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<\/a><\/p>\nThe New JJ Babbitt and Theo Wanne Meyer 6M Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n Here is a quote from the JJ Babbitt’s website on the collaboration between JJ Babbitt and Theo Wanne and why we should all be excited:<\/p>\n “At JJ Babbitt, iconic designs are still rooted in the materials, feel, and tonal character that made Otto Link, Meyer, and Hite legendary. What\u2019s changed is the precision with which those designs are now carried forward. Through our partnership with Theo\u00a0Wanne, modern manufacturing technology and deeper craft training are being applied with purpose, not excess.<\/em><\/p>\n The result is a process that balances tradition and innovation. One that preserves the unmistakable core of these mouthpieces while delivering a level of consistency and reliability that today\u2019s players expect. This is not about replacing human judgment. It\u2019s about supporting it with better tools, better training, and better standards.<\/em><\/p>\n We believe legendary sound deserves nothing less.”-JJ Babbitt website<\/em><\/p>\n The New JJ Babbitt and Theo Wanne Meyer Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n Here is another well written quote from the JJ Babbitt website on the new Meyer alto saxophone mouthpiece produced by JJ Babbitt and Theo Wanne:<\/p>\n For generations, Meyer has been the benchmark for saxophonists seeking a rare balance: warmth and clarity, flexibility and control, tradition and range. It\u2019s our best-selling mouthpiece for a reason. Meyer doesn\u2019t force you into a narrow sound, it gives you a centered tonal core and the freedom to shape it into your own voice, whether you\u2019re blending in a section, leading a small ensemble, or stepping forward as a soloist.<\/em><\/p>\n But the Meyer story isn\u2019t only about what the design can do. It\u2019s also about how reliably that design is delivered.<\/em><\/p>\n In this new era, Meyer hard rubber mouthpieces are built through a process that combines JJ Babbitt\u2019s proprietary rubber formulation, molding, and vulcanization with modern precision and tighter process control through our manufacturing partnership with\u00a0Theo Wanne Mouthpieces. The tonal foundation begins with the material itself, not with pre-vulcanized bar stock, because the way Meyer\u2019s hard rubber is created is part of what gives it its unmistakable core. From there, precision machining and informed finishing ensure the mouthpiece you pick up reflects the Meyer you expect.<\/em><\/p>\n Meyer is known for a warm, rich tonal core that stays clear under articulation and remains flexible across a wide dynamic range. Notes speak easily, articulation stays defined without becoming edgy, and the sound retains its body and center as volume and intensity increase. This balance allows players to move fluidly between subtle phrasing and more assertive playing without the mouthpiece feeling limiting or unstable.<\/em><\/p>\n Its classic chamber design and carefully balanced resistance profile create a responsive feel that supports both nuance and projection. The mouthpiece offers just enough resistance to provide control and focus, while remaining free-blowing enough to encourage a natural, unforced response. That combination has made Meyer a favorite among alto saxophonists in particular, while its versatility allows it to adapt comfortably to a wide range of styles, ensembles, and musical settings.<\/em><\/p>\n From advancing students developing their sound to seasoned professionals refining it, Meyer continues to be the mouthpiece players trust when they want a true jazz voice with room for personal expression, growth, and musical identity.<\/em><\/p>\n Meyer has always been an icon. Now it\u2019s an icon delivered with a new level of consistency and confidence, without losing the character that made it legendary. – JJ Babbitt Website<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The New JJ Babbitt and Theo Wanne Mayer 6M Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n I received a Meyer 6 alto saxophone mouthpiece directly from JJ Babbitt.\u00a0 The mouthpiece was packaged well and came in a standard looking white box with “MEYER” printed on the top.\u00a0 The side of the box has the chamber listed as medium, the facing length as medium and the tip opening as a 6.\u00a0 On the bottom of the box is a yellow sku\/bar code label.\u00a0 I am told that these new Babbitt\/Wanne Meyer mouthpieces have the yellow sku label as opposed to the previous Meyer models before the Babbitt\/Wanne collaboration that had a white sticker.<\/p>\n Upon first inspection, the new Babbitt\/Wanne Meyer alto saxophone mouthpiece looked very similar to every other modern Meyer alto saxophone mouthpiece I have played on.