Today, I am reviewing the new BetterSax Burnin’ 6 hard rubber alto saxophone mouthpiece made through a collaboration between Jay Metcalf of BetterSax and Jody Espina of Jody Jazz saxophone mouthpieces. I reviewed the BetterSax Burnin’ tenor saxophone mouthpiece a few weeks ago and am equally excited to review this Burnin’ alto sax mouthpiece as well.
Jay Metcalf has a fantastic Youtube channel entitled “Better Sax” with over 284K subscribers at the time of this review. Jay’s videos are well produced, entertaining and educational about all things having to do with the saxophone.
BetterSax Burnin’ Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece
Here is a description of the BetterSax Burnin’ alto saxophone mouthpiece from the Sweetwater website:
The Burnin’ alto saxophone mouthpiece stems from a unique collaboration between JodyJazz and BetterSax founder Jay Metcalf, one of the world’s top saxophone educators and influencers. The result is a very free-blowing hard rubber sax mouthpiece that absolutely shimmers. Each mouthpiece is meticulously crafted with the same high standards as any other JodyJazz saxophone mouthpiece. The large chamber gives you the warmth and depth that lets you blend well with other musicians; however, thanks to the straight sidewalls and roll-over baffle, there’s a surprising amount of power and brightness behind the sound, allowing you to stand out as a soloist. The 6 tip opening is also great for advancing sax players who want to put more air into their saxophone. With this BetterSax Burnin’ saxophone mouthpiece, you’ll have all the projection you need to make your next sax performance a crowd-pleaser!
BetterSax Burnin’ Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Features:
- Made in the USA by JodyJazz
- Roll-over baffle for power, projection, and brightness
- Large chamber for lush warmth and sonic depth
- Straight side walls for a free-blowing feel
- Matte finish exterior with hand-painted logo
- Hand-finished and play tested by professionals
- Available in three tip openings of 5, 6 and 7
BetterSax Burnin’ Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece
The BetterSax Burnin’ alto saxophone mouthpiece came well packaged and protected in a BetterSax box which was also protected with ample packing and cushioning around the box containing the mouthpiece. Jay Metcalf also sent me a Jody Jazz Power Ring ligature and cap that fit on the Burnin’ alto sax mouthpiece to try as well. *I might do a review of the Jody Jazz Power Ring ligature in a future review……..
My first impressions of the BetterSax Burnin’ alto saxophone mouthpiece as I took it out of the box is that it is a really solid and well made mouthpiece. I have never had the chance to review a Jody Jazz made sax mouthpiece here on the site but this Burnin’ alto sax mouthpiece and the Burnin’ tenor sax mouthpiece I just reviewed a few days ago look fantastic upon first inspection.
BetterSax Burnin’ Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece
The Burnin’ alto saxophone mouthpiece is made with great looking hard rubber which is very smooth and polished to the touch. The gold engraving on the mouthpiece is clean and crisp. The side of the Burnin’ alto mouthpiece has “BetterSax” engraved into the hard rubber and the other side of the mouthpiece has the tip opening of 6 engraved next to the table. The top of the Burnin’ alto saxophone mouthpiece has a sax logo and “Burnin’” engraved in gold. There are two gold rings around the shank of the mouthpiece. The mouthpiece comes with a BetterSax mouthpiece patch already on the beak of the mouthpiece.
BetterSax Burnin’ Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece
The BetterSax Burnin’ alto saxophone mouthpiece has a perfect looking table, rails, tip and baffle profile. All these elements look smooth, even, symmetrical and beautifully machined. The tip rail is nice and thin as are the side rails as they head towards the tip.
The Burnin’ alto mouthpiece looks like the little brother to the Burnin’ tenor mouthpiece I already reviewed. The design of the mouthpiece looks very similar to the Burnin’ tenor mouthpiece but just on a smaller scale for the alto saxophone.
The baffle is what I would describe as a medium high long gentle rollover baffle. The beginning of the medium high baffle extends about 1/2 an inch into the mouthpiece before it slopes down into a steeper decline that is scooped from side to side. The baffle terminates underneath where the window of the mouthpiece ends.
