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Reviews

Theo Wanne Essentials Contemporary Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

March 15, 2025 by Steve 5 Comments

Today, I will be reviewing the Theo Wanne Essentials Contemporary 7 alto saxophone mouthpiece from the new Theo Wanne Essentials collection of saxophone mouthpieces that was released in the fall of 2024. Theo Wanne Essentials Contemporary 7 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece The Essentials Collection of saxophone mouthpieces by Theo Wanne are described as offering “exceptional quality […]

Filed Under: Alto High Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews, Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Alto Saxophone, contemporary, Essentials, high baffle, review, sax mouthpiece, Theo Wanne

Phil-Tone Topaz Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

March 4, 2025 by Steve 12 Comments

Today I am reviewing another great alto saxophone mouthpiece made by Phil Engleman at Phil-Tone Mouthpieces.  I have reviewed quite a few Phil-Tone saxophone mouthpieces on this site already and am always interested when Phil announces a new Phil-Tone saxophone mouthpiece model.  Phil Engleman’s mouthpiece work is always top notch and he has created some phenomenal mouthpieces […]

Filed Under: Alto Medium Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews, Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Alto Saxophone, Cannonball Adderley, jazz sax, medium small chamber, Meyer, mouthpiece, Phil Engleman, Phil Woods, Phil-tone, review, Topaz

Les Becs d’Autan Florida Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

February 28, 2025 by Steve 32 Comments

Today, I am excited to review the Les Becs d’Autan Florida model tenor saxophone mouthpiece in a 7* tip opening. I received an email from Phillipe at Les Becs d’Autan where he described the Les Becs d’Autan Florida model mouthpiece as an “Exact reproduction of a “No-USA” Otto Link Florida tenor saxophone mouthpiece, CNC-machined from […]

Filed Under: Mouthpiece Reviews, Tenor Medium Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: florida, Les Becs d'Autan, no USA, otto link, review, sax mouthpiece, tenor saxophone

Claude Lakey 7*3 Original Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

February 20, 2025 by Steve 6 Comments

Today, I will be reviewing a Claude Lakey Original 7*3  tenor saxophone mouthpiece that I was able to borrow from Ellis Music (a local music store here in Vermont).  The last time I tried a Claude Lakey mouthpiece on the tenor saxophone was in college about 37 years ago.  I remember the mouthpiece I tried […]

Filed Under: Mouthpiece Reviews, Tenor High Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: 7*3, Claude Lakey, Original Tenor, review, saxophone mouthpiece, tenor sax

The Return of the Iconic Brilhart Ebolin Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

September 17, 2024 by Steve 18 Comments

Today, I am excited to be reviewing the return of the Brilhart Carlsbad Ebolin alto saxophone mouthpiece released by Conn-Selmer.  These new Brilhart Ebolin alto saxophone mouthpieces are advertised as being made from the same Brilhart Carlsbad-era molds that Arnold Brilhart used in the 1950’s to make these iconic saxophone mouthpieces. *It’s important to note […]

Filed Under: Alto Medium Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews, Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Alto Saxophone, Arnold Brolhart, Brilhart, Carlsbad, cool school, Ebolin, review, sax mouthpiece

Morgan Dry Martini Model 18 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

September 2, 2024 by Steve 15 Comments

Today, I am excited to be reviewing the new Morgan Dry Martini Model 18 alto saxophone mouthpiece released by Morgan mouthpieces.  The great alto saxophonist Paul Desmond is quoted as saying, “I think I had it in the back of my mind that I wanted to sound like a dry martini.”, and since the newest […]

Filed Under: Alto Low Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews, Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: 4A-18, alto sax, cool school, Dry Martini, Erik Greiffenhagen, M.C. Gregory, morgan, mouthpiece review, Paul Desmond, saxophone mouthpiece, Take 5, west coast jazz

NJS Hummingbird 8* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

August 20, 2024 by Steve 13 Comments

Today, I am excited to be reviewing the new NJS Hummingbird 8* (.115) bronze tenor saxophone mouthpiece made by a young mouthpiece maker named Nick Stahl from the Seattle area.  This review wasn’t going to happen but then Nick Stahl sent me a few tempting photos that were too much for me to resist and […]

