Today, I am reviewing the new Theo Wanne Brahma gold 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece made by Theo Wanne. I have reviewed most of the Theo Wanne mouthpiece line throughout the last 15 years (as can be attested to by these six pages of Theo Wanne mouthpiece reviews on my site) and although the Brahma tenor saxophone mouthpiece has been around for a while now, I have not reviewed it up until now. I saw a Theo Wanne post on Facebook that said that the Theo Wanne Brahma tenor saxophone mouthpiece was the number one selling tenor sax mouthpiece at Theo Wanne and I decided I needed to try it for myself. Let’s see what all this excitement is about……..
Theo Wanne Brahma Gold Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece
The Theo Wanne Brahma tenor saxophone 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 Brahma tenor saxophone mouthpiece well protected inside. The Brahma tenor saxophone mouthpiece I am reviewing today has a 7* tip opening which is measured at .105.
The Brahma gold tenor saxophone 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 (5 positions to choose from) and directions on how to change the pressure plates on the ligature.
Theo Wanne Brahma Gold Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece
The Brahma tenor saxophone 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 Brahma 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 Brahma Gold Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece
The Liberty ligature on the Gold Brahma tenor saxophone mouthpiece is connected to the mouthpiece through screws on the ligature that tighten into holes on the sides of the Brahma tenor sax mouthpiece. The Brahma 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 Brahma 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 around the mouthpiece window.
Theo Wanne Brahma Gold Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece
Even before you look at the Theo Wanne Brahma mouthpiece itself, 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 Brahma tenor saxophone 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 Brahma tenor saxophone mouthpiece:
Our ALL NEW super full-bodied small-chamber mouthpiece!
The BRAHMA uses the best features of vintage mouthpieces like Berg Larsen & Lawton with their small chambers & flat side-walls, but updates them with Theo’s new design technologies, which is why you will notice the interior looks quite different!
- Twisted-Walls™: Flat-sidewall that ‘twists’ into the chamber.
- Wave-Baffle™: The baffle is shaped in the form of a sine-wave, adding fullness and sparkle to the sound.
- Theo’s proprietary “bullet” chamber: A unique ‘elongated-oval’ shape is used to transition from baffle to chamber.
- Shark-Gill-Baffle™: The arced lines on the baffle, aiding in airflow
- Small Stadium Chamber: Shaped like a football stadium, this chamber provides tremendous projection!
- Shark-Gill Chamber™: The indented lines on the chamber walls create a bigger sound. Patented by Theo Wanne.
- Elliptical Window: Efficiently focuses the airstream into the mouthpiece.
These features allow the BRAHMA tenor saxophone mouthpiece to do-it-all. From ballads to rock & roll, this is the most versatile tenor sax mouthpiece we make!
Manufactured by Theo Wanne™ using the highest technology in the market for both consistency and accurate reproduction of the new design. The BRAHMA is available in 24k Gold Plate with our built-in liberty ligature, and in premium hard rubber. You will notice the hard rubber version is the same price as the metal. This is because we use pure hard rubber with no accelerants, additives or carbon black. It is pure, like the vintage hard rubber from the 1930’s through 50s. Such pure hard rubber is more expensive than the brass and gold plating combined.
SOUND
- Great for almost every musical style including Ballads, Jazz, and Rock & Roll.
- Massive sound, while also being ‘dark’ and vintage sounding at the same time.
- Truly a unique sound/design maximizing the potential of airflow. There’s nothing else like it!
DESIGN
- Radical, proprietary Small-Stadium-Chamber™ and patented Shark-Gill™ chamber.
- Flat side walls and uniquely shaped 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.
Theo Wanne Brahma Gold Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece
Design & Innovation Features of the BRAHMA Tenor Mouthpiece1.
1. Twisted-Walls™: We start with a flat side-wall, which mean that the inner walls(inner-sides) of the mouthpiece are vertically flat. The flat side-wall was made popular by Berg Larsen and Brilhart mouthpieces in the 1940s. The benefit to this design is it creates a nice focused sound. The BRAHMA mouthpiece is unique though, as the inner-walls extend back into the chamber in a ‘twist’, not straight like the Berg and Brilhart tenor saxophone mouthpieces
2. Wave-Baffle™: The baffle is the interior part of the mouthpiece that the airstream first hits, is crucial for sound quality. The Wave-Baffle™ is similar to a traditional roll-over baffle, but features a unique sine-wave shape, combining convex and concave forms in a precise pattern. This design feature requires precision CNC machining for accurate formation, which cannot be achieved by hand. This specially shaped baffle produces a sound that is both full and sparkling!