The roof of the chamber is thin where it starts next to the window but then thickens as it heads through the large chamber. The side walls are straight as they travel from the tip to the chamber and through it. The bore of the mouthpiece looks to be larger in diameter than the chamber area. After the straight sidewalls terminate, the the round bore begins.
BetterSax Burnin’ Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece
The BetterSax Burnin’ alto saxophone mouthpiece played great with Rigotti Gold reeds as well as Boston Sax Shop reeds. For the sound clips below, I used a Boston Sax Shop #3 alto saxophone reed and on the third clip I used a Rigotti Gold 2 1/2 Strong reed. This reed strength felt very comfortable for me on the 6 tip opening of the Burnin’ alto sax mouthpiece.
I have posted three sound clips of the BetterSax Burnin’ alto saxophone mouthpiece below. The first is with a BSS #3 alto sax reed with reverb added. Besides how great the clip sounds with the added reverb, I feel like the reverb accentuates the vibrato I use on the first couple of bent notes at the :20 and :26 mark of the recording and I really loved how those notes sound.
The second clip is the same as the first sound clip except there is no reverb added to the recording so you can hear how it sounded in the room I recorded in. 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.
The third clip is recorded with a slightly softer Rigotti Gold 2 1/2 strong alto saxophone reed. I wasn’t planning on using this clip for the review but I dug how the clip sounded with the Rigotti reed and decided to post it as well. At times, the sound on this third clip has an almost classical saxophone sound to it.
BetterSax Burnin’ alto Saxophone Mouthpiece
So, how did the BetterSax Burnin’ alto sax mouthpiece play? Like the Burnin’ tenor saxophone mouthpiece, I feel like the Burnin’ alto mouthpiece shared the same characteristics in the way it transitioned from a darker, warmer and lighter alto saxophone tone at softer volumes to a brighter more focused alto sax tone at louder volumes.
The high rollover baffle of the Burnin’ alto sax mouthpiece gives it a nice brightness and power when pushed. The straight sidewalls gives the tone a nice focus and core. Finally, the large chamber gives the tone a big, full and round alto saxophone sound. These characteristics put together make the Burnin’ alto sax mouthpiece very enjoyable to play but also to listen to.
BetterSax Burnin’ Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece
The tone could be light and sweet like at the 1:33 mark on the first clip where I play a little of “On the Sunny Side of the Street”, or more tough and thick sounding like when I push it a little more on the blues changes at the beginning of that same clip. I really enjoyed how the tone was easy to bend and shape as I tried to demonstrate in the sound clips.
The tone was smooth and even throughout the range of the saxophone which really makes the Burnin’ mouthpiece fun to play fast lines with. The “smooth evenness” of tone give a quality to the lines where the notes just whip by really fast but seem so smooth and connected.
The intonation on the Burnin’ alto sax mouthpiece was excellent and within the normal parameters on my Selmer Reference 54 alto saxophone.
The Burnin’ alto mouthpiece reminded me of a Meyer type alto sax sound but with a bit more focused core to the sound than a typical Meyer alto sax mouthpiece has. I also got the impression that it also gave a wider range from dark to bright tone when compared with a typical Meyer alto saxophone mouthpiece that seems to sit more in the middle of that dark to bright tone spectrum.
BetterSax Burnin’ Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece
In my opinion, the BetterSax Burnin’ alto saxophone mouthpiece is a great hard rubber alto saxophone mouthpiece for those looking for a versatile mouthpiece that can play with warmth and darkness to the tone at soft to medium volumes while also providing the option of pushing it to a more powerful and aggressive brightness of tone when needed. Check out the sound clips below to hear these qualities in action.