Filed Under: Mouthpiece Reviews, Tenor High Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: bronze, Guardala, Hummingbird, mouthpiece review, Nick Stahl, NJS, saxophone mouthpiece, tenor sax

Soprano Planet Open Sky SL Soprano Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

July 22, 2024 by Steve 11 Comments

Today, I am excited to be reviewing the new Soprano Planet Open Sky SL soprano saxophone mouthpiece released by Joe Giardullo at Soprano Planet.  SL stands for Steve Lacy and this soprano sax mouthpiece is modeled after Steve Lacy’s personal mouthpiece that Joe Giardullo had for about a year after Steve Lacy’s death.  Of course, […]

Filed Under: Mouthpiece Reviews, Soprano Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Joe Giardullo, Open Sky, review, sax mouthpiece, SL, soprano planet, soprano saxophone, Steve Lacy

Can You Play Jazz on a Selmer S80 Classical Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece?

May 20, 2024 by Steve 9 Comments

Today, I will be reviewing three Selmer S80 classical tenor saxophone mouthpieces of different tip openings that I was able to borrow from a local music store.  My goal is to see how they perform for my style of saxophone playing.  To be fair, the Selmer S80 tenor saxophone mouthpieces were designed for classical tenor […]

Filed Under: Mouthpiece Reviews, Tenor Low Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: classical sax, hard rubber, jazz sax, review, S80, sax mouthpiece, selmer, tenor saxophone

Selmer Paris Jazz Flow 7 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

May 6, 2024 by Steve 14 Comments

Today, I am excited to be reviewing the new Selmer Jazz Flow 7 alto saxophone mouthpiece released by Selmer Paris.  A few months ago, I started reading some great customer reviews about these new Selmer Jazz Flow alto sax mouthpieces and just as my curiosity was peaking, Ryan Lillywhite, the woodwind category manager at Conn […]

Filed Under: Alto Medium Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews, Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Alto Saxophone, Jazz Flow, jazz mouthpiece, review, sax mouthpiece, Selmer Paris

Boston Sax Shop E-Series 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

February 26, 2024 by Steve 1 Comment

Today, I am excited to be reviewing the new BSS (Boston Sax Shop) E-Series 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece released by Jack Tyler at the Boston Sax Shop. I have already reviewed the excellent Boston Sax Shop S-Series tenor sax mouthpiece and the Boston Sax Shop R-Series tenor sax mouthpiece.  Both of which I was very […]

Filed Under: Mouthpiece Reviews, Tenor Medium Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Boston Sax Shop, BSS, BSS reeds, E-Series, review, sax mouthpiece, superlative ligature, tenor saxophone

The Boston Sax Shop Silver Box Custom Tenor Saxophone Reeds Review

February 2, 2024 by Steve 6 Comments

Today, I am reviewing the new BSS Silver Box custom tenor saxophone reeds released by Jack Tyler at the Boston Sax Shop.  Jack has been my repairman for the last six years and always gives me the inside scoop on the newest Boston Sax Shop saxophone gear that is coming out. Besides being a phenomenal […]

Filed Under: Saxophone Stuff Tagged With: black box, Boston Sax Shop, BSS, custom, reeds, review, saxophone reed, silver box

10mFan Cabernet Octagon Series Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

January 15, 2024 by Steve 7 Comments

Today, I am reviewing an exciting new tenor saxophone mouthpiece from 10mFan saxophone mouthpieces that is designed with a new innovative octagon shaped chamber by 3-D technology.  This is the 10mFan Cabernet 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece.   I have already reviewed a number of great 10mFan tenor, alto and soprano saxophone hard rubber mouthpieces in the […]

Filed Under: Mouthpiece Reviews, Tenor Low Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: 10mFan, Cabernet, octagon chamber, review, saxophone mouthpiece, tenor sax

10mFan Fireball Octagon Series Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

January 8, 2024 by Steve 6 Comments

Today, I am reviewing an exciting new alto saxophone mouthpiece from 10mFan saxophone mouthpieces that is designed with a new innovative octagon shaped chamber by 3-D technology.  This is the 10mFan Fireball 6 alto saxophone mouthpiece.   I have already reviewed a number of great 10mFan tenor, alto and soprano saxophone hard rubber mouthpieces in the […]

