GetASax GS Supersonic 50s Dukoff 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

Today,  I am reviewing the GetASax GS Supersonic 50’s Dukoff tenor saxophone mouthpiece, that is a replica of a great playing, original facing,  rare 50’s Dukoff Zimberoff Supersonic 7* hard rubber tenor saxophone mouthpiece.

GetASax GS Supersonic 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

These cool white GetASax saxophone mouthpieces are made by Brian Curry at GetASax.com.  I have already reviewed the GetASax GS RESO tenor sax mouthpiece and the GS FG RESO tenor saxophone mouthpieces as well as the GS SLANT tenor saxophone mouthpiece.  These mouthpieces were all excellent mouthpieces crafted after some iconic tenor saxophone mouthpieces of the past.  I have been looking forward to reviewing this GetASax GS Supersonic tenor saxophone mouthpiece as well, and today is the day……….

Brian Curry at GetASax.com has been collecting Zimberoff Supersonic tenor saxophone mouthpieces for 15 years and the GetASax GS Supersonic tenor saxophone mouthpiece is an extremely precise copy (although the facing curves are obviously adjusted for the different tip openings offered) of Brian’s favorite Zimberoff Supersonic tenor saxophone mouthpiece, which is an original 7 tip, CV special facing (CV stands for Charlie Ventura who was a famous tenor saxophone player in the 40’s-60’s).

Brian Curry has over 750 saxophone mouthpieces in his collection so when he says that this is a replica of one of his favorite tenor saxophone mouthpieces, we should pay attention.

I have never played an original 50s Dukoff Zimberoff Supersonic hard rubber tenor saxophone mouthpiece just because they are so rare as well as expensive but these new mouthpieces from GetASax are a great price for a replica of a world class tenor saxophone mouthpiece from the past!

GetASax GS Supersonic 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece next to an original Zimberoff  “House of Note” Supersonic Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

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

“Bright, projecting, funky vintage 1950’s Dukoff copy that is like an Early Babbitt Otto Link but more fun and better sounding. The GS Supersonic tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a reproduction of an early 50’s Dukoff hard rubber mouthpiece sold under the Zimberoff House of Note brand. It is my favorite bright vintage tenor saxophone mouthpiece – it has a more complex tone than modern ‘bright’ tenor sax mouthpieces that tend to have a big step baffle and don’t sound good soft or sub-toning. The GS Supersonic mouthpiece is beautiful in sub-tone and stays warm while cutting through. It’s more sophisticated than an Early Babbitt Otto Link, although it sounds similar, but (to me), better in every way. (People keep asking why GetASax didn’t do an EB copy – this is why.)

Most people will never get to play an original Zimberoff Supersonic tenor saxophone mouthpiece, because they are rare and expensive, and most people who have one won’t sell it. I’ve been collecting them for 15 years, and the GS Supersonic is an extremely precise copy of my best one, which is an original 7 tip (CV Special facing). It’s a very special mouthpiece, and one of the best tenor saxophone mouthpieces I’ve played.

This is for people who want to cut through a band (ideal for wedding bands etc), to brighten up a dark saxophone’s tone (I’m looking at you, Keilwerth), or just to scream, but without getting too shrill. If you’re in high school or college band, this makes pep band a lot more fun, because you can actually be heard rather than completely swamped by the brass.”

About facings:

Short answer – All the facings are good. The 7 CV and the regular 7 both have the same facing (.101″). Just the CV mouthpiece itself (not facing) is about 1/2″ shorter on the shank end. If you play a GS Slant, Mark II, or Reso, the 6 (.090″), 7* (.105″), 8 (.110″) and 9 (.120″) facings will be almost identical and will feel very familiar. The 7 facing is a little different since it copies the CV Special, but it is actually very similar to my regular 7 facing as well.