If you like the sound and look of the Burnin’ alto saxophone mouthpiece by BetterSax, you can find them for sale at Sweetwater. I have agreed to be an affiliate for Sweetwater so if you purchase a BetterSax Burnin’ alto saxophone 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 BetterSax Burnin’ alto saxophone mouthpiece or have any other thoughts or comments, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below. Thanks, Steve
Audio PlayerBetterSax Burnin’ Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece – Boston Sax Shop #3 Reed-Reverb Added
Audio PlayerBetterSax Burnin’ Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece – Boston Sax Shop #3 Reed-No Effects
Audio PlayerBetterSax Burnin’ Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece – Rigotti Gold 2 1/2 Strong Reed-No Effects
Steve, your tone on this is incredible. I hear Phil Woods in terms of the fat warm sound you get out of it, and maybe some Jay Beckenstein with the sweet edge on the softer bits. In the soft lower range, it reminds me of Grover Washington’s ability to make an alto have all the breadth of a tenor. That is one of my favorite clips of you on alto, if not my favorite. I actually have this mouthpiece in my alto collection and lately, I have been alternating between this and the 56 by Windy City Woodwinds, when I want a more dark “clean” sound (e.g. Desmond or Pepper). I’ve only found a couple of other alto mouthpieces that compare with the punch of this mouthpiece. One is the Windy City Woodwinds “Jazz Bright” mouthpiece (which I think is an absolute sleeper of a mouthpiece) and the Vandoren Jumbo Java (which has similar projection, but is no where near the versatility of the Burnin’ piece. Another brilliant review!!
Thanks, Ron! I’m glad you like the review. I just added a third clip to the review after your comment that I forgot I recorded. It is with a softer Rigotti Gold 2 1/2 strong reed and I think shows another side to the Burnin’ alto sax mouthpiece that I really liked as well. As always, thanks for stopping by……..
Love it! A little on the bright side for me, but really really nice. I liked the clip with the Rigotti 2 1/2 S reed a little better. A little louder, maybe, and certainly more flexible.
Stellar review as always Steve
I’ve been playing on this piece for a couple of weeks now and it’s become my go to mouthpiece. As someone who loves the ease and liveliness of playing a high baffle piece, but misses the warmth and subtoney sounds down low of a more Meyer type mouthpiece, the Burnin’ is kind of the perfect compromise.
Hi dear! Excuse me, 6 por 7 tip opening? Thanks!
Did you only use the Power Ring as the ligature in your playtest or did you try others as well? Asking because I once playtested a different mouthpiece made by JodyJazz and it was slightly too “fat-bodied” for standard ligatures and my Vandoren Optimum.
I usually say which ligature I am using in the beginning of the sound clips. In this case, I used a Vandoren Optimum ligature. I am not a big fan of ring ligatures because I personally like the option of being able to change the position of my ligature as well as the tightness and or looseness of the ligature on the reed. I did try the Power Ring but it sat far back on the reed. The other reason I used the Optimum is that I use that ligature on most of my alto mouthpiece reviews and for the sake of the sound clip and comparison I wanted to keep that variable the same.
Steve – Great review as always! I bought a Burnin’ Alto piece in 6 tip opening about a year ago, but for various reasons really didn’t use it much. Your review and clips, particularly your sound with the Rigotti Gold 2.5 S, got me to pull mine out for practice last night(using a Rigotti Gold 2.5 M) and I’m really glad I did. I did use a Vandoren Optimum lig, mainly because the BSS Superlative I normally use didn’t fit all that well. Love the setup, which I plan on using for a big band rehearsal on Monday.
Thanks for all you do for us Sax players!
Good morning sir.
I am an INDIAN saxophone player,
i want to buy this mouthpiece.
but how to buy ?
please suggest to me. sir
my name Ramnath .
.