3. Theo’s proprietary “bullet” chamber: The term ‘bullet chamber’ has been used for years in describing Berg Larsen mouthpieces. It is the transition of the back of the baffle into the chamber. We use a unique ‘elongated-oval’ shape to enhance the already focused, yet full, sound. While it looks simple, the shape is actually highly sculpted. You will see many variations of this design across the Theo Wanne™ mouthpiece lineup as we fine tune this feature for each model.
4. Shark-Gill Baffle™: The arced lines you see on the baffle of the mouthpiece is the Shark-Gill-Baffle™, which is patented by Theo Wanne so you will only find this innovative feature on our mouthpieces, or those we license it to. The shark-gill-baffle™ works on the physics principle of ‘turbulent flow’, similar to the effect of dimples on a golf ball, which allow the golf ball to travel further through the air. The golf ball dimples suck air behind the golf ball, so the golf ball does not ‘drag’ an air pocket along with it while it travels. In a similar way, the Shark-Gill Baffle™ disturbs the airflow, removing air pockets in the mouthpiece/neck/saxophone. The airstream can then flow closer to the inner walls of the mouthpiece and instrument. The result is much greater dynamics, from soft-to-loud, and an overall ‘fuller sound’.
5. Small-Stadium-Chamber™: The open area, under the reed, inside the mouthpiece is the chamber. Theo’s small-stadium-chamber gets its name from its shape, which is reminiscent of a Football Stadium. The small size gives tremendous projection, but the unique stadium shape fills out the sound, so it has an unheard of width & depth. It has a HUGE sound!
6. Shark-Gill Chamber™: The indented lines you see on the chamber sides is our patented Shark-Gill Chamber™. It works in a similar way to the Shark-Gill Baffle™ allowing the chamber to fill with air more efficiently than a standard small chamber. Hence you get the fullness of sound and increased dynamics simultaneously. The result is an overall bigger sound with increased dynamics. And yes, the Shark-Gill Chamber™ gets its name because it looks like the gills of a shark!
7. Elliptical Window: The window, the open area under the reed, is wide, and uses Theo’s proprietary elliptical shape. This allows more air to enter into the small chamber giving fullness to the focused sound.
Theo Wanne Brahma Gold Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece
The Theo Wanne Brahma 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 straight as they head towards what I would describe as a small chamber (Theo Wanne Small Stadium Chamber). The window of the Brahma mouthpiece is rounded off at the bottom and looks to be slightly longer and quite a bit wider than the window on a typical Otto Link metal tenor saxophone mouthpiece.
The mouthpiece chamber is quite a bit smaller in diameter than the bore of the mouthpiece because of the straight sidewalls reducing the size of the chamber. The roof of the chamber under the mouthpiece table is nice and thin.
The Theo Wanne Brahma mouthpiece baffle is quite unique and complex in that it is made up of a variety of levels, angles and textures. There is an initial flat and smooth area right after the tip rail and then another flat and smooth area that ends in a curve where the middle of the curve is 3/8ths of an inch from the tip rail. After those two levels, the Brahma mouthpiece has a high and long “shark gill” baffle that continues until the one inch mark from the tip rail where it encounters an edge. After that edge, the baffle descends at a greater rate until it meets the “bullet” shaped edge to the chamber reminiscent of Berg Larsen and Lawton mouthpiece bullet chambers.
Inside the chamber, the sidewalls are still flat with three ridges on each side of the chamber that Theo describes earlier in the review. Although Theo Wanne describes these six ridges in the “shark-gill” chamber as well as the “shark-gill” baffle with almost mystical properties, I really can’t speak to the effect of these design choices as that kind of scientific analysis is beyond the scope of this review and I don’t have the time or energy to go back to college for design engineering at this stage of my life.
Theo Wanne Brahma Gold Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece
The Theo Wanne Brahma tenor saxophone mouthpiece played perfectly with a Rigotti Gold 2 1/2 strong tenor saxophone reed. I tried a few BSS Boston Sax Shop #3 strength reeds on the Brahma tenor sax mouthpiece at first but they felt a tad to strong for immediate playing. I’m sure they would have been fine after playing them for a bit though.
I have to admit, that I expected the Brahma tenor sax mouthpiece to have a really bright and edgy sound that was really focused because of the smaller size of the Brahma’s chamber. What I was surprised about, was how big and fat the tone of the Brahma tenor saxophone mouthpiece was. This fatness of tone really helped to balance the brightness and power of the Brahma so that playing it on the melody of “In a Sentimental Mood” and “Like Someone in Love” (as I do in the first and second clips below) sounds great! It doesn’t sound like I am playing those two standards on a high baffled and bright mouthpiece because the tone is so fat, warm and full sounding.