Filed Under: Alto Low Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews, Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: 10mFan, alto sax, fireball, octagon chamber, review, saxophone mouthpiece

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NEFFMUSIC PRINTED BOOKS

Testimonials

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 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
Just wanted to send you a quick note to say thank you for being you, your playing, your website and your desire to help others. I’m a professional musician in the US Army and I’ve visited your website almost every day since discovering it a couple of months ago. Your lessons are profound and easy to use. I’ve purchased most of your PDF books and now am starting to delve more into the video and audio lessons.  Thank you for being a great resource!
James

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
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
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
Hi Steve, I have been shedding your materials for quite a while now and I love them! They are extremely well organized and presented and there are tons of ’em! I really appreciate your methodical approach and find myself referring students to your resources often.  Thanks so much!  
Kenyon Carter
Steve’s monthly lessons are entirely valuable. Without brow beating, he tells you all the stuff you deep down know you really should be working on, instead of just relying on the same old patterns. In spite of the fact that you’re taking a video lesson, Steve’s presentation is comfortable and “real”. In a little more than a year, he’s developed a library of lessons that seem to offer any player a lifetime’s worth of practice material. I’m just glad I stumbled upon it.… Read more
Grant
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
Hey Steve, I’m a 22-year-old from Australia. I thought it would be worth saying. You’re an absolute legend. I can’t thank you enough. You have helped me rekindle my love for the saxophone and music as a whole. All the best for the future, your work doesn’t go unnoticed. PS. I am loving your devastating minor lines pdf.
Sapph

Your material is great! I got your New Altissimo Lesson 6 months ago and I have learned more from that than in all my 44 years of playing! I appreciate your down to earth teaching method and I really appreciate the heart that you teach with. I have been a subscriber to your lessons for the past 6 months and I have learned a great deal. Over that period of time I have had some questions and you have never failed to respond. Thanks! I have already recommended your lessons to a number of players in… Read more

Michael Byington
I like so many other subscribers feel so encouraged by Steve’s learning techniques; you will enjoy reading the comments of praise others have left as you too will feel that you share a common view and path. I feel very lucky to have come across Neffmusic and that feeling will remain with you as you search through a treasure trove of learning materials on offer, you will quickly find the lessons that you are suited to. You will instantly recognize the unparalleled quality of Steve’s teaching … Read more
Stephen

Love your lessons!  I have been using your lesson packages for many months now, and am learning a lot.  It is so perfect for me with a very busy adult schedule and difficulty in taking jazz/improv music lessons from reputable instructors who live and hour or more away from me.

Lenore
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)
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

Hi Steve,

First, I want to thank you for all of your great lessons. They are like a “For Dummies” version of all the books on my shelf. The lessons break things down into manageable pieces, and give me the confidence that I’m practicing the right pieces. I’m starting to make progress.   Thank You,   Kim

Kim

After reading your story I will never feel quite right about complaining about any of my MINOR health issues!!    God bless Steve and I really hope that your health doesn’t stop you from fulfilling your calling.    These books have been such a help to open up my jazz vocabulary…   Thanks so much for sharing your story and for providing these great teaching tools…   John Leclerc   Saxophonist / composer/ EWI player and professional working musician of 35 years….

John Leclerc
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

I must say again how much I appreciate all your material. Including the video tutorials. It help keep me focused and knowing what to aim for. And your laid back teaching style appeals to me too. 

Thanks

P

P

Steve, just a note to say thanks.

I’ve been playing a long time, but your material, laid out in such a thoughtful way, helps me to understand concepts in a new and deeper way.

You are a true gift to the jazz community.

60 lessons and going strong,

Kevin Ledbetter

Kevin Ledbetter
I’ve been downloading your lessons for 4 months now (20 lesson) and I have noticed tremendous growth in my playing thus far! I’m so happy that I stumbled upon your site!
Bob
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
I have NEVER seen material like yours.  Amazing!!
Jerry

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

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