Ramnath, There are links at the end of the review that take you to Sweetwater where you can buy the mouthpiece. Thanks, Steve
Prefered the tone of the Rigotti Gold the best . Awesome
Was it a fairly easy blowing mouthpiece…or is it more on the resistant side? I’m on the fence. (And kinda cheap). I keep going back to my Meyer (G) 6m that I’ve been playing on for probably 6-7 years. I like my sound, but could use a bit more power, brightness for playing in and occasionally over a Concert Band (mostly pop music) & Jazz Big Band. I’ve tried a few various JJ Babbitt Meyers and found them to be a bit inconsistent. Was thinking about trying .. Meyer New York.. Burnin.. and maybe one of the new Wind City Woodwinds 64 pieces. Prior to the Meyer G, I was playing a Van Doren V16s 8.. but found it a bit wearing on my chops..
David, I found the Bettersax Burnin’ alto mouthpiece close in resistance to a typical Meyer alto mouthpiece. Maybe leaning a little to the more free blowing side than a Meyer but still pretty close. I used to play a Meyer G on alto back about 20 years ago. The one I had was a great player but didn’t have a lot of brightness in the tone that I remember. It was more in the middle of the dark to bright tone spectrum. Kind of gave me an Art Pepper kind of tone at the time. I think the Burnin’ is a good choice as well as the other pieces you have mentioned. The Windy City 64 is very good but a different kind of sound because you are getting away from that round chamber. Good luck on the search……….
This one has a faint buzzy sound to it. Is it as free-blowing as it sounds?
I didn’t find it super free-blowing. It had a normal amount of resistance to it that I like. I’m usually not a big fan of “free-blowing” mouthpieces because I feel like I can’t shape the sound as easily.
Hey Steve, I really enjoyed reading the review and the detailed recording samples – absolutely fantastic, thank you. Can I ask, how does this mp compare with jumbo Java? I play a t55 on my tenor and love it. I’m after something contemporary on my alto (currently playing beechler bellite 7, great mp but tires out my chops) I’m after something with some edge. What’s your thoughts? Will the burnin offer some flexibility but with a little bit of the sizzle of sanborn? Thanks! Nathan, Adelaide australia
Hi Nathan, Sorry, I haven’t played a Jumbo Java in close to 25 years. That was in a music store and all I remember is that I did not like it. I don’t even remember why. I have stayed away from them ever since then. I don’t think the BetterSax Burnin’ is like your Beechler Bellite or the Jumbo Java (if it is in the same category as the Beechler) I consider those mouthpieces as sitting in that Sanborn zone of playing and for me it is hard to lean out of that and play a straight ahead “Phil Woods” type of solo. The Burnin’ sits more in that Phil Woods area while leaning to the brighter side. Of course, you can push it brighter by playing brighter and edgier but I don’t consider it to sit in that place naturally. I consider the top five mouthpieces on this page https://www.neffmusic.com/blog/?s=sanborn to sit more in the Sanborn area of sound naturally. That being said, I don’t particularly like feeling stuck in that one sound so I opt for a more “inbetween” alto mouthpiece that can be more versatile in my mind for straight ahead playing and Sanborn playing when needed. The Burnin’ is one of those “inbetween” mouthpieces in my mind but how it sits tone wise for you depends on what you like. Good luck on the search! Steve
I’ve had my better sax alto and tenor pieces for a year now and they are the only ones I need for Big Band , small combos and Rock styles . And do them all very well . Beautiful sound and very responsive to subtle changes in airstream and embouchure.
Hi Steve, I was able to play this mouthpiece and it was great but looking for something a bit different now.
I also have a Syos Steady mouthpiece and prefer how the low end is more focused and possibly “punchier” but like the brightness up top more with the Burnin’ mouthpiece.
Can you recommend a mouthpiece that has this same brightness and sizzle up top but more focused down low? I assume it would be a mouthpiece with a medium chamber? Thanks!
Hi Nick, The only thing I could suggest is to listen to the clips on the site and to try to hear the qualities you are looking for in the clips. I know the Selmer Jazz Flow I just reviewed had a more focused bottom end, the Meyer Connoisseurs, the 10mFan Showboat, etc….. These are more focused mouthpieces. I can’t really remember how these mouthpieces compared to the Burnin’ so you would have to listen to the clips and see if you can hear what you are looking for. Good Luck, Steve
Thank you!