{"id":39927,"date":"2016-11-05T11:27:32","date_gmt":"2016-11-05T15:27:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.neffmusic.com\/blog\/?p=39927"},"modified":"2022-11-17T11:06:37","modified_gmt":"2022-11-17T16:06:37","slug":"phil-tone-jz-series-tenor-saxophone-mouthpiece-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.neffmusic.com\/blog\/2016\/11\/phil-tone-jz-series-tenor-saxophone-mouthpiece-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Phil-tone JZ Series Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today, I am reviewing another great mouthpiece by Phil Engleman at Phil-Tone mouthpieces<\/a>. \u00a0\u00a0 Phil Engleman is the founder of Phil-Tone mouthpieces and I have reviewed a number of his excellent mouthpieces in the past.\u00a0 The Equinox, the Eclipse, the Solstice, the Tribute, the Sapphire, the Mosaic, the Rift etc…………… Phil\u00a0has even more models that I have not had a chance to review yet but today I am reviewing a new model called the JZ Series Tenor Saxophone mouthpiece.<\/p>\n

Phil emailed me a few months ago and said he was working on a new mouthpiece for players that couldn’t afford to pay three hundred plus\u00a0dollars on a mouthpiece. If you have been to my site before and researched some of the mouthpieces I have reviewed, \u00a0you might have noticed that finding a mouthpiece under three hundred dollars is getting harder and harder to find these days. \u00a0Especially when you are looking for something that is custom made, \u00a0faced to exact measurements by hand and play tested before it leaves the shop.<\/p>\n

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Phil-tone JZ Series Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n

As a teacher, it can be really difficult to \u00a0suggest a mouthpiece for a budding high school sax player. \u00a0I can’t tell you the number of times a student wants a new mouthpiece and asks “What are you playing Mr. Neff?” \u00a0“Well Johnny, \u00a0this mouthpiece is very good but it is 300-800 dollars and if I tell your parents to get it they will have a heart attack.” \u00a0Usually, I talk about getting an Otto Link, Meyer or hard rubber Vandoren V16 mouthpiece but always with the ominous stipulation of \u00a0“You have to try a few out and make sure you get one that is good?” \u00a0Today, with fewer and fewer local music stores that can be next to impossible for many students. \u00a0 It’s kind of a pain to deal with if you really want the best for your students. \u00a0Because of all this, when Phil told me about this project of his, I was very curious to try and wanted to try these out and perhaps review them. \u00a0Phil was nice enough to send me a free sample of the JZ tenor mouthpiece and the JZ alto mouthpiece to review for all of you.<\/p>\n

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Phil-tone JZ Series Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n

When I received the package from Phil and opened it\u00a0up, my first thought was that the mouthpiece looked pretty “bare bones”. \u00a0Nothing special to entice the eye. No 14 karat gold engraving, no sparkling jewels or bite plate made from\u00a0a Javan Rhinoceros horn. \u00a0None of that. \u00a0Not even any engraving or other identification to be had except for a lightly written “Phil-tone” on the lower side of the body. Just a bare bones hard rubber tenor mouthpiece.<\/p>\n

As has become my custom, \u00a0the first thing I do after looking at a hard rubber mouthpiece is…………I smell it! (Don’t judge…….) \u00a0Don’t know why I do this but I have grown to really love that hard rubber smell. \u00a0My nose is so good that I can actually smell if a mouthpiece will be good or not……….(ok, I’m joking about that part…….) \u00a0The JZ Series tenor sax mouthpiece had that authentic hard rubber scent to it in case you’re wondering.<\/p>\n

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Phil-tone JZ Series Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n

The JZ model sax mouthpiece looks to have great rails, table, tip and baffle. \u00a0Nothing out of the ordinary or out of whack. \u00a0The tip rail matches my Rigotti Gold reeds pretty closely. \u00a0It has a short rollover baffle that quickly rolls over and shoots straight down into the chamber. \u00a0The straight fall goes all the way to the back of the chamber area as opposed to ending at the beginning of the chamber. \u00a0The side rails are scooped out slightly. \u00a0The chamber looks very similar to a typical hard rubber Otto Link size chamber to my eyes. \u00a0The hard rubber is polished to a satin sheen and is very smooth to the touch. \u00a0(Be careful you don’t drop it!)<\/p>\n

The body of the JZ tenor mouthpiece is smaller than most hard rubber tenor mouthpieces out there. \u00a0I say I used a Vandoren Optimum ligature on this mouthpiece but I forgot to add that this is the alto version of the Optimum which is important to note. \u00a0It can slide almost to the butt of the reed but not quite. \u00a0Pushed as far back as I could get it, there is still a half inch of reed at the butt end showing. \u00a0This means that the Phil-tone JZ model mouthpiece is slightly bigger than a typical hard rubber alto mouthpiece like a Meyer or Vandoren V16 if that helps. \u00a0It is much more thin than a typical hard rubber tenor mouthpiece like an Otto Link or Vandoren V16 hard rubber.<\/p>\n

