JodyJazz ESP for Tenor

[joemen]

I just tried the new JodyJazz ESP for tenor and it is really great. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this mouthpiece gives me incredible control, especially in the altissimo register, without sacrificing brightness and clarity. And that clarity comes also without compromising fatness and fullness in the lower register. Finally, a mouthpiece that does it all. Most mouthpieces I have found to be too closed, dark or honky for me, but this one seems to "help" you, it enhances brightness or darkness, depending on your approach at the moment. I'm one of those guys that likes to play with a "2 by 4 strapped inside an open pipe", and this mouthpiece takes whatever I give it, as well as rendering a nice, free blowing sub tone if I wish.

[Ten62]

joemen,

Thanks for your comments on the piece. I just ordered today two mpcs from Jody to try: The Jody Jazz #7 and the ESP .90. I'm hoping to get the results you just described.

I am currently playing my YTS-62 with a Meyer Hard Rubber #8-Medium Chamber. It is a decent piece, but I find that it's way too "clarinety" sounding in the higher registers. In addition, it becomes a little difficult to coax Bb and lower out of the lower registers. I'm really hoping that these mpcs can solve the problem for me. I'm looking for a more contemporary sound somewhere between Steve Cole and Boney James so we'll see. One of these pieces I'll be sending back to Jody. I'll let you know which one.

[Scottysax73]

Wow, very impressed by this mouthpiece. Bright, full body, good volume. I dont like the spoiler because it kinda makes a shhhhhhhhh sound.
Once i check my finances this week, ill decide if i can afford it. Nevertheless, he shipped it 2 me, emailed me to ask how i liked it..what a great guy!!!!!!!!!!

[No Clever Name]

Scotty

I play an ESP tenor as well, and have had the SHHH problem with the spoiler... but discovered the reason (at least for me). I was trying to place the spoiler a little to far forward, and it didn't stick... so when I tried to play it, air would get between it and the mouthpiece, and ruin the sound.

Just a thought... since I discovered that, I love playing with the spoiler in.

[benjamin1979]

i think the sshh sound is come from the metal part of the spoiler. maybe we can consult mr jody for this.

[Tears June]

May be only one disadvantage for me about ESP tenor (Personal), it's too narrow. I used to play refaced STM, it is not very comfortable for many Link user.

:cry:

[marc]

What a nice piece this ESP !
I really like it very much also.
I remember I had also some ssshhhh in the early days with the MPC. I think I changed a bit the angle of the metal part of the spoiler and everything was OK since then. I always play with the spoiler in.
I also tried a Doc Tenney STM link but there is no comparison between the two in terms of versatility and ease of playing. The ESP get's it all.

[MB-913]

I would like to know have you found heavy air & saliva noise in your ESP ? Many metal MPC has this problem.

[colibri]

The airy sound should go away if you shove the spoiler in more. It's got to be tight.

[Twilight4588]

Whats the spoiler?

[deblcooper]

Copied from Jody's site.... http://www.jodyjazz.com/spoilers.html

Spoilers consist of a wedge which creates a higher baffle giving the mouthpiece a brighter more cutting sound. Attached to the wedge is a small metal "reed" which actually vibrates when air is blown into the mouthpiece.

[Ten62]

Thanks for all of your comments above. I've been playing the ESP .90 and the equivalent JodyJazz mpc for the past week. Both were impressive, but in the end the ESP .90 had it all. Particularly with the spoiler in, I was approaching the kind of sound that I'd only dreamed about before.

However, I still found that I wasn't getting enough "edge" or in other words overtones/undertones even with the spoiler in with the ESP. For this reason I've asked Jody to send me an ESP-X to see if it gets the sound I'm looking for. Am I right in trying this or should I move to other pieces that may produce more of these tones? If so, what pieces do you recommend. I've always heard that maybe a Dukoff D chamber would get me there. I appreciate any other comments/suggestions you guys may have.

[RICHARD GARCIA]

TO TEN62

I have played the ESP and the ESPX. I stayed w/ the ESPX .110 as
I found it to be an extremely well-made mouthpiece that is versatile
enough to cover just about any playing situation.

It will not "peel the paint off the wall", in case that is the extreme sound you want, however this is why I like the piece. In the past 30+ years
I have primarily played dozens of stock and customized Links, Dukoff D8 & D9, Guardala; Studio, Brecker, & Traditional mouthpieces. I offer this information to illustrate the fact that I've played what I feel to be
some great pieces, before changing over to Jody's ESPX.

I've been playing it for a month now, and I have received some very positive feedback. I am able to execute some things with greater ease,
as I previously sacrificed the beauty of the lower register for facility in
the altissimo... not anymore. I even have a renewed enthusiasm for
playing and practicing, as I spend less time fighting the horn.

I am not saying that I have found the "HOLY GRAIL", but IMHO I think you would do well with the ESPX. Good Luck!