\u00a0 \u00a0The mouthpiece is engraved on top with the word “MEYER” and the top of the shank is engraved with “MADE IN U.S.A.”<\/p>\n The bottom of the shank is different from the Meyer mouthpieces of the past in that the tip opening of “6” is engraved with what I suppose is a number underneath it of “A26W2”.\u00a0 I believe this is probably a secret code that is to be entered to release the magic sonic properties hidden within this particular mouthpiece or, maybe it is just a serial number…..<\/p>\n I don’t see any engraving on the Meyer mouthpiece that refers to the size of the chamber, which would be nice to have on the mouthpiece, but the box states that this Meyer mouthpiece is a medium chambered mouthpiece.<\/p>\n The New JJ Babbitt and Theo Wanne Meyer 6M Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n The new Meyer alto saxophone mouthpiece comes in four tip opening options.\u00a0 5M=.071, 6M=.076, 7M=.081 and the 8M=.086.\u00a0 \u00a0I usually play alto sax mouthpieces with a tip opening between .076 and .080.\u00a0 Although, I do have a modern Meyer Bros 8 alto saxophone mouthpiece that I absolutely love so maybe I should update that.\u00a0 Ok, \u00a0I usually play alto saxophone mouthpieces with a tip opening between .076 and .086.\u00a0 This Meyer 6M is at a .076 tip opening.<\/p>\n The tip rail is very close to the shape of my Boston Sax Shop 3 silver label reeds that I tried on the Meyer 6 alto sax mouthpiece. All the reeds I used while trying the Meyer alto saxophone mouthpiece for this review sealed well when performing the suction test and played great for me on the mouthpiece.<\/p>\n The New JJ Babbitt and Theo Wanne Meyer 6M Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n The baffle of the Babbitt\/Wanne Meyer alto sax mouthpiece is what I would consider a medium rollover baffle height.\u00a0 It travels about a 1\/4 of an inch and then rolls over where the baffle then proceeds to head at a greater angle towards the rear of the mouthpiece chamber.\u00a0 There is a dip in that run of the baffle through the chamber area creating a slightly lower chamber floor.\u00a0 The baffle looks even and balanced from side to side.\u00a0 The entire run of the baffle after the rollover has a slight curve from side to side.\u00a0 The mouthpiece side walls have a very slight scoop to them as they head towards the chamber as well.<\/p>\n The mouthpiece chamber is what I would consider a medium chamber and the bottom floor of the chamber looks to be scooped out slightly when the light hits it at the right angle.\u00a0 \u00a0The chamber is a little bit larger than the diameter of the bore of the mouthpiece.\u00a0 The roof of the mouthpiece chamber looks to be rather thick in comparison to other mouthpieces with thinner chamber roofs.<\/p>\n The New JJ Babbitt and Theo Wanne Meyer 6M Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n The new Babbit\/Wanne Meyer alto saxophone mouthpiece played great with a variety of reeds.\u00a0 \u00a0For the sound clips below, I used a BSS (Boston Sax Shop) 3 silver label alto saxophone reed.\u00a0 The 3 strength BSS reed felt very comfortable on this Meyer 6 alto saxophone mouthpiece.<\/p>\n I have posted six sound clips of the Meyer alto sax mouthpiece below.<\/p>\n The first two sound clips are the same clip of my usual lines and licks that I play to test out every alto saxophone mouthpiece.\u00a0 The first clip has reverb added and the second clip is totally dry (no effects).<\/p>\n I like to add clips with reverb added as well as the “dry” sound clips 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.\u00a0 The “dry” recording helps the listener hear what the mouthpiece might sound like in a smaller room with less natural reverb in the room.<\/p>\n The last four sound clips are of me playing melodies that I\u00a0 play on most of my alto saxophone mouthpiece reviews these days:<\/p>\n I play these same melodies in many of my alto saxophone mouthpiece reviews so you can compare them to other mouthpiece clips on my site.<\/p>\n The New JJ Babbitt and Theo Wanne Meyer 6M Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n I wanted to share this correspondence I had with Steve Rorie (Chairman & CEO of JJ Babbitt Co.):<\/p>\n Steve Rorie: Quick question \u2026do you believe the Meyer alto is the best version of itself? We\u2019re very proud of it as well as the new Otto Link rubber and metal models but am anxious for your perspective.<\/em><\/p>\n Steve Neff:\u00a0 \u00a0I will say that I have probably tried a hundred Meyer mouthpieces over the years and this is a great one in my opinion. \u00a0I still love my two 7 & 8 Meyer Bros NY Connoisseur alto sax mouthpieces but this new one is in that same ballpark as far as how well it plays.