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Phil-tone JZ Series Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n

I have to admit that I\u00a0didn’t have high expectations for the Phil-tone JZ model. \u00a0Don’t get me wrong, Phil does great work and I\u00a0have tried enough of his pieces to know, \u00a0but when someone comes out with a cheaper model I automatically think “This won’t be as good as the expensive model…..”. \u00a0 Maybe it’s human nature, I don’t think I’m the only one who thinks\u00a0this right? That was my preconceived idea before even blowing a note. (I know Phil is getting nervous reading this at this point……..)<\/p>\n

However, I have to say that I\u00a0was very surprised by the Phil-tone JZ tenor mouthpiece. \u00a0I played it with a 3 medium Rigotti Gold reed the other day\u00a0and recorded a clip with it. \u00a0Full thick tone with lot’s to love in the low end. \u00a0There is a nice rich character to the tone that I really loved. \u00a0I was ready to call it a day and post this review but then this morning I decided to try a 3 1\/2 light\u00a0Rigotti Gold on it also. \u00a0The 3 medium Rigotti\u00a0played very well and it didn’t feel too soft but it\u00a0didn’t really require too much effort to dial it up. \u00a0I thought the 3 1\/2 would be interesting to try and I’m glad I did………<\/p>\n

I loved the 3 1\/2 reed even more. \u00a0It’s a different sound that is for sure. \u00a0Sounds even richer and has more character to my ears. \u00a0Much more power when you push it that is for sure. \u00a0I played it for a few Skype lessons today, recorded another sound clip and then about 2-3 hours afterwards. \u00a0The sign that I really like a mouthpiece is when I\u00a0keep playing it long after I’ve recorded the sound clip. \u00a0I was just playing, having fun and enjoying the sound!<\/p>\n

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Phil-tone JZ Series Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n

I purposefully played the melody of Body and Soul on the start of both clips just to compare the sound of the JZ \u00a0with both strength saxophone reeds. \u00a0I also make an effort to go up into the altissimo on both clips as well as play a few overtones on one clip which I don’t think I have ever done before. \u00a0I’d be curious of your impression if you care to comment below. \u00a0I didn’t add a clip with reverb just because I\u00a0didn’t think it needed it but certainly could if you would like to hear it. \u00a0Let me know if that is the case.<\/p>\n

The Phil-Tone JZ Series tenor saxophone mouthpiece was a complete joy to play and I’m glad I have had a chance \u00a0review it. \u00a0If you like the sound of the clip below and the mouthpiece catches your interest then give it a try. \u00a0Right now, Phil is selling this mouthpiece for 199.00.<\/p>\n

Now, before you start complaining about that price,\u00a0remember that many of the mass produced mouthpieces out there are selling in the 120-180 dollar range. \u00a0For a few dollars more, you are getting a piece that is handmade\u00a0to exact measurements and play tested. \u00a0It doesn’t come off a conveyor belt and put in a box for you to play test it after you buy it. \u00a0 If you are into a shiny gold mouthpiece then this isn’t the mouthpiece for you, but if you don’t care about that and you want a\u00a0more affordable mouthpiece that plays great, the JZ tenor mouthpiece is a great option to consider.<\/p>\n

You can contact Phil on his website at www.phil-tone.com<\/a>. \u00a0I don’t see the JZ model on his website yet but if you send him an email I’m sure he can hook you up with one. \u00a0Tell him Steve sent you………….Great work Phil!! \u00a0 I’m waiting for the Beyonce Series to be released………….<\/p>\n

Let me know what you think in the comments below. Thanks, Steve<\/p>\nhttps:\/\/cdn.neffmusic.com\/2016\/JZTenorNew2.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Phil-tone JZ Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Rigotti Gold 3 1\/2 Light Reed<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\nhttps:\/\/cdn.neffmusic.com\/2016\/JZTenor.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

Phil-tone JZ Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Rigotti Gold 3 Medium Reed<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Today, I am reviewing another great mouthpiece by Phil Engleman at Phil-Tone mouthpieces. \u00a0\u00a0 Phil Engleman is the founder of Phil-Tone mouthpieces and I have reviewed a number of his excellent mouthpieces in the past.\u00a0 The Equinox, the Eclipse, the Solstice, the Tribute, the Sapphire, the Mosaic, the Rift etc…………… Phil\u00a0has even more models that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":63,"featured_media":39929,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1121],"tags":[129,197,165,658,239,72],"class_list":{"0":"post-39927","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tenor-low-baffle-reviews","8":"tag-hard-rubber","9":"tag-phil-engleman","10":"tag-phil-tone","11":"tag-review","12":"tag-saxophone-mouthpiece","13":"tag-tenor-sax","14":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neffmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39927","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neffmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neffmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neffmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/63"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neffmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39927"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.neffmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39927\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neffmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39929"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neffmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39927"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neffmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39927"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neffmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39927"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}