[Ten62]

Richard,

Thanks so much for your comments. I received my ESP-X .100 about 2 weeks ago. The first night I tried must have been an off night for me because I didn't see much difference between it and the ESP. However, the second night I tried Rico Plasticovers and Fibracells and was completely blown away by the sound. Not only that, I had no problem coaxing the low notes of the horn, particularly with the spoiler in. The high notes were very centered with just the right amount of edge. I no longer sound "clarinety" in the upper registers!

When I talked about the "edge" that I wanted in my prior post, I was trying to say that I wanted an edge but with warmth. For example, while I respect Richard Elliott's work, I don't like his sound as it is too "dry" for my tastes. I'm not even in the same galaxy as Richard as a musician but I prefer a more sweet sound with edge such as Stanley Turrentine or maybe a modern reference in Boney James.

After about a week, I emailed Jody and told him to go ahead and bill me for the piece. I find myself having a hard time staying out of the shed because it's such a blast to play, sometime to the chagrin of my wife!

I would like to know what types of music you are in to and if you play professionally in the San Antonio area. I am originally from Houston and am currently in Venezuela working as an expatriate.

[RICHARD GARCIA]

Ten62

I'm glad the ESPX worked out for you. I used Fibracells for two years,
for the sake of consistency, but I've gone back to cane as it works so well and fits.

I've played professionally for over 30 years, and in addition to freelancing, I've had a contemporary jazz group for over 21 years.
This group has opened twice for Stanley Turrentine (God bless him),
and once for Boney James.

I did post-graduate work in Houston a long time and had the opportunity to play with some really great players like; Paul English,
Kirk Whalum, Tony Campise, Larry Slezak, and others. I don't know how active you were in the Houston scene, but I'm sure Venezuela is different (how's your Spanish?) Good luck and keep playing.

[Ten62]

Richard,

It's good to hear from a fellow Texan being down here in Venezuela. When I am in San Antonio sometime (my inlaws live close in San Marcos) I would like to come hear your group play.

As for me, I'm a really late bloomer. I remember really wanting to play sax when I was in middle school but my mother denied me as we already had a second-hand trumpet from my uncle who played in marching band in high school and college. I eventually went to the baritone and then have played the guitar off and on since. I just started playing the sax last year but I think I've advanced fairly rapidly through diligent practicing and listening to the masters (Turrentine is my favorite with Getz and Coltrane somewhat lagging behind; I love blues!).

I'm hoping that the practice will pay off and in about 3-5 years I can hopefully start jamming with a jazz or blues combo.

However, it is a hobby for me so I must work during the day to support the family. My wife and I both speak fluent Spanish so it's been fun to be here in Venezuela despite the recent political turmoil.

[RICHARD GARCIA]

Texas Ten62

I think it's great that you are a hobbist with such great aspirations, and
more so, that there are others like you out there. This has been one of the greatest revelations to me, from this web-site.

My son attends Texas State University in San Marcos so I now go there regularly for games and concerts. I have now promoted myself to the
all important position of aficionado. I also work as a non-music related
professional, which makes me appreciate music even more. Incidently
I also started on that proverbial "hand-me-down" trumpet (which I still
play), even though I wanted a saxophone. I wonder how many other saxophonists hit that obstacle or detour.

FYI : Stanley Turrentine has always been a favorite of mine. The first
time I heard him, his sound and feel just knocked me out. For me he
bridged that gap between R&B, Blues, & Jazz. Conceptually it all started
to make sense. For years I played a 9* Otto Link with a hard reed, to emulate that sound. When I met him I found him to be a wonderful person. I always rationalized that his sound was probably enhanced by
recording techniques... nope. I stood right next to him, and he just about
blew the doors off the dressing room. His sound, his soulfulness, and his
sense of swing are incredible and timeless. Just listen to any smooth
jazz player, then put on "SUGAR", there's no comparison. He's still one
of my heroes.

[Ten62]

Richard,

Once again thank you for taking the time to reply. To me, it's a very special thing to communicate with someone who's been up close and personal with one of the all-time greats. I'll have to admit my saxophone interest was really re-piqued when I started listening to David Sanborn and Boney James a few years ago (a friend turned me on to them at work). I've since learned that Sanborn also has a very versatile skill set and I admire his work alot. However, I was really drawn to the tenor sounds of Boney, Richard Elliot, and later Steve Cole. After doing a lot of research and asking around, I finally convinced my wife that I wanted to pursue a lifelong dream and start playing the tenor sax. I purchased a Yamaha 62 Mark II last year around November. However, with work, vacation and travel getting in the way, I wasn't really able to get started in earnest until March of this year.

