it so much that I asked to keep it. I think the Rift is fatter and brighter when pushed than the Meyer 8. The Meyer 8 is fatter in tone than most Meyers I have played in the past which is why I dig it so much. I think both the Meyer 8 or the Rift in a bigger tip opening will give you more volume than the Drake NY 6 if you go in that direction just because of the larger tip openings. Even if you went to a larger tip opening with the Drake NY it would probably do that for you. It all depends if you are maxing out the volume on the Drake NY 6 or not. I add the because some players don’t play at the 80-100% volume range very often. If you do and it isn’t giving you the volume you need then that is a good time to try a larger tip opening in my opinion. If you mostly play at a 40-60% volume most of the time, a larger tip will be harder to fill with air. I have never tried the Intrepid alto sax mouthpiece that I can remember…….. Hope this helps.

      Reply
  3. Avatarseraphim says

    August 13, 2022 at 2:54 am

    Thanks for all your work and reviews!

    I am leaning toward the Rift of The Intrepid, but I can’t afford both. I know Phil has a 7 day trial period, but would still appreciate your thoughts.

    Thank you,
    Seraphim

    Reply
  4. AvatarGreg Wier says

    August 14, 2022 at 8:04 am

    The 8m is closer to the classic New York Meyer Bros. sound. The very resonant ring of the vintage Bros. pieces is not the same on these attempted replicas. Copying the high sulphur content and curing process of those original Bros. mouthpiece seems to elude everyone who attempts copying the Stradivarius of saxophone mouthpieces. Thanks for the review, I will try an 8 for myself.

    Reply
  5. AvatarSammy says

    August 14, 2022 at 5:35 pm

    First of all, I want to thank Steve for taking the time out of his busy schedule to make these reviews for all of us. I had contacted Steve a few weeks before this review came out and asked if he was going to do a review on the Meyer Connoisseur Alto mouthpiece. Ironically, he told me a review was in the process and would be out in a few days, and what an excellent review it is. I have listened to those clips so many times trying to differentiate between the 7 and 8 tip openings. I even compared these clips to the Meyer 100th anniversary mouthpiece. I have a 100th Anniversary 6M and I do like it. Some have said there is hardly any difference between the two, but I can hear a difference. I think this new Meyer Connoisseur projects better than the Meyer Anniversary especially in the upper register. I believe I like the sound of the 8 tip opening best but think the 7 tip opening would require less air and is so similar in sound to the 8, its quite difficult to tell the difference. The 7 would be my choice .

    Reply
    • SteveSteve says

      August 15, 2022 at 10:42 am

      Glad you found the review helpful, Sammy. I think the 7 is a good choice as you are coming from the 6 tip opening.

      Reply
  6. AvatarFrancesco Todeschini says

    January 29, 2023 at 8:00 am

    Thanks steve for the review. What differences and what commonalties did you find with the mouthpiece 3d printed copy that you reviewed a long time ago?

    Reply
    • SteveSteve says

      January 29, 2023 at 7:04 pm

      I’m not sure what 3D mouthpiece you are asking about?

      Reply
      • AvatarFrancesco Todeschini says

        January 30, 2023 at 2:25 am

        GS NEW YORK Alto Mouthpiece Meyer Bros NY Replica

        Reply
        • SteveSteve says

          January 30, 2023 at 9:17 am

          The GS Meyer New York Bros piece I tried was a 5 tip opening and the Connoisseur Series Meyer NY Bros was a 7 & 8 tip opening so it is hard to compare because the tip openings are so different. When looking at the insides of both mouthpieces side by side, the Connoisseur has a pretty thin ceiling above the chamber area. The GS NY Bros has a really thick ceiling. The chambers look similar in shape but the GS NY Bros looks a little bit smaller than the Connoisseur chamber. The different ceiling heights make the Connoisseur Meyer NY Bros chamber sit higher and the GS NY Bros chamber sit lower in comparison. Playing wise I do feel more resistance from the GS Meyer NY Bros. It’s not bad and a lot of people like that feeling of resistance to shape the sound. The Connoisseur NY Bros Meyer is more free blowing in comparison. It still has resistance but not as much as the GS Meyer. I imagine the thinner ceiling and higher chamber allow the Connoisseur to direct the air more freely through the chamber area. The slightly smaller chamber, thicker ceiling and lower chamber of the GS Meyer NY Bros add a bit of resistance to the blowing of that mouthpiece. Which one you prefer really has to do with how much resistance you like while playing. I like a good amount to more easily shape the sound but not too much so my neck puffs way out and my face is turning beet red when playing loud. Neither mouthpiece has that kind of bad resistance thankfully.