Long answer:

You can get a precise copy of the original mouthpiece by selecting the 7 CV version which is a shorter mouthpiece and has Charlie Ventura’s favorite 7 facing. The Dukoff Supersonic is a pretty short mouthpiece (in overall length) compared to most other hard rubber tenor saxophone mouthpieces. On all of the other tip openings we offer, besides CV Special, the mouthpiece you get will be longer than the original. We found that the mouthpiece plays the best if we match the overall mouthpiece length of a metal Zimberoff Dukoff / Dukoff Hollywood, which makes the mouthpiece tune well on modern horns like Yamaha, even if you have a very firm embouchure. Both mouthpieces have identical chambers, baffles, tips and everything else. Just the ‘default/recommended’ version is a longer mouthpiece overall.

GetASax GS Supersonic 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

Finishing:

Each GS Supersonic mouthpiece 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 mouthpieces 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.-Brian Curry 

GetASax GS Supersonic 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The GetASax GS Supersonic 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece is made of white biocompatible dental resin. The dental resin is really smooth to the touch on the body of the mouthpiece but even smoother feeling on the table. You can get an idea of the resin’s smoothness by rubbing your teeth as you reed this, there is a reason it is used for dental filling.   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 Supersonic 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

This GetASax GS Supersonic tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a 7* tip opening which measures at .105.  The GS Supersonic 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 BSS Silver Label tenor saxophone reeds I used on it.

The baffle of the GetASax GS Supersonic tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a medium high baffle that travels for about a 3/16th of an inch where it encounters a “clam shell” curve before it 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 mouthpiece chamber looks to be a large sized chamber that is similar in size to typical hard rubber Otto Link sized chambers I have seen.  The floor of the chamber looks scooped out to make it larger and you can see a ring where the bore starts from the tip end of the mouthpiece which confirms that the chamber is larger than the bore of the mouthpiece.  The roof of the mouthpiece chamber under the table is what I would describe as a thick chamber roof.

The sidewalls are scooped out from where the “clam shell” curve in the baffle starts 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 Supersonic 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The diameter and beak profile of the GetASax GS Supersonic tenor saxophone mouthpiece feels similar to 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 Supersonic tenor saxophone mouthpiece.

The weight and consistency of the dental resin feels more substantial than the weight of other materials like Delrin or other 3-D printed mouthpieces I have reviewed in the past.  As I hold the GS Supersonic tenor sax mouthpiece in my hand, the weight feels similar to a hard rubber saxophone mouthpiece.

GetASax GS Supersonic 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

I found that the GetASax GS Supersonic 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece played great with a #3 strength tenor saxophone reed.  I used a BSS (Boston Sax Shop) silver label #3 tenor saxophone reed for the sound clips below.

Of course, softer 2 1/2 saxophone reeds or harder 3 1/2 saxophone reeds would work for other players who prefer those reed strengths, but for me, the #3 strength tenor saxophone reeds were perfect.

GetASax GS Supersonic 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The GetASax GS Supersonic tenor saxophone mouthpiece tone is a hard one for me to describe because the Supersonic mouthpiece’s tone is very unique compared to all of the mouthpieces I have reviewed.  The tone of the GS Supersonic mouthpiece definitely leans toward a more spread tone as opposed to a focused tone.  A focused saxophone tone describes a tone that sounds more compact and defined, whereas a spread saxophone tone, is more broad and spread out around the room.  The spread tone sounds like the outside perimeter of the sound is more diffuse and opaque.   Like the sound goes out from the saxophone and washes around the room.  A focused tone is more concentrated and has a thick core to the sound where a spread tone sounds bigger and more all around you.  I consider the sound of the GS Supersonic to be more in that “spread” category of saxophone sound.

The tone of GS Supersonic tenor saxophone mouthpiece seems rich and thick with overtones and complexity but the tone also has a certain brightness and buzz intermingled into that tonal complexity.   This brightness and buzz in a tone that I describe as spread is what is so interesting to me.  Usually, mouthpieces that are brighter are usually more focused in my experience.  The GS Supersonic tenor saxophone mouthpiece has all that brightness but combines it with a more spread saxophone sound which is so interesting to me.

I have played hard rubber mouthpieces with a thicker and more complex tone that were bright before, but the brightness of those mouthpieces seemed to sit on top of that thick and complex tone.   With the GS Supersonic tenor saxophone mouthpiece, I felt like the brightness was mixed and weaved into the very heart of the spread tone if that makes sense.