That's when I took a couple of lessons from an older gentleman in Houston in April and he turned me on to who the "real" jazz players were. I went through the list: Coltrane, Zoot Sims, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz, Turrentine and others. However, while all these are great and have sold me on many a CD, I just can't quit playing Turrentine's Blue Note Sessions over and over. I am excited to start trying to play with some of the songs on that album as my skills increase.

One question: I've heard that Stanley's father being a saxophonist himself was very strict on his son and used to demand that he stand in a corner and play long tones for hours at a time until he mastered that "sound". Have you heard anything to substantiate this? I try to do long tone exercises in my warm ups as much as possible and besides giving a sore lip I find that my embrochure has improved significantly over the past 2 months since I started the practice. Coming from a HR Meyer to the ESP-X has also enhanced this need and I find that when I neglect these exercises that my workouts in the shed aren't near as effective.

Sorry for the ramble, but it is good to talk to you. Can you tell me which clubs you frequently play at in San Antonio? I will be there next January and would like to possibly attend one of your group's appearances.

[sattva]

Richard and Ten-62

Thanks for posting your thoughts on the ESP-X. I have one in the post to me now, I have been playing ESP for the last year and it has really knocked me out for all the reasons stated in other threads.

I also am a big fan of Stanley Turrentine. He has one of those 'voices' that you can instantly recognize blindfold after a couple of bars listening - the sign of a truly great player. There is something about that little vibrato flourish at the end of his phrases that is very soulful and emotional to me - it seems like it is a characteristic very unique to ST.

Hopefully with a combination of much listening to ST, many long notes, and ESP-X his sound will rub off on us!

[sattva]

As an afterthought, all you people with ESP-X mouthpieces, which brand and strength reeds are you finding work well with the mpc? I know that when it comes to reeds one man's meat is another man's poison, but I am always interested to know other people's views on this subject.

[Ten62]

Sattva,

Thanks for chiming in. While I'll never have the time to stand in a corner a play long continous notes all day to get ST's sound, I'm hoping to be able to match some of his phrasing when playing jazz-blues.

As for the ESP-X, I am currently alternating between Plasticovers 3 and Fibracells 2.5 and 3. I am slightly partial to the Plasticovers as I find that for some reason the Fibracells lose some vibrational tendencies after about an hour of playing. I wouldn't expect that, but that what generally happens, particularly with the 3 strength. The Plasticovers on the other hand stand up quite well.

As an aside, I have on order some Rico Jazz Selects 3 medium filed as Jody indicated to me that these have been know to work really well with the ESP-X.

I would like to personally continue sharing experiences in playing with you guys. This has been fun and informative.

[RICHARD GARCIA]

Ten62 & Sattva

I stopped using Fibracell 3's as it was difficult to play in the extreme
altissimo, and I went to Alexander Superials 3.5, which I'm happy with.

I think going for ST's sound is a great goal to shoot for: it's versatile,
as people like it, it's bluesy & soulful, and lends it's self to many styles.
His phrasing and tone have been emulated by just about every smooth
jazz tenor player, but most have missed his extraordinary sense of
swing (even on non-swing type tunes).

Most any good teacher will have you do a routine of long tones in each of your practice sessions. Remember, this is not only about calisthenics,
and embouchure development, but also about tone development; sound,
control of dynamics (ppp to ff). This exercise is can be viewed as being
very boring, dull, and/or tedious, but actually it is one where you should learn to FOCUS. You will reap the rewards! Playing into a corner makes the sound come back to you, and all around you. One other suggestion;
buy a pocket tuner to check your intonation, and tape yourself (the tape
doesn't lie).

Ten62 : You can e-mail me at : richard.a.garcia@bexar.org

www.mandalamusic.com

[johsaxe]

Read all previous replies with real interest and excitement. The ESP sounds like it could be the one I am after currently play a T75 V16 but want something that will be more robust and give more coluor and complexity to the sound the thing I find the V16 lacks. Only concern is the Size of the ESP is it smaller than th V16 or what. i somehow don't think I could be comfortable with anything smaller than that.

Anyone tried the two and has some comments

Thanks

O.J.

[Nefertiti]

I used to have a V16 T75. I think it measures about.104-.105. When you say"small" do you mean the tip or the size of the piece? The piece might be a little smaller but not much if it is. It's not a problem for me. I would get a ESP .110 and a ESP-X .110 from Jody to try. I play the ESP-X and it's the perfect pieces for what I do. I found the ESP to be a tad darker than I wanted. The X gives some nice edge to the sound but it's still full and fat sounding. Without the spoiler it can achieve a nice dark tone for jazz stuff.. I wanted a piece that I really would enjoy playing for the GB stuff I do. This has a tone I really love and it cuts through the mix great. The regular ESP with the spoiler cut through too but I wanted something with a bit more edge. Hope this helps. Jody's great to deal with. Call him and at least give them a try.