          Reply
  7. AvatarLawrence Jones says

    March 9, 2023 at 6:20 pm

    Steve, your sound is amazing. I play on an older 7 small chamber Meyer alto sax mouthpiece that Jim Snidero got to hear and later asked me a whole barrage of questions about. What a great player that loves Meyer mouthpieces, would love to see him again, last time was in the late 90’s.

    Back to the pieces…I really liked the 7 over the 8, at least so I thought. They really are two beautiful, close yet different, sounds. I always believed that the older the rubber the more resonant and yet I feel the need to try these two mouthpieces as mine warped for some time out to come back to normal. Which leads me to believe I may be needing a new one at some point.

    Once again thank you for the wonderful article, you have piqued my interest and please, I would love it if you would compare these to an old Meyer (like the one it’s modeled after), a Morgan, and Berg Larsen (Mike Smith played my horn once and wow, he didn’t seem to like Meyer as much as his mouthpiece and man did it sound powerful and everything I’d been trying to achieve with mine).

    Once again, it was a pleasure to meet your sound and I would love it if you would share clips of stuff you love to hear.

    Reply
    • SteveSteve says

      March 15, 2023 at 10:20 am

      Lawrence, I do have some clips of an older NY Meyer on my site but it had been refaced:

      https://www.neffmusic.com/blog/2019/06/vintage-new-york-meyer-usa-4m-alto-saxophone-mouthpiece-refaced-by-jimmy-jensen-review/

      As well as this comparison review with a new Meyer and the NY Meyer:

      https://www.neffmusic.com/blog/2019/06/new-ny-meyer-alto-saxophone-mouthpiece-compared-to-a-vintage-ny-meyer-alto-sax-mouthpiece-review/

      Thanks for the feedback on the 7 and 8 Meyer Connoisseur alto mouthpieces. I too loved the 7 but the 8 just had this big huge sound as well. Very different in sound to my ears. I still have both and my intention is to spend more time on both and see which one wins in the long run for me. I have always sold Meyer alto mouthpieces I have played in the past and I always seem to regret it later so I think I will hold on to one of these to avoid that feeling in the future…….

      Reply

Leave a Reply to Steve Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Cart

Subscribe to the Neffmusic Newsletter for the latest reviews and best deals delivered straight to your inbox every month. Join now and you will also receive my 40 Ultimate Michael Brecker Licks free!

Select list(s) to subscribe to


Thanks for joining!


NEFFMUSIC PRINTED BOOKS

Testimonials

Steve really changed my way of practicing: I got a whole lot of new ideas for my playing the tenor.  His lessons are really helpful, give a lot stuff to practice and give clear answers to complicated stuff.  Steve has a lot of humor and I wish I had laughed so much in my former days with the horn.  All topics, from Blues to Approach note are dealt with clearness that wet ones appetite to play and practice that great ideas.
Uwe

I want to thank you again, because, not only are you an inspiration to listen to, you are a fine teacher!

I have been teaching sax and other winds for over 20 years, and you give me that “push” to give my students more!

Mark Peotter

Mark Peotter
Hey Steve! I hope you and your family are well.  I’m just writing to say thank you so much for all the resources you have made available to the saxophone community. I have been using your material for many years and I always come back to it… in fact I just took a break from practicing to write this…( reviewing “CreatingModern II-V-I Lines with simple pentatonics”.) I am, and continue to be, one of your raving fans! Blessings to you and your family this holiday season! Wishing… Read more
Gerry Aylward

Hello Steve,

I have not received my alto yet but have already gone through 14 lessons. I love your approach, style, knowledge and competence. I now regret so much to have stayed away from playing the sax for the past 45-50 years…(I am 65).  But It is never too late to get back to your first love. After 23 years in compuer sciences and 22 years in finances…I am now back to music for the rest of my life.

Doing some research on the net, I found this:

http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?1… Read more

Claude

Mr. Neff,  I want to thank you for sharing your God-given talents through your on-line lessons.  My husband, Michael, is blind, but he is a great sax player and he has been enjoying your lessons for quite some time now.  It’s not unusual for me to hear “Hey, babe, listen to THIS!” – and he will cut loose on his sax, just thrilled at what he learned during his session with you.  His excitement warms my heart!  You have no idea how much you have poured into my husband.  You have opened musical … Read more

Carole B

Never really had lessons before just kinda worked things out on my own. Was in a rut but your lessons are really helpful in opening melodic possibilities. Ur an awesome resource to the saxophone community. Thanks for sharing. 

