{"id":50942,"date":"2018-06-05T15:32:19","date_gmt":"2018-06-05T19:32:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.neffmusic.com\/blog\/?p=50942"},"modified":"2022-11-16T12:54:01","modified_gmt":"2022-11-16T17:54:01","slug":"westcoast-sax-moam-081-alto-saxophone-mouthpiece-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.neffmusic.com\/blog\/2018\/06\/westcoast-sax-moam-081-alto-saxophone-mouthpiece-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Westcoast Sax MOAM .081 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today, I am reviewing the Westcoast Sax “MOAM” .081 alto saxophone mouthpiece.\u00a0 You might remember that I reviewed a non-plated MOAM alto mouthpiece<\/a> that had a .086 tip opening last fall. Matt Lee at Westcoast Sax is always picking interesting and understated names for his mouthpieces and this is no exception.\u00a0\u00a0The name MOAM stands for the “Mother of all Mouthpieces”.\u00a0 I believe Matt got the idea for the name from MOAB (Mother of all Bombs) which was in the news quite a bit as the most powerful non-nuclear bomb the US has last year. I like Matt’s description below where he says it has an explosive sound!\u00a0 Hahaha………<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Westcoast Sax MOAM Alto and Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n

The mouthpiece is\u00a0designed and sold by Matt Lee and Theo Wanne. If you don’t know Theo’s work, it is amazing. \u00a0 I have reviewed a bunch of mouthpieces by Theo Wanne over the years and\u00a0they were all great. \u00a0Not a defect, scratch, bad finish, uneven rail or uneven tip in all of them. His attention to detail is amazing.<\/p>\n

The MOAM alto saxophone mouthpiece is no different.\u00a0 The engraving is bold and beautiful. \u00a0The table, rails, tip and baffle look precise and perfect also. The gold plating looks amazing and perfect!<\/p>\n

The baffle on the MOAM is unique in that I haven’t seen a baffle configuration like this before in all the mouthpieces I have reviewed. \u00a0It has a very high straight baffle that angles slightly as it travels away from the tip. \u00a0Then slopes up a bit and then continues straight until it hits the chamber. That upward slope adjustment in the middle of the baffle is what I don’t see very often. (I did see a variation of it once before on a Mark Spencer Silver Tenor Mouthpiece<\/a> that I reviewed in the past)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Westcoast Sax MOAM Alto and Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here’s a description of the MOAM mouthpieces from the Westcoast Sax Facebook page:<\/p>\n

The MOAM (Mother Off All Mouthpieces) displays a contemporary sound with explosive power, color, and depth. From Beautiful Ballads to Screaming Solos… “The MOAM allows the player complete freedom of expression and is down right a blast to play.” Matt Lee <\/em><\/p>\n

Matt Lee personally designed The MOAM Mouthpiece with a medium facing (Super Responsive), thin rails, bullet style baffle, and a medium chamber. Theo Wanne is the master at bringing my inspiration and vision to life.<\/em><\/p>\n

The MOAM is made by mouthpiece Guru “Theo Wanne” right here in the USA. Quality and Craftsmanship is at the highest level. Each mouthpiece is made out of 24K Gold Plated Brass. <\/em><\/p>\n

If you are looking for a mouthpiece that allows you full expression, emotion, and a personalized sound… Look No Further!<\/em><\/p>\n

MOAM Mouthpiece Sizes:<\/em><\/p>\n

Soprano Sax – #7 .065 and #8 .070 <\/em><\/p>\n

Alto Sax – #7 .080 and #8 .086<\/em><\/p>\n

Tenor Sax – 7* .105 and #8 .110<\/em><\/p>\n

All Mouthpieces will be made out of 24K Gold Plated Brass. Includes a Rovner SS Ligature, Cap, and Mouthpiece Bag. <\/em><\/p>\n

* Regular Price Items: Include a 5 day return policy (You pay shipping both ways if you return) and must be returned in Brand New Condition (No Scratches or Flaws) No Exceptions. Also Includes: Cap, Rovner SS Ligature and Mouthpiece Bag<\/em><\/p>\n

PM or Call 951-805-5611 <\/em><\/p>\n

Cheers, Matt Lee (General MoFo)<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Westcoast Sax MOAM Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n