<\/em><\/p>\n Steve Rorie: You have experienced the improvements we\u2019ve made ourselves when we released the Meyer Bros NY Connoisseur model. That\u2019s proof positive of what can be achieved by skilled craftsmen and women. But to do it in volume as required for our standard Meyer alto is a greater challenge. The CNC technology and the technical as well as musical skill of Theo Wanne and his team was the key to the results you have now experienced with the new hybrid mouthpieces.\u00a0 Since I bought the company and became aware of the criticisms about the many years of inconsistency of Meyer and Otto Link, my son Trace and I have worked hard at honesty, transparency and fixing the issue. Partnering with Theo and his team provided us access to the technology and expertise to address it directly.\u00a0 The results have been fantastic.<\/em><\/p>\n To be transparent, I have had quite a few email communications with Steve Rorie over the past couple of years and he has always struck me as honest and highly devoted to making the mouthpieces of JJ Babbitt (Meyer, Otto Link and Hite) as excellent and as consistent as possible.\u00a0 In my mind, his shared collaboration with Theo Wanne drives home the point that Steve Rorie’s utmost concern is improving the reputation of JJ Babbitt and producing a mouthpiece that is excellent and reliable for every saxophone player who tries them.<\/p>\n The New JJ Babbitt and Theo Wanne Meyer 6M Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n So, how did this new Babbitt\/Wanne Meyer 6 alto saxophone play for me?\u00a0 The Meyer 6 alto saxophone mouthpiece played exceptionally well.\u00a0 I found it to be a very dynamic and vibrant mouthpiece that played wonderfully from the first reed I put on it.\u00a0 Vibrant can be a vague term without explanation so I will describe this new Meyer 6 mouthpiece’s tone as a focused vibrancy.\u00a0 The tone has a tight core to it’s sound but also a vibrant energy in the tone that I really enjoyed while playing and listening back to the sound clips.\u00a0 That vibrant energy is simmering beneath the hood at softer volumes and as you play louder it comes out more and more.<\/p>\n I would classify the new Babbitt\/Wanne Meyer as an alto sax mouthpiece that leans to the brighter side of that dark to bright tone spectrum I refer to when reviewing saxophone mouthpieces.\u00a0 At times, I felt I could lean towards the brighter end of the alto saxophone tone spectrum and at other times I could lean the other way towards the darker side of that same tone spectrum.\u00a0 Being able to lean to either side is a characteristic that makes a mouthpiece more versatile in my opinion.\u00a0 I even tried playing some classical saxophone literature with it and thought it sounded pretty darn good but that is coming from a jazz player so keep that in mind.<\/p>\n The New JJ Babbitt and Theo Wanne Meyer 6M Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n This new Babbitt\/Wanne Meyer 6 has that classic Meyer focused concentration to the tone that I always love with great playing Meyer alto saxophone mouthpieces.\u00a0 I immediately think of Phil Woods sound when I mention that Meyer “focused concentration” because he was such an influence on me when I was young.\u00a0 Listen to Phil Woods on “Warm Woods”, “Musique du Bois”, or “Live from the Showboat” to hear that “focused and concentrated” tone I am describing.\u00a0 That focused alto saxophone sound can carry to the back of an auditorium or cut through when playing in a big band.<\/p>\n The high notes have a bright ring to them that I find beautiful and pleasant to listen to.\u00a0 This bright ring to the tone is balanced perfectly with just enough fatness to the tone to make the sound balanced and even throughout the range of the saxophone.<\/p>\n The intonation on the new JJ Babbitt and Theo Wanne Meyer alto mouthpiece was superb and every note was in close proximity to being on the “0” on my tuner.\u00a0 The range of notes on the alto saxophone sounded even and balanced from note to note and the fast lines sounded smooth and flowing up and down the range of the saxophone.<\/p>\n The New JJ Babbitt and Theo Wanne Meyer 6M Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n Another aspect of this mouthpiece that I loved was the dynamic range and ease of playing with different dynamics.\u00a0 I really dug the sound of this new Meyer alto saxophone mouthpiece at softer volumes as well as the louder volumes I typically play at.\u00a0 I found the tone and dynamic range easy to express myself and manipulate the lines with vibrato, dynamics, scoops and bends.