Anthony
Your major diatonic patterns book is great. I”m studying the first twenty patterns (first twenty pages) each day with different articulation each day and slowly increasing the tempo each week or so.  There is a noticeable improvement in finger coordination across all keys and its amazing how much more secure I feel on the difficult keys when attempting to play pieces with 5+ flats/sharps. I’m able to sort out the fingerings for these pieces now much more quickly than before, often in one or two … Read more
Geoff
Hi Steve, I can’t express just how much I appreciate your teaching. My playing has improved so much over the past year since I have been studying and practicing with your lessons. It is possible to teach an old dog new tricks, these lessons are proof! Thanks, Michael Byington
Michael Byington
Your lessons on playing the blues is so clear . I have been through many books on blues playing and not one of them explains as clear as your lessons . Most of them say “Play the same blues scale over all three chords of a 12 bar blues ” Its very misleading .     Thanks
Martin
Thank you for the wealth of helpful lessons you’ve provided over the years.  I truly feel as though it has improved my playing more than the 4 years I spent at Berklee… and that’s not a slight on the school as I loved my experience there.
John
John
Absolutely the best learning experience in my 40 years of playing.These books are awesome!!
Alfred LaBella
I just started looking at my lessons and I have to say, dude you are awesome.  I ABSOLUTELY will learn from you!  I started the tenor about 1 ½ yrs ago and have since picked up an alto, and more recently a soprano.  I spend most of the time on the tenor, followed by soprano, and have only gotten to the alto a few times.  I think I’ll be sticking with tenor.  I’m having a great time and hope one day to play well enough to get regular gigs.  I’ve been playing keys for about 35 years (… Read more
Wil
Thank you so much for the great job you are doing to help further our jazz studies. Though I make my living as a repairer of musical instruments I am a student of jazz and have been fortunate enough to be involved with a big band and a combo for the last several years. As my children began to leave “the nest” I had decided to dedicate the next half of my life to a more serious study of the sax but I didn’t know exactly how I would go about doing this until a friend of mine turned me onto your si… Read more
Jon
Hey Steve, My name is Jason Freese and I play keyboards and sax in the band Green Day.  I grew up taking sax lessons from Eric Marienthal when I was a kid and got out of it for a long time. I ran into you on youtube while searching for sax stuff. I bought a whole bunch of your lessons and have been loving it! Thanks! Here is my wikipedia so you can see the albums I’ve played on….Thanks again. It’s sparked my interest in practicing again.   Jason
Jason Freese (sax player for Green Day)
Just a brief note to compliment you on your teaching skills and in particular for the honesty of your lessons.  I am a returning alto sax player in my 50’s and I was looking for a no nonsense, straight to the point kind of guidance. I had intended to email you with a few questions regarding the use of the bis key but then I noticed that there was a lesson on that specific topic and after viewing it,  all my questions were answered. I once took a group lesson with a well known professional sax … Read more
Patrick
I want to let you know that your instructional material is transforming my playing.  It is an immense pleasure to learn and play now, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am. The instructional material I got from you is by far the best of any I own (and I have over 100 books, DVDs, and what not). I literally can’t thank you enough! Deric
Deric
Hi Steve, I live in a gorgeous but rural area of Oregon-no music store within 80 miles. Your lessons are my lifeline!  Truly the best there are anywhere online. Love your playing. Love your teaching.  Thanks again. Ed
Ed Woodmansee

Steve,  Just want to say thanks for all you are doing for all of us. I’ve learned more from you than anyone else in my 40 years of playing.

If you can give some tips on One Note Samba, Ceora, and Wave… that would be cool.  I really like learning how you apply your concepts to actual songs!

Have a great year,

Kevin Ledbetter

I've learned more from you than anyone else in my 40 years of playing.
I am enjoying your style of teaching, and you’ve done a great job with the videos….good sound quality and well constructed lessons.  Balances the more guitaristic material found on the majority of guitar based programs.  Jazz vocab is what I’m all about at this point in the journey.   I especially dig the fact that you’ve studied with Bergonzi…helps me see his voluminous output in a more  bite sized way.
Milton
I want to say something about Steve Neff’s series of lessons, Beginner Jazz Improvisation. For a couple of years I tried many beginner lessons and my problem was that there was a gap between lessons that were fairly simple and ones that I was not quite ready for and my progress stalled out. That problem was solved with the series Beginner Jazz Improvisation. He guides you step by step along the way and builds a foundation for learning jazz and blues. He leaves no question about what to practice … Read more
Pete

I want to thank you for your “Ultimate II-V-I Primer”  which has sent me off on a much better path to improvisation.  The primer and the four bound books I have will keep me busy for a long time.  I like your lessons for two reasons.  The lessons work and THEY ARE FUN.  Thanks again.