[MB-913]

Nefertiti

I'm sure his meaning of 'Small" is the Width of the MPC - It's too narrow compare with Metal Link or V-16. Just like a Beechler Bellite Metal, ESP is more narrow, not comfortable to some players. Like me, I need to squeeze of mouth to play these MPC.

There are two things I hop Jody will have in soon - One is to make the ESP a bit more width. 2nd is to have silver plated version ESP.

Nefertiti, when you will have another sound clip to download ?
Have you TRY the Un-Lacquer YTS-82Z ? How' about that horn compare with your SBA ?

[johsaxe]

Thanks for your replies.

I did mean the width of the piece itself. I imagine anything smaller than a V16 would be too small. Is Jody considering making a piece with the same chamber but wider width. That would be the bomb.

[Nefertiti]

MB,
I might do another sound clip but if I do I would want it to be a better quality recording. I'm thinking about getting a mini disc recorder and recording some gigs. I don't have the pieces I had back then to compare though. I'm down to two. My ESP-X and my HR link. I'm pretty happy with those right now. I never even noticed the ESP was any narrower. Maybe because I play alot of alto and clarinet? I haven't tried the Yamaha. Haven't really been into getting another tenor. I really like mine. I'd like to try a Z unlaquered alto though.

[johsaxe]

Bit the bullet finally and bought one of these the 0.110 which came today yes it is narrow but the slope and everything together made it comfortable.

So far impressed with it.

very controllable and this is with only a few hours playing the piece really facilitates the playing process. Will report back as things develop. Currently using Vandoren ZZ 2.5 will play around with 3's and V16's to see which yeilds the best sound etc.

O.J.

[Morry]

I love my ESP for alto on my SX90R, but I didn't really care for the tenor version. Different strokes for different folks, I guess. Just sounded a little harsh to me. Can't say enough good things about the alto version though.

[saxmanglen]

Morry,

I found on the ESP tenor piece I had to go to a much larger size before I found the sound I liked. I started with a 110 wich I thought was big at the time. I didn't feel I was getting a BIG enough sound. Jody sent me a 120 and it made all the difference in the world.

You may want to try one again much larger than you think you can handle because they blow so free and easy anyway. Also, use a reed initially that's 1/2 to a full strength softer than what you usually play.

[saxmanglen]

Morry,

One other thing. The 110 that I tried first played very much like the Yani #9 you have. Not bad but as I said before the sound wasn't quite as BIG and full as I wanted.

[Honeyboy]

MB,
I might do another sound clip but if I do I would want it to be a better quality recording. I'm thinking about getting a mini disc recorder and recording some gigs. I don't have the pieces I had back then to compare though. I'm down to two. My ESP-X and my HR link. I'm pretty happy with those right now. I never even noticed the ESP was any narrower. Maybe because I play alot of alto and clarinet? I haven't tried the Yamaha. Haven't really been into getting another tenor. I really like mine. I'd like to try a Z unlaquered alto though.

This struck me as kind of funny, From a Feb. 2003 thread on "Jody Jazz Mouthpieces for Tenor" response from Neffertiti "I'm down to two" and "I'm pretty happy with those right now."- yeah right!!!!:shock::) Who would have guessed what could happen in 6 years, eh Steve?
In 2003, I was perfectly happy with my Brilhart Levelaire. $1000.00 later I think I'm happy.....

[gary]

This struck me as kind of funny. From a Feb. 2003 thread on "Jody Jazz Mouthpieces for Tenor" response from Neffertiti. "I'm down to two" and "I'm pretty happy with those right now."- yeah right!!!!:shock::)

Nothing against Steve whatsoever, but since you brought it up - this just illustrates how un-fruitful it is to get into pi**ing contests over mouthpieces, like I was justing read on another thread.

[Honeyboy]

This struck me as kind of funny. From a Feb. 2003 thread on "Jody Jazz Mouthpieces for Tenor" response from Neffertiti. "I'm down to two" and "I'm pretty happy with those right now."- yeah right!!!!:shock::)

Nothing against Steve whatsoever, but since you brought it up - this just illustrates how un-fruitful it is to get into pi**ing contests over mouthpieces, like I was justing read on another thread.

I was just getting a kick out of the fact that he was happy with 2 mouthpieces at that time, knowing now how many he now owns, has sold off and is continually testing. He was so innocent and relatively G.A.S. free at one time!!!:) Weren't we all.

[Nefertiti]

:D:D Man, that brings back memories. I was far from gas free back then. At the time of that posting I seem to remember going through about 10-15 expensive pieces before that. I sold them all and kept the ESP and HR link(I still have the EB link. It goes in cycles. This was funny reading this.

[Honeyboy]

I'm glad you enjoyed this. By the way, the Ponzol SS 110 I got from you is still my #1 mouthpiece (at this time :))and as always, I love listening to the soundclips on your website, which I frequently revisit. I hope your G.A.S. never ends!!