Yes, the Theo Wanne Brahma could be pushed to be brighter and edgier but at softer to medium volume levels it was actually quite enjoyable to play. The tone had a nice thick character to it that I thought sounded great on a jazz standard or a ballad. By adding a bit more air, I could easily push the Brahma tenor saxophone mouthpiece to have more of a “Michael Brecker” or “Bob Berg” type of funk tenor saxophone sound.
Theo Wanne Brahma Gold Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece
A side benefit to having a smaller chamber that I have noticed when playing other small chamber tenor sax mouthpieces that are done right, is that the mouthpiece is very moldable to the players air stream. What I mean by that, is that any slight change in my airstream was immediately heard through the tone of the mouthpiece. Dynamics, scoops, slides, vibrato, etc…. all of these effects on the tone were felt almost instantaneously.
The intonation of the Theo Wanne Brahma tenor sax mouthpiece was excellent. All the notes on my SBA (Super Balanced Action) tenor saxophone were within the normal range as far as intonation is concerned. I was also surprised by this excellent intonation as I have played high baffled and small chambered tenor saxophone mouthpieces in the past that made certain notes on my Selmer SBA tenor saxophone uncomfortably sharp. This was not the case for the Theo Wanne Brahma tenor saxophone mouthpiece. I don’t know what Theo Wanne’s secret is but the Brahma tenor sax mouthpiece plays in tune!
The Theo Wanne Brahma tenor saxophone mouthpiece really stood out in the way the small chamber gave my air an immediate response in regard to focused volume. I would just push my air a bit more and the tone would jump up in volume and focus. I would say that the Theo Wanne Brahma mouthpiece would score a 9 1/2 on my volume scale with 10 being the max. Honestly, it is pretty close to a 10 in my mind so maybe I should just call it a 10. I would imagine the Brahma can hold it’s own on a modern gig whatever the genre of music. I usually write about how being able to hear yourself on a loud gig is not only about volume but about the tone’s EQ (having enough brightness in the tone) as well as the focus of the tone. The Theo Wanne Brahma tenor saxophone mouthpiece has all of these elements in spades.
Theo Wanne Brahma Gold Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece
The low notes were hearty, thick, fat and focused and I loved sub-toning on this mouthpiece. The sub-toned low notes were beautifully soft, warm and lush sounding. As I listened back to the recorded samples below, some of my favorite moments were where I play a run of notes down to a pillowy soft sub-tone and fade out at the end of a phrase. I seem to subconsciously do it a lot in the sound clip probably because I enjoyed the sound of the Brahma’s sub-tone so much.
The altissimo register was also a strength for the Brahma tenor sax mouthpiece. I can usually tell when a mouthpiece excels in the altissimo because I will find myself playing some new lines up in that higher range of the saxophone that I usually don’t play. I credit this to the Brahma mouthpiece making the altissimo register easier to navigate and in so doing, it allows me to start think more creatively about what I am about to play up there. The third sound clip is mostly altissimo lines with reverb added.
Of special note in the third clip is the first 8 seconds where I decide to start in the midrange of the tenor sax with an idea focused around middle “D” and “F” and what strikes me as I listen back to the clip is how expressive and funky this simple midrange idea sounds. I don’t think I can replicate this on most larger chamber tenor sax mouthpiece but the Brahma’s small chamber allows an immediate response to vibrato, scoops and tone manipulation through voicing, that it is so much easier to manipulate the tone in the moment. It was actually very surprising for me to experience this immediacy of response from the Brahma tenor sax mouthpiece.
Another special characteristic of the Theo Wanne Brahma tenor saxophone mouthpiece is that I didn’t feel any unhealthy resistance while playing. Many times, I have encountered what I describe as unhealthy resistance or back pressure when playing smaller chambered saxophone mouthpieces on tenor, alto or soprano saxophone. I have a unique health history that makes increased back pressure dangerous for me but I am happy to say that I didn’t encounter any increased back pressure on the Brahma tenor saxophone mouthpiece.
The articulation was clean and smooth. The Brahma tenor sax mouthpiece sounded great whether articulating fast jazz lines or short staccato funk lines. The articulation of fast jazz lines is very important to me because my personal preference is to have flowing jazz lines that have jazz articulation that sounds as if the lines are slurred and smooth as butter. The Theo Wanne Brahma tenor saxophone mouthpiece performed excellently along those lines. The fatness of tone coupled with the evenness of tone through out the range of the saxophone made the fast lines incredibly smooth and flowing in my opinion.