Robert

Robert
It is so refreshing to have a great player, who can provide lessons and examples in a manner which is understandable to most any enthusiastic saxophonist who is ready to improve. not just the, do this, do that, memorize this, memorize that… while all that is absolutely necessary, you go on to give reasons and examples to explain and validate why you have to do all of these things, the benefits, if you will… that is the key for me, you tell, explain, demonstrate, explain some more, you give perso… Read more
Cedric
By the way, BIG COMPLIMENTS to you, Steve! Not only are you a great player, you are also a great teacher! I, too, am a woodwinds player/teacher. I have new inspiration to play and teach because of you. The concepts and “thinking” is similar to what I already learned in College, but hearing you explain and PLAY the concepts REALLY MAKES THE DIFFERENCE! Also, your written patterns are more interesting than other books I have seen! Keep up the good work. I will be recommending your sit… Read more
I will be recommending your site to others!
Thank you for all the educational information you provide.  I am a classically trained musician.  Professionally, I am a 4th and 5th grade band teacher.  I have played piano and sax for many years, but now I am starting to gig out more. I have always improvised by ear in the past. I have gotten by with my strong sense of pitch, rhythm and melodic contour. However, I want to go deeper. I want to play with a greater variety of melodic and rhythmic ideas to pull from.  I have studied to gain a … Read more
Ray

Featured Video Lessons

  • Mastering the Dominant Pentatonic Sound over a Blues (Digital PDF Book) Mastering the Dominant Pentatonic Sound over a Blues (Digital PDF Book)
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $19.99 Original price was: $19.99.$14.99Current price is: $14.99.
  • The Secret to Modern Outside Jazz Lines Lesson-Minor The Secret to Modern Outside Jazz Lines Lesson-Minor $9.99
  • Creating Modern II-V-I Lines with Simple Pentatonics Lesson Creating Modern II-V-I Lines with Simple Pentatonics Lesson
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $9.99
  • The Best Embouchure for Tone, Intonation and Endurance Lesson The Best Embouchure for Tone, Intonation and Endurance Lesson
    Rated 4.91 out of 5
    $9.99
  • The Secret to Altissimo (no one has ever told you about before) Lesson The Secret to Altissimo (no one has ever told you about before) Lesson
    Rated 4.75 out of 5
    $9.99

Now over 600 video and audio lessons to choose from!

Free Lessons

  • Free Lesson on The New Ultimate II-V-I Primer-Major Keys
  • Free Video Lesson on Mastering Altered Pentatonics
  • Free Video Lesson on Mastering the Blues Scale Volume 1 & 2
  • Free Video Lesson on Mastering the Dominant Bebop Scale and Language Book 1 & 2
  • Free Video Lesson on Approach Note Velocity Book

Recent reviews

  • Bebop Scale-Altered Scale II-V-I Practice Lesson Bebop Scale-Altered Scale II-V-I Practice Lesson by Noah
  • Mastering the Dominant Pentatonic Sound over a Blues (Digital PDF Book) Mastering the Dominant Pentatonic Sound over a Blues (Digital PDF Book) by Andy
  • Mastering the Dominant Pentatonic Sound over a Blues (Digital PDF Book) Mastering the Dominant Pentatonic Sound over a Blues (Digital PDF Book)
    Rated 5 out of 5
    by Russ
  • Creating Modern II-V-I Lines with Simple Pentatonics Lesson Creating Modern II-V-I Lines with Simple Pentatonics Lesson
    Rated 5 out of 5
    by Timothy
  • The Best Embouchure for Tone, Intonation and Endurance Lesson The Best Embouchure for Tone, Intonation and Endurance Lesson
    Rated 5 out of 5
    by Ray Holland

Footer

Recent Comments

  • Arya Boustani on Otto Link Super Tone Master V 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review
  • Steve M on Otto Link Super Tone Master V 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review
  • Giuseppe C. on Theo Wanne Essentials Jazz 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review
  • Arya Boustani on Otto Link Super Tone Master V 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review
  • Gerrit Schwab on Otto Link Super Tone Master V 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

Top rated products

  • Mastering the Major Bebop Scale & Sound (Digital PDF Book) Mastering the Major Bebop Scale & Sound (Digital PDF Book)
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $14.99
  • Tune of the Week-Softly as a Morning Sunrise Lesson Tune of the Week-Softly as a Morning Sunrise Lesson
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $9.99
  • The Style of Dexter Gordon-Lady Bird Lesson 1 The Style of Dexter Gordon-Lady Bird Lesson 1
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $9.99
  • Tune of the Week-Days of Wine and Roses Lesson Tune of the Week-Days of Wine and Roses Lesson
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $9.99
  • Tune of the Week-Invitation Tune of the Week-Invitation
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $9.99

Product tags

alto sax alto saxophone approach notes audio lesson bebop scale beginner beginner saxophone blues blues licks blues patterns blues scale blues scales diminished scale dominant chords ear training fundamentals II-V-I improvisation jazz improvisation jazz lines jazz patterns jazz sax jazz saxophone jazz standard jazz standards licks Mastering the Blues Scale Michael Brecker modern improv modern improvisation online lesson patterns playing outside practice habits reading music sax basics sax lessons saxophone scales smooth jazz steve neff tenor sax tenor saxophone video lesson video lessons
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • SUPPORT

Neffmusic © 2005–2025