Benjamin Allen 10E .135 Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n Here are some more bullet points from Ben’s website about the 10E model tenor saxophone mouthpiece he makes:<\/p>\n Ben actually sent me three\u00a010E mouthpieces to try and review. \u00a0The\u00a010E and the 10E+ models I have already reviewed. \u00a0I thought it would be good to review this .135 also as many people ask me about what effects the tip size of a mouthpiece has on the sound and playability of a mouthpiece.<\/p>\n Benjamin Allen 10E .135 Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n When you open the package, there is nothing about this mouthpiece that says \u00a0” this is the greatest mouthpiece to ever exist and will change the future of saxophone sound forever”<\/em> \u00a0It isn’t shiny and doesn’t have\u00a0glitter or anything. \u00a0It’s pretty nondescript. \u00a0It\u00a0looks like\u00a0your average black hard rubber mouthpiece with the words “Benjamin Allen” and “New Orleans” engraved on the top. \u00a0When you turn the mouthpiece over and look at it in the light it looks perfect though. Not one ounce of asymmetry or imperfection. \u00a0The table, rails and tip rail look even and perfect. \u00a0The tip rail is thin and even\u00a0as are\u00a0the\u00a0the side rails and baffle.<\/p>\n This 10E .135 tenor sax mouthpiece looks to have\u00a0a higher\u00a0rollover baffle than the regular .105 tipped 10E I reviewed. \u00a0 The baffle angles down into the large chamber. \u00a0It almost seems like it goes straight to the back of the chamber but there is a slight scoop in the chamber at the bottom. \u00a0The side rails are scooped out smooth and evenly. \u00a0There is a slight protrusion around the back of the chamber where the chamber meets the bore as you look at the chamber from the tip.<\/p>\n Ben told me that this .135 tip has a longer facing curve on it of 52.5. \u00a0 I\u00a0can tell it has a longer curve because where my embouchure sits on the mouthpiece is pretty close to the breaking point of a 48-50 length curve. \u00a0If I go further on the mouthpiece the sound starts to get crass and out of control. \u00a0On this .135 10E I could go further on the mouthpiece than usual. \u00a0 The sound just got a lot\u00a0louder because more of the reed was vibrating but\u00a0I didn’t lose any control which seemed to imply to me that the curve was longer.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Benjamin Allen 10E .135 Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n OK, \u00a0on to reviewing the sound and playability of the 10E\u00a0.135. \u00a0I thought the 10E .135 would kill me honestly. \u00a0I just imagined trying to play it and my head exploding trying to put enough air through\u00a0that huge tip opening. \u00a0The 10E .135 does take a different level of air and support to play with this big of a tip opening. \u00a0 \u00a0I noticed that the level of\u00a0air that I use on a .105 tip for loud volumes usually\u00a0\u00a0produces a 90% volume out of those\u00a0mouthpieces. \u00a0What I mean by that, \u00a0is that I feel like I’m at the 90% level with that mouthpiece. \u00a0 I can push it a little more and get between 90-100% but not much more than that.<\/p>\n With the 10E .135, when I\u00a0played with that same air, \u00a0I felt like I was\u00a0at a 60% volume. \u00a0It sounded just as\u00a0loud as\u00a0my .105 90% loudness but it felt like there was\u00a0another 40% of volume I could\u00a0get if I really pushed it. \u00a0 That was\u00a0the part I’m not used to! \u00a0 It get’s crazy loud volume but pushing it with that much more air is something I’m not used to and I found it would tire me out pretty quickly. \u00a0The other thing I noticed is that when playing at softer levels the tone on my .105 would be rich and full but on the .135 it sounds\u00a0like the tone has more air in it to me.<\/p>\n I\u00a0believe these things can be overcome as you practice and get used to a wider tipped mouthpiece though. \u00a0Matter a fact, after playing on the .135 all day I went back to the .105 tip and it felt like a pea shooter to me…………<\/p>\n The tone on the 10E .135 was full and big sounding but I found it more spread and hollow sounding than the .105 tip openings. \u00a0Some of you might be confused by those terms so I’ll try to explain. \u00a0 By spread, \u00a0I mean that the tone seems like a big wash or wave of sound. \u00a0 To me, \u00a0it is like getting hit by a big wave at the ocean but with sound. \u00a0 A tone\u00a0with a compact sound is more like getting hit by a water hose on the setting for a focused stream of water. \u00a0 The hollowness description I think is related because instead of hearing a compact core sound I hear that spread wash of sound. \u00a0 Usually, \u00a0you can \u00a0hear this difference more acutely when playing against a wall. \u00a0 When you play into a big open room most tones will sound spread because the sound is traveling and bouncing around the room before it hits your ears. \u00a0 When you turn and play into a wall, the sound comes out of your bell , hits the wall and bounces right to your ears. \u00a0 You get a more solid focused sound reflected back at you.<\/p>\n When I play a mouthpiece with a huge spread sound into a wall, \u00a0it gets a little bit more focused but it still sounds like a big wash of sound to my ears. \u00a0 A mouthpiece with a tight core of sound will sound much more compact to me when played against the wall. That’s my experience anyways, \u00a0of course this is all subjective so do with it what you will……….<\/p>\n The altissimo was easy to get on this mouthpiece although it felt slightly different to “voice”. \u00a0It felt like my normal positions for the altissimo notes had to be exaggerated somewhat and I had to use more air to get the notes out easily. \u00a0No big deal but just a slight difference in\u00a0approaching and playing these notes on the .135.<\/p>\n I\u00a0know for a fact that this mouthpiece can get a lot more volume than smaller tipped mouthpieces. \u00a0I think that even playing with way more air I still was only hitting the 80% volume mark with this mouthpiece. \u00a0I think if I spent even more time on it I could knock some walls over with it volume wise……….<\/p>\n Benjamin Allen 10E .135 Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n The Benjamin Allen 10E\u00a0.135\u00a0Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece\u00a0was fun to play. After reviewing 3 of Ben’s mouthpieces now it is obvious that he knows what he is doing! \u00a0 Next, I have some Benjamin Allen “Tony Dagradi” models to review so stay tuned…………<\/p>\n If you like the sound of the clip below and the mouthpiece catches your interest then please contact Ben and give it a try. You can contact Benjamin Allen\u00a0at his website at\u00a0Allenmouthpieces.com<\/a>.\u00a0 Tell him Steve sent you………….Great work\u00a0Ben!!<\/p>\n Let me know what you think in the comments below. Thanks, Steve<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.neffmusic.com\/2014\/BA10E135Top.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nBULLET POINTS ABOUT THE MODEL 10E:<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n
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