Another characteristic of the Brahma tenor sax mouthpiece is that the overtones were very in tune with the regular pitches on the saxophone. I very rarely use overtones in my sound clips when testing mouthpieces but this time I happened to play a line using overtones at the 2:51 mark of the first sound clip and I immediately noticed how in tune the overtones were with the regular notes they were paired with in that line.
Theo Wanne Brahma Gold 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 Theo Wanne Brahma tenor saxophone mouthpiece performs in different styles. I demonstrate the sound of the Brahma 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 the same as the first but with a slight reverb added. The third sound clip is of some more modern and funky sounding altissimo register playing with some reverb added.
In my opinion, the Theo Wanne Brahma tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a fabulous metal tenor saxophone mouthpiece for those looking for an all-round tenor mouthpiece that can do it all. Twenty to thirty years ago I was desperately looking for a tenor saxophone mouthpiece like this that could do it all. Those of us that have played the saxophone for a living know that the reality is that on one gig you could be playing jazz standards, “Hava Nagila”, “Respect”, “Brick House” and then back to “Fly Me to the Moon” for an old couples anniversary at the end of the night. We saxophone players want a sax mouthpiece that sounds “killer” on all those genres of music. I believe the Theo Wanne Brahma tenor saxophone mouthpiece can cover all of these distinct genres in an authentic and absolute “killer” way. If you are a working sax player, do yourself a favor and try out the Brahma tenor sax mouthpiece. I don’t think you will be disappointed…….
If you like the sound and look of the Brahma 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 Brahma mouthpiece from this link (save 15% by using this link), neffmusic.com will receive a small commission on the sale without any extra cost to you. (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 Brahma 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 Brahma Gold Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece – Rigotti Gold 2 1/2 Strong Reed-No Effects
Theo Wanne Brahma Gold Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece – Rigotti Gold 2 1/2 Strong Reed-Reverb Added
Theo Wanne Brahma Gold Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece – Rigotti Gold 2 1/2 Strong Reed-Altissimo Clip with Reverb Added
The Brahma excels in loud pop/etc. settings. I’ve been using it exclusively with Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band, (cover band, three horns, five singers, keyboards, 2 guitars, bass, drums and percussion), as well as wedding gigs plus straight ahead small jazz groups. I do use harder reeds however: Rigotti Wild 3.5.
It sounds like a great mouthpiece for those settings. I haven’t tried the Rigotti Wild reeds, do they run a little softer than the normal Rigotti Golds?
Yes and no, sort of… Wild 3 1/2 is similar to a 3strong but the 3 was too soft for me. I work on them a bit, same with the 3S. I like softer reeds but when I get in a loud playing situation they just cave on me. Had to build up some embochure strength. You sound great on the 2 1/2!
How does it compare to the Lakshmi? I have a SR Fusion which is great for the Rock/Funk stuff but too bright for a big band section. Nevertheless, I still need a piece that can cut through the brass when I have a solo. Thoughts??
Much appreciated!
Marcos
Marcos,
The Lakshmi is very different than the Brahma. The Lakshmi is more spread and warm sounding to my ears. It is a beautiful jazz mouthpiece that can lean into the modern era of loud music. The Brahma is more a modern mouthpiece as far as brightness and power that can lean into the jazz era in my mind. Both can lean in rather convincingly but it really depends on the skills of the player and how hard you want to work. I have never played a SR Fusion so I can’t comment on that but I just played a Guardala laser trimmed “Super King” today and at soft volumes for me it is very controllable but as soon as I start adding air and volume it gets pretty darn bright for me. The Brahma gets brighter on its own but for me it is still controllable. The Lakshmi I remember to have to really push to get brighter but I have to be honest in that the Lakshmi just has such a beautiful tone…. Yeah, that’s a hard one but if you have to be heard above the trumpets in a big band I would lean more towards the Brahma I think.
I’ve been playing the Brahma for some time, and it seems to keep getting better for me. I’ve had spells on a Lakshmi and a Gaia, when I thought the Brahma might be a bit much (which it can be for quieter gigs), but recently I’ve discovered new dimensions to what it can do, as my embouchure develops. The key thing is how effortlessly it can get huge volume without getting harsh or edgy, and yet sounds great when playing at lower volumes. It really, as Steve says, does everything. I wouldn’t be without it now.