This interweaved brightness is unique to me in that the brightness seems harder to direct out of the sound.  That brightness is part of the large spread tone and can’t be as easily separated from it.  The plus is that because this brightness is part of the sound and is ingrained and weaved into the wide spread saxophone tone, the brightness is also not as noticeable to me, more subtle I think.   It’s like the brightness in the tone is there but it’s wrapped up in a textured, thick and complex tone that makes the brightness harder to separate from the spread tone or to even notice for me.

I really enjoyed the GS Supersonic tenor saxophone mouthpiece because the brightness was there for me to utilize and enjoy when I wanted, but the brightness wasn’t super overwhelming or obnoxious to me either. The brightness wasn’t something that distracted from the tone as I usually experience but something that was ingrained and added to the tone in a beneficial way.

GetASax GS Supersonic 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The low notes on the GS Supersonic saxophone mouthpiece had a fat, thick and textured quality to the tone.  The low notes still have a certain amount of brightness and buzz within the tone but they could be sub-toned easily to become more lush and warm sounding.

The articulation on the GS Supersonic tenor saxophone mouthpiece was superb.  It really performed well when tonguing fast in repeated note articulations or in fast jazz passaged like the faster Donna Lee I play at the 1:40 mark of the first sound clip below.

GetASax GS Supersonic 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The intonation on the GetASax GS Supersonic tenor saxophone mouthpiece was very good and the GS Supersonic tenor mouthpiece was a great match for my Selmer Super Balanced Action tenor saxophone (from the 50’s).  I would imagine the GS Supersonic 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.

GetASax GS Supersonic 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

The evenness and smoothness of notes throughout the range of the saxophone was nice when playing fast lines.  The character and complex 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 Supersonic tenor saxophone mouthpiece and the notes were easy to control and manipulate.

The GS Supersonic tenor saxophone mouthpiece provided the same thick and complex tone in the altissimo register as it does in the normal range of the saxophone.  This thicker altissimo tone seemed to provide more of a “dirty” and “raw” sound to some of my altissimo lines that just made them sound more bluesy and tough sounding.  The altissimo tone wasn’t as clean sounding perhaps, but more emotionally raw and edgy sounding. I found the altissimo range to sound very unique and I’ve been doing these mouthpiece reviews for many years!

The GS Supersonic tenor saxophone 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.  8.5 is a pretty darn good volume rating with a 10 usually reserved for high baffled tenor saxophone mouthpieces.

GetASax GS Supersonic 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 how the GetASax GS Supersonic tenor saxophone mouthpiece performs in different styles.

The first sound clip is a recording of my usual lines, licks and various melodies I play in every mouthpiece review so that you can compare the various sections of the clip to other mouthpieces on my website.

The second sound clip is a clip of mainly bluesy altissimo lines with some reverb added to the mix so you can hear how the GetASax GS Supersonic tenor saxophone mouthpiece performs in the altissimo range of the saxophone in that more bluesy style of saxophone playing.

GetASax GS Supersonic 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

In my opinion, the GetASax GS Supersonic tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a really unique and great sounding tenor saxophone mouthpiece for those of you looking for a tenor sax mouthpiece with a brighter more spread saxophone tone that is thick, complex and rich sounding.

The GS Supersonic tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a great all-around tenor sax mouthpiece that would be incredible for straight ahead jazz, funk or blues playing in my opinion. It’s lush textured sub-tone is incredible for ballads but the GS Supersonic can really give some added kick in volume, brightness and edge when pushed into high gear.  As I have written in the review, the altissimo range is really something to be experienced as it is unique and really beyond words to describe. The GetASax GS Supersonic tenor saxophone mouthpiece is so much fun to play!

If you are interested in the GS Supersonic 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 Supersonic 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

GetASax GS Supersonic 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-BSS (Boston Sax Shop) Silver Label #3 Reed-No Effects Added

GetASax GS Supersonic 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Altissimo Sound Clip-BSS (Boston Sax Shop) Silver Label #3 Reed-Reverb Added