{"id":105470,"date":"2021-10-20T17:19:37","date_gmt":"2021-10-20T21:19:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.neffmusic.com\/blog\/?p=105470"},"modified":"2025-03-08T12:44:15","modified_gmt":"2025-03-08T17:44:15","slug":"theo-wanne-water-classical-alto-saxophone-mouthpiece-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.neffmusic.com\/blog\/2021\/10\/theo-wanne-water-classical-alto-saxophone-mouthpiece-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Theo Wanne Water Classical Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

I was excited to hear that Theo Wanne<\/a> was releasing a new classical alto saxophone mouthpiece called the Theo Wanne WATER classical alto saxophone mouthpiece<\/a> a few months ago and asked Theo Wanne if I could review it here on the site.\u00a0 I was even more excited to hear that it was only $99 dollars! (It is listed as 180.00 on the Theo Wanne website but I am told the site will deduct 80 dollars for US and Canadian customers)<\/p>\n

Although I haven’t really played classical music on the saxophone outside of teaching for the last 34 years, I have always wanted a classical sounding alto saxophone mouthpiece that could get me closer to a more authentic sounding classical alto saxophone sound.<\/p>\n

Years ago, I went to a local music store and tried a bunch of classical alto saxophone mouthpieces but just couldn’t find anything that I felt comfortable with.\u00a0 Up until this point, I have been kind of faking the classical saxophone vibe for teaching with a Meyer 6 alto mouthpiece I used to have but that mouthpiece was way too bright for an authentic classical alto saxophone sound in my opinion.<\/p>\n

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Theo Wanne Water Classical Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Theo Wanne Water classical alto saxophone mouthpiece was shipped with the usual high standards of the Theo Wanne company.\u00a0 The Water alto sax mouthpiece comes in a perfectly designed box with stylish gold printing on it with all the details of the mouthpiece inside.\u00a0 Inside the box is a maroon velvet drawstring bag that holds and protects the Water alto saxophone mouthpiece.<\/p>\n

The Theo Wanne Water alto saxophone mouthpiece has a Theo Wanne metal band ligature included.\u00a0 This ligature is not the Enlightened ligature but is metal and has two metal bands that are parallel to the reed and are what contacts the reed when it is being held on the mouthpiece.\u00a0 \u00a0This Theo Wanne band ligature has one screw on the top of the ligature to adjust the tightness of the ligature.<\/p>\n

The Theo Wanne Water alto 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.<\/p>\n

Although the reed replacer cap is a cool idea, the Water alto saxophone mouthpiece does not come with a \u201cregular\u201d 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)<\/a>\u00a0so hopefully he will start including these with his mouthpieces in the future.<\/p>\n

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Theo Wanne Water Classical Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here is how the Theo Wanne website (save 15% by using this link)<\/a> describes the new Theo Wanne Water classical alto saxophone mouthpiece<\/a>:<\/p>\n

YOU ASKED FOR THE ULTIMATE ALL-AROUND AND CLASSICAL MOUTHPIECE, AND HERE IT IS!\u00a0 IT\u2019S ALREADY WINNING AWARDS!<\/em><\/h3>\n

The Theo Wanne\u2122 WATER classical alto saxophone mouthpiece has been in Research and Development for over five years.\u00a0 \u00a0The sound concept of the WATER alto mouthpiece is unlike any other Theo Wanne\u2122 mouthpiece. You will find a rich beautiful core to the sound, in fact, richer than any other classical or all-around mouthpiece we tested, vintage or new.\u00a0 This is intentional and due to a truly unique small chamber\/throat that compresses the airstream into the saxophone neck to create a rich sound, that is not pinched at all like other small chamber designs.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe WATER alto saxophone mouthpiece draws out my true classical sound.\u00a0 \u00a0Intonation and response are fantastic.\u00a0 It has an incredible dynamic range I\u2019ve never experienced on any other classical mouthpiece.\u00a0 Definitely now my favorite mouthpiece for classical music!\u201d \u2013 Professor Matthais Anton (Professor at Staatliche Hochschule f\u00fcr Musik Trossingen, lecturer of ear training & music theory at the Hohner Conservatory Trossingen)<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The Shark-Gill\u2122 Baffle developed by Theo is also very unique.\u00a0 It both channels and disrupts the airstream at the same time.\u00a0 This is similar to the flow of water over a shark\u2019s skin allowing it to travel faster.\u00a0 \u00a0The air fills up the full volume of the small chamber\/throat more efficiently.\u00a0 You will find the WATER alto sax mouthpiece to have enough resistance for the classical musician and most general music too, yet it never feels clogged or like you must fight the mouthpiece.<\/em><\/p>\n

The WATER alto sax mouthpiece is made from our revolutionary Black A.R.T. material.\u00a0 This is not a cheap ABS or Delrin plastic, but a very high quality and expensive proprietary material that actually resonates better than vintage hard rubber.\u00a0 In fact it is the only material that we like better than vintage hard rubber.<\/em><\/p>\n

The WATER mouthpiece comes only in size 3 (.061), as the design is optimized for this size.\u00a0 You will notice, however, how big a sound you can get from this WATER alto mouthpiece:<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe WATER is great. Really really nice! I see exactly what you mean about the way a small tip shouldn\u2019t trouble us \u2018jazzers\u2019. In fact, you can very quickly attain a full and relatively big sound. The sound is also very defined, plenty of core, and above all quality.\u201d \u2013 Jim Cheek (sax.co.uk)<\/em><\/p>\n

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Theo Wanne Water Classical Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n

We are very proud of this very unique design, and hope you enjoy it as much as we do.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0As part of the new Elements Series, this mouthpiece has ALL the Theo Wanne\u2122 quality, yet we can offer it at a very nice price.\u00a0 The Elements Series is already winning awards!\u00a0 Truly a super-high-quality alto saxophone mouthpiece.<\/em><\/p>\n

SOUND\u00a0<\/em><\/h3>\n