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<\/a><\/p>\nPhil-Tone Rift Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n I was intrigued by the Rift as I opened the package and examined it as it looked to have a different and unique baffle design.\u00a0 I have reviewed hundreds of mouthpieces over the years and seen many different baffle designs but the Rift looked to be unique.\u00a0 It has a high rollover baffle that rolls down and then back up slightly and then down again into the medium chamber.\u00a0 The shape reminds me of those slides at the water park that we all love.\u00a0 I was curious what effect this type of baffle might have on the sound……….<\/p>\n Phil-Tone Rift Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n The Rift I received had an .081 tip opening.\u00a0\u00a0 I picked a random Rigotti Gold 2 1\/2 strong reed I had laying around, wet it, put it on the mouthpiece and tried it with an Vandoren Optimum metal ligature.\u00a0\u00a0 The mouthpiece just smoked for me with that very first reed.\u00a0 It had that combination of bright power and edge with a very fat tone.\u00a0\u00a0 I always think of Cannonball when I get into a description of tone like this.\u00a0 When you listen to his recordings,\u00a0 he had an incredible balance of brightness and edge with a big fat full sound.\u00a0\u00a0 This is how I felt about the Rift!<\/p>\n The other element of sound that I really loved about the Rift is the smoothness and evenness of the notes. Fast runs and lines are as smooth as butter on the Rift.\u00a0 A lot is said about how effectively a player can communicate with a mouthpiece,\u00a0 how well he can reproduce what he imagines as he plays his horn.\u00a0 For me, the Rift has that quality and connection.\u00a0 I really felt that as I played it that I could play almost anything I imagined as I was improvising. That’s an amazing feeling to have.<\/p>\n Phil-Tone Rift Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n I liked the Rift so much,\u00a0 after that first week of playing it I emailed Phil and asked to purchase one for myself.\u00a0 This was a mouthpiece I had to have in my alto case.\u00a0 Unfortunately, right after I got the Rift, I started having some medical issues with pinched nerves in my upper back and for the past 5 months playing the sax has been very difficult and painful.\u00a0\u00a0 Today has been the first day in 5 months that I felt like I could actually play and enjoy it.<\/p>\n Phil-Tone Rift Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n I can gets loads of power out of the Rift and the intonation is excellent.\u00a0 On many alto mouthpieces my Selmer Reference Alto can be a bit sharp on the midrange notes (Middle D,Eb,E,F and F#)\u00a0 The Rift was much easier to play these notes in tune.\u00a0 The tone to me is very lively and strong.\u00a0 The palm keys have a nice round fatness to them that balances the brightness so it doesn’t sound thin.<\/p>\n In comparison to other mouthpieces, I would say the Rift has more power by far than the standard off the shelf Meyer mouthpieces I have played.\u00a0 I would also say it has a fatter and brighter sound than a typical Meyer mouthpiece.\u00a0 If you are playing a Meyer and think you need more power and volume then the Rift might be a good mouthpiece to try.<\/p>\n The Phil-Tone\u00a0 Rift was a complete joy to play and I’m glad I now have it in my collection of favorite mouthpieces. If you like the sound of the clip below and the mouthpiece catches your interest then give it a try. You can contact Phil on his website at www.phil-tone.com<\/a>. Tell him Steve sent you………….Great work Phil!!<\/p>\n Let me know what you think in the comments below. Thanks, Steve<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n