I found the MOAM alto saxophone mouthpiece to be moderately bright and edgy when pushed hard.\u00a0 The .081 I am playing for this review seemed a bit more focused compared to the .086 I reviewed last fall.\u00a0 It has a ton of power when played full throttle and takes all the air you can give it.\u00a0 The tone also seems more round and less edgy than the .086 in my opinion.\u00a0 I think it has a sweeter sound to it than the .086 MOAM did. (Feel free to compare for yourself.<\/a>……)<\/p>\n

In the sound clips below,\u00a0 I tried to give you a variety of styles so you can hear how the MOAM alto mouthpiece would sound in those styles.\u00a0 \u00a0You could do a pop gig easily on this mouthpiece.\u00a0 It also gives a nice bright bebop tone when played in that style.<\/p>\n

The MOAM alto sax mouthpiece has good intonation and articulation is great on it.\u00a0 I found the tone to be resonant and focused.\u00a0 Although it is definitely on the brighter side of the alto sax tone spectrum the tone was beautiful and full in my opinion.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Westcoast Sax MOAM Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n

I used a Rigotti Gold 2 1\/2 strong on the MOAM alto mouthpiece and a generic Rovner ligature. \u00a0I have also used this same ligature on Guardala sized mouthpieces to give you an idea of how big it is.\u00a0 I personally prefer some of the Rovner ligatures on high baffle mouthpieces because I feel like the fabric ligatures can take a little bit of the edge off the tone that those mouthpieces sometimes have.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Westcoast Sax MOAM Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n

I’ve provided two samples of the same clip below. \u00a0One is a clip with added reverb and the other is a dry clip in a moderate sized room. \u00a0I think it’s important to add the reverb clip just so people can get a sense of what the sound is like with a little bit of that added affect since\u00a0the added reverb tend\u00a0to soften the edge a bit.<\/p>\n

The MOAM alto saxophone mouthpiece by Westcoast Sax is a great example of a well crafted high baffle alto mouthpiece. \u00a0If you have been on the search for an alto sax mouthpiece that will give you a bright edgy sound with power this is a great one to consider.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Westcoast Sax MOAM Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n

Congratulations to Matt Lee and Westcoast Sax for creating\u00a0the MOAM mouthpiece!\u00a0If you are interested in the MOAM you can\u00a0call Matt at: 951-805-5611 or Email: WestCoastSax@Yahoo.Com. \u00a0You can also order directly from the Westcoast Sax website<\/a>,\u00a0Westcoast Sax Facebook<\/a> page or Matt Lee’s Facebook<\/a> page where he also has more audio samples and videos of this mouthpiece.<\/p>\n

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and if you get a MOAM alto saxophone mouthpiece be sure to come back and let us know what you think below……..Thanks!!<\/p>\nhttps:\/\/cdn.neffmusic.com\/2018\/MOAM081AltoReverb.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

 <\/p>\n

Westcoast Sax MOAM .081 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece-Added Reverb<\/strong><\/p>\nhttps:\/\/cdn.neffmusic.com\/2018\/MOAMAlto081.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

 <\/p>\n

Westcoast Sax MOAM .081 Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece-Dry<\/strong><\/p>\n

Disclosure:\u00a0 I received the sample mouthpiece mentioned above for free in the hope that I would try it and perhaps review it on my blog. Regardless, I only review mouthpieces that I enjoy playing and believe will be good for other saxophone players to try also.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Steve<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Today, I am reviewing the Westcoast Sax “MOAM” .081 alto saxophone mouthpiece.\u00a0 You might remember that I reviewed a non-plated MOAM alto mouthpiece that had a .086 tip opening last fall. Matt Lee at Westcoast Sax is always picking interesting and understated names for his mouthpieces and this is no exception.\u00a0\u00a0The name MOAM stands for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":63,"featured_media":51696,"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":[1122,46,487],"tags":[143,716,1700,658,12,1727,99,1483],"class_list":{"0":"post-50942","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-alto-high-baffle-reviews","8":"category-alto-mouthpieces","9":"category-mouthpiece-reviews","10":"tag-alto-mouthpiece","11":"tag-jazz-sax","12":"tag-moam","13":"tag-review","14":"tag-saxophone","15":"tag-soundclip","16":"tag-theo-wanne","17":"tag-westcoast-sax","18":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neffmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50942","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=50942"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.neffmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50942\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neffmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51696"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.neffmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50942"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neffmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50942"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.neffmusic.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50942"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}