\u00a0 I’m basically writing that it was easy to express myself with this new Babbitt\/Wanne Meyer 6 alto saxophone mouthpiece.<\/p>\n I will add that, as I listened back to the sound clips, I was struck by how the notes, lines, and melodies seemed more expressive and easily molded, allowing me to convey what I was feeling in the moment. The mouthpiece seemed to respond naturally to subtle changes in my articulation, phrasing and vibrato, giving me greater flexibility to shape each musical idea and communicate more emotion through my playing.\u00a0 Believe me,\u00a0 after doing mouthpiece reviews for twenty years, when something stands out to me as special or different, I pay attention.<\/p>\n The New JJ Babbitt and Theo Wanne Meyer 6M Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n The low register was full and round but I also loved the ability to sub-tone down in the lower register of the saxophone.\u00a0 The sub-toned low notes sounded soft, lush and full sounding with a velvety softness around each note’s edges.<\/p>\n The high notes were a joy to listen to as well.\u00a0 \u00a0Although they had added brightness when pushed, the notes were round and full sounding and didn’t sound thin and weak as some mouthpieces can sound in the upper register of the alto saxophone.<\/p>\n The New JJ Babbitt and Theo Wanne Meyer 6M Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n In my opinion, the JJ Babbitt\/Theo Wanne Meyer alto saxophone mouthpiece is a terrific hard rubber alto saxophone mouthpiece for those looking for a classic vintage Meyer kind of alto saxophone sound.\u00a0 I will say that I have probably tried a hundred Meyer alto saxophone mouthpieces over the years (I used to go to the local music store to try the ones they had to pick out the best ones for my students) and this is one of the best Meyer alto saxophone mouthpiece I have tried.\u00a0 I would have no reservations in recommending these new Meyer mouthpieces to any serious alto saxophone players out there.<\/p>\n Here is a paragraph from my review of the Babbitt Meyer Bros alto saxophone mouthpieces but I am adding it here as well because I think it applies just as well :\u00a0 “A great characteristic to these Meyer mouthpieces is that they don’t pigeon hole you into one sound.\u00a0 Think about all the players that played Meyer alto saxophone mouthpieces! Cannonball Adderley, Phil Woods, Sonny Stitt, etc…..\u00a0 Heck,\u00a0 even Mark Russo!\u00a0 I heard Mark Russo playing live with the Yellowjackets back in the 80’s and wondered what mystery mouthpiece allowed him to get that really bright tone and killer altissimo…….. a Meyer 6 I believe it was!\u00a0 That blew me away!\u00a0 \u00a0My point here, is that a lot can be done with these mouthpieces and the Meyer design allows the player to mold and shape the tone in whatever way they would like.”<\/em><\/p>\n If you like the sound and look of the new Meyer alto saxophone mouthpiece by JJ Babbitt and Theo Wanne, you can find them for sale at Sweetwater<\/a>. I have agreed to be an affiliate for Sweetwater so if you purchase a Meyer alto sax mouthpiece<\/a> from this link<\/a>, I will receive a small commission on the sale from Sweetwater. (This helps to support my site and keep the saxophone related reviews, articles and transcriptions coming to you\u2026..). Sweetwater even offers the option to pay in three installments as well which is nice.<\/p>\n I was confused whether the Meyer alto sax mouthpieces at Sweetwater were the old stock (the photos are of the old stock) or the new Babbitt\/Wanne Meyer mouthpieces and asked Steve Rorie at JJ Babbitt who responded:\u00a0 “The standard Meyer alto sax mouthpieces Sweetwater currently stocks and sells are only the new TW\/JJB co manufactured models like you are reviewing. And the ways to alert the buying public they are the new ones is the presence of a serial number on the shank, the yellow sku\/bar code label on the bottom of the box rather than the traditional white label, and the mouthpiece is in a black velveteen bag without a lig or cap.\u00a0 <\/em>They don\u2019t have anymore of the old stock.”-Steve Rorie (Chairman & CEO of JJ Babbitt Co.) \u00a0 \u00a0<\/em>That clears that up, but I guess someone at Sweetwater has to get some new mouthpiece photos up to avoid further confusion…….<\/p>\n If you are lucky enough to play a new Babbitt\/Wanne Meyer alto saxophone mouthpiece or have any other thoughts or comments, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Thanks,\u00a0 \u00a0Steve<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nClassic Sound, Modern Confidence.<\/em><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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