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<\/a><\/p>\nRafael Navarro Maestra Metal Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I spoke with Rafael on the phone after I had played the mouthpiece for about a week just to get some more information on it.\u00a0 He told me that the Maestra evolved from a double ring link and a Zimberoff concept.\u00a0 Rafael likes to talk to customers so he can get an idea of what they are looking for “sound-wise” from a mouthpiece.\u00a0 While he is making a mouthpiece he can make adjustments to it to match the desires of the player who ordered it.\u00a0 As an example, he mentioned that Brandon Fields was playing a Maestra that had a step baffle in it rather than the rollover you see here.<\/p>\n The mouthpiece looks beautiful.\u00a0 The craftsmanship is amazing.\u00a0 The tip, table, baffle,chamber and rails are as perfect as you’ll ever see.<\/p>\n Rafael Navarro Maestra Metal Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The baffle and chamber look similar to a couple florida and double ring links I have on hand. The chamber does look to be slightly larger to my eye which might be the influence of the Zimberoff mouthpiece concept on the piece.\u00a0 I’ve never played a Zimberoff but I’ve heard that they have larger chambers in them.<\/p>\n The mouthpiece diameter is slightly larger than a Otto Link diameter.\u00a0 My\u00a0 Selmer 404 ligature and Vandoren Optimum fit on the mouthpiece but it was a tight fit to get them on and off.\u00a0\u00a0 At first, I tried a Rigotti Gold 2 1\/2 medium……. too soft.\u00a0 I tried a 2 1\/2 strong next which played very well for me.\u00a0 I didn’t have any Rigotti Gold 3’s but I think a 3\u00a0 would have worked great on it also.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Rafael Navarro Maestra Metal Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n The Maestra was very easy to play.\u00a0 Many times it will take me a while to get used to a mouthpiece.\u00a0 With the Maestra, I felt very comfortable within minutes.\u00a0 The beak profile is similar to a metal link so it was\u00a0 very comfortable.<\/p>\n It had a quick response and evenness throughout the range of the horn.\u00a0 The low notes were full and lush sounding.\u00a0 I really loved the sound of it while playing against the wall but it also filled the room when you\u00a0 turned around and played into the room which I really like.\u00a0 Sometimes I play a mouthpiece into a wall and it sounds killer but when I play towards an open room the core and focus of the tone get lost in the room.\u00a0 This Maestra has a great core that seems to carry far in an open space.\u00a0\u00a0 The evenness in tone throughout the range make it very easy to play fast runs.\u00a0\u00a0 It has a very smooth quality\u00a0 that makes the fast notes blend well together.\u00a0 I had a ton of fun playing this mouthpiece!<\/p>\n You can judge the tone for yourself as you listen to the sound clip.\u00a0 In my opinion, the Maestra leaned towards the darker side of things while still having a nice crispness and clarity in the upper register.\u00a0 You can decide for yourself…………<\/p>\n For the star ratings on this mouthpiece, I gave it 5 stars for construction, tone, response and value.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I gave it a 4 for volume only because I’ve played other mouthpieces that are louder in volume.\u00a0 (That being said, the Maestra can get very loud and full as you would expect from a mouthpiece with this type of baffle and chamber.)<\/p>\n Rafael Navarro Maestra Metal Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I really enjoyed playing the Rafael Navarro Maestra Metal Tenor\u00a0 Sax Mouthpiece. If you like the sound and look of this mouthpiece contact Rafael Navarro<\/a> through his website . The photos and testimonials on his site will really make you want to buy one of these mouthpieces!\u00a0 It’s a great looking website and the mouthpiece are top quality.\u00a0 I’d like to thank Rafael for sending me this Maestra to review.\u00a0 I’m tempted to buy one right now buy I want to wait to see how the Bahia and Bebop Special play for me first before making a decision………………<\/p>\n Let me know what you think in the comments below. Thanks, Steve<\/p>\n Rafael Navarro Maestra Metal Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n