Wanne handmade HR

[hornstar]

I play a SBA bari w/ Mk VI neck. I recently purchased the following from Mouthpiece Heaven:

Baritone Saxophone / Wanne Handmade / by Mouthpiece Heaven / 5
Hard Rubber mouthpiece based after the Gale baritone mouthpiece, but with a higher floor. Scooped out inner side walls, vintage rubber, etc. make this the ultimate baritone sax mouthpiece

it's an amazing mpc, really opens up the horn and improves intonation dramatically. the resulting sound is strong, flexible, and the mpc is very free-blowing. I'll be going up a couple notches in reed strength on the Fibracells.

This is my first experience with MPH. overall the purchase experience was very good. it took a little longer than expected to receive, because Theo was out of town and his assistant was trying to do it all.

[BobD]

I have a Wanne Limited edition HR tenor piece. Theo told me it's a vintage HR piece that he does a lot of work on. It looks like a Link and he said even though it's his own design it is modeled after an older Link. It plays great. The more I play it the better it gets. I switched to LaVoz reeds and so far the first 5 reeds in this box have played great. I attribute that to the piece.

[hornstar]

BobD thanks for the response. Can you give me more details on your Wanne HR tenor pc? I think I'm going to ask Theo for one for me. I'm currently playing a Link slant sig that I like alot, but if Theo can make me one that plays like this bari pc, well . . .

[BobD]

hornstar,

I had described the piece to Theo and asked if it was one of the Wanne/Pillengers on his website. This was his response.

"No, that is from a vintage hard rubber piece that I do more work on. Those
are a small limited production run of vintage real rubber pieces I hand do."

It's finished very nicely. Even rails, thin tip rail, subtle rollover baffle and scooped out on the sides. The chamber is not as large as my current prod HR Link as I can't put the piece as far onto the cork as the Link and still play in tune. It's my main piece and I plan to stick with it for a long while. It seems to do everything well. Let me know if you want some more info.

[hornstar]

thanks, what's the tip opening?

[BobD]

It says 7* but it was measured around a .103.

[shmuelyosef]

Hornstar,
Was the bari piece just listed in his mouthpieces section, or did you see it somewhere else? Was this a one-of-a-kind? It sounds interesting...if you don't mind my asking, what did it cost?

thanx

[hornstar]

BobD, thanks for the tip info.

shmuelyosef, I found it listed under vintage mouthpieces for bari, with the description as quoted in my first post, for $450. I was actually looking for a slant sig, and would have bought one if it were offered, because I like them so much on my alto and tenor. I think this Wanne is significantly better than the slant sig would have been, at about the same price. it makes the horn's intonation respond so quickly, at first I thought it might be TOO freeblowing. anyway, I've already used it successfully in the studio on some parts that required rapid articulation.

[JS]

If Theo's Handmade bari mpc is anything like my Handmade tenor mpc, you've got yourself an AMAZING mpc, Hornstar! I traded a lot of gear to get my HR Handmade Wanne tenor mpc, and it's unreal. BobD's mpc sounds similar to mine, but my Wanne is an 8 (.110), and at the time, it was the only handmade HR mpc Theo has done on tenor - as a matter of fact, it used to be his main mpc! :D I recorded my latest record on it back in October, along with one of Theo's HR Berg Larsen soprano mouthpieces (1950's, 70/1).
I usually use either Alexander Superial DC or the "yellow tin" Superials - both either #3 1/2 or 4's. The cut/tip of these reeds match the tip PERFECTLY.
-JS

www.jimsaltzman.com

[hornstar]

hey, Jim, thanks for your response, and the link to your site. I'm enjoying your downloads as I write this. I hear quite a difference in tone & articulation between Simplicity, and You Shouldn't Have. Do you remember what mpc you were using on You Shouldn't Have? The sound is very Redman-ish.

I need a more suitable soprano mpc too, and I was wondering about Theo's berg piece, thanks for the info.

[JS]

Hornstar,
I was using a hard rubber Lamberson J7 (with Hemke #4 reeds) on "You Shouldn't Have", and the other downloads on my site. "Simplicity" is off of my new CD, Aggregate, which won't be out for a few more months.

Glad you dug the tunes - it's funny, I never really listen to Redman, although I have listened a bunch to Dewey Redman :lol:

-JS