Tenor sax heaven!!

[BigDaddyJ]

Hello all,

it's been a few months now with the Mauriat. I get more stoked about this horn every time I play it, and I loved it when I first play tested it!

I have the 66R tenor (rolled tone hole model). Initially, I'd been playing it with either a Zagar Cool School or a Ponzol Super 110. With the Rico Jazz Select Unfiled 3M reeds I was pretty damn happy. There's a local jam session that I have been sitting in fairly regularly. It's in a fairly large venue with pretty live acoustics. Depending on who's playing, this jam session can range from medium volume to pretty damn loud. Right off the bat, the Zagar didn't cut it; great sound but buried in the mix. I don't like to use mic's, so a big sound is always in order. The Ponzol Super has been what I've been using for most of my live playing. It's done pretty well. Last week though, the band got fairly loud, and I really had to BLOW!!! I just didn't like the sound I got at that volume. I seemed to lose all definition and any semblance of focus. A fellow sax player had brought a Ponzol M2 for me to try out in case I was interested in buying it from him. This is a great piece; much better than I remember from years ago. But still.....with a very fast air stream, the M2 got way too shrill. I did notice that I was able to cut through the band though. So my hunt for a slightly brighter mpc started. I've been on the hunt for a used RPC or a Lamberson SB for a while any way. Before I plop down a couple hundred dollars on a new mpc, I figured I'd go through my shoe box of mpc's.

I had gotten through most the mpc's before I got to an old Berg Larsen I had picked up years ago at the bottom of the box. The Berg is a HR fat body 110/2. I've been trying this piece on every tenor I've ever had, but it just didn't mesh with any of my old saxes. It always sounded rather shrill. I'd been told it was worth quite a bit of money, so I never sold it off. I put it on the Mauriat to give it blow....!!!!!! Man what a sound! But it still sounded a little shrill, but this is in my house with fairly low ceilings. So tonight I tried it out in a live venue.

This Berg is the BOMB!! What came off as shill in my living room sounded like that bit of definition I'd been missing with the Pozol in the loud situations. The Berg's sound is big, fat, round, juicy, dark, slightly edgy..........basically everything I've ever looked for in a mpc. Man, I am SO glad I never broke down and sold this piece. I use a Rovner Eddie Daniels ligature with the RSJ reeds.

All in all, this is the happiest I've ever been with my sound on tenor. If you are in the market for a new tenor, you have to at least give a P. Mauriat a try before you buy another tenor, regardless of price.

later

Joel

[Keith Ridenhour]

I'm diggin mine too, Joal. I was using a Rovner deep V piece on it but didn't like the "tinnyness" and lack of alt so I've been experimenting with links with homemade baffles. I had a 10 year old link with some facing problems that was okay but hard to get through a gig with and I just put a small baffle into a new New York Link and it is exactly what I want. Fat, can be pushed but takes the "tinny" edge off. At times I think I'm playing a Mark 6. ????? Anyway, I've played lots of horns and its nice to rest for awhile. Trouble is my old gig horn , A the martin from 1948 is gathering dust in the corner and I'm tempted to sell for the 1000 plus I think it's worth. We'll see. Glad I bought this P and wish I'd tryed the rolled tone holes but I really like what I'm getting. Numorous sound clips of the P and all my mouthpiece trials on my webpage along with some recent gig clips. Glad you "talked" me into trying this horn , Daddy. K

[BigDaddyJ]

Yo K,

with that deep dark sound of yours (ala sound clips), I think you would sound great on any horn. I've tried a load of MK VI's, and I wouldn't pick any one of those horns over my Mauriat. None of them (even the 5 digit horns) had the deep, dark sound I love so much. I used to think of modern saxes in terms of which of the Big 4 (or which COMBINATION of the Big 4) does it sound like. The P. Mauriat stands by itself in terms of sound.

I'm kind of in the same boat with my The Martin Tenor AND my Dick Stabile tenor. They are both such awesome horns, but they have't been out of their cases in a while. I could probably sell both and use the money to pay for most of a Mauriat 67R alto. With the tone I'm getting with my current set up and the Selmer-esque ergonomics, it's hard to put the Mauriat down.

My folks live in Northern California. Next time I come visit them (some time after summer), I'll shoot you an email.

later

Joel

[Keith Ridenhour]

Come on by and give me a lesson???? We (the wife and I and Mr Ace, the dog) love company and stay as long as you like. We live in Sonoma 20 minutes from Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Napa, Marin county. Nice litte place and I left that St Louis humidity behind some 25 years ago. K

[BigDaddyJ]

So I've been playing my P. Mauriat 66R tenor for over a year now, and I felt like talking about my impressions of the horn. I actually haven't been hanging out on the forum in while: a combination of working too many hours and not really diggin' the negativity flowing through the Forum......Anyway, here we go!


After the initial custom set-up from Tim from Sax Alley over a year ago, I haven't had my horn touched. The horn is still a breeze to play on, and I can't detect any sort of leak. My horns sub-tones with ease. My old late model Selmer Mark VI seemed to need adjustment every few months. Maybe it was my tech at the House of Woodwinds in CA. What can I say.....Tim IS the best sax tech I've had the pleasure of working with!! I'm glad he's back and healthy. I'll be heading out to Sax Alley in 2 weeks after he's received more of the Super Jazz VI necks in (sorry Tully, it'll be a little while before I give you my impression of the V Links).

My Current Set-Up:
-Fred Rast HR J with a .118 tip
-Bois ligature (still $18 form WWBW)
-Vandoren #3 ZZ reeds

For you Link or Lamberson fans, do yourself a favor and TRY a Rast (http://www.rastmusic.com/sax.html) mouthpiece. These mouthpieces are the best kept secret in HR tenor mouthpieces. I picked mine up from Sax Alley for $160!!!! and it beats the pants off of ANY one of the hundreds I've tried. If you dig the FL lig, you should really try the Bois. Much more simple, with a very similar sound. Did I mention the $18 price tag? Ok, more about the 66R.

I'll be blunt. My 66R is still the best tenor I've ever tried. That said, I don't think the sound is for every one. I really dig the sound of old Martins and Conns, and the 66R really floats my boat. As I've mentioned before, ergonomics is a non-issue, as well as intonation. I haven't tried the System 76 yet, but I really don't feel a need to. Especially, if it really is going for the Mark VI sound. If Tim has any available in 2 weeks, I'll give it a blow. I've been using my 66R in live situations without mic, and it sounds great!! Still a HUGE, fat sound that can be heard above the bands I've been playing with. I've read (as well as mentioning it myself) the Mauriats being associated with "dark" sounding. I would say that "full" sounding is a better description. The upper partials are very present, but the midrange and lower end are so much fmore full than any other modern tenor I've ever tried. Of the Big 4, a standard lacquer Selmer Ref 54 is the most pleasant tenor I've tried next to my 66R, but I still wouldn't trade. I tried a great Yamaha UL-82Z, but again the upper partials were TOO present. For my 66R, the build quality was the only thing I was worried about. So far, the horn is a tank. I do have a light touch, but still no leaks after a year. I've banged my horn on my stand many times so far, and I have yet to find even a ding on my horn. My old Yamaha YAS-62 was far easier to ding. Tim did give my horn the "Pro" set-up, and I don't have any sticky pads. I bought my 66R brand new for $1900 (+tax), but I still do think it's worth it to pay a little extra for Tim's set-up. I guess if you can pick up a 66R for $1800 (I've seen this posted somewhere), you should have Tim set it up. I feel that strongly about his skills.

If you're reading this, sorry for my rambling style of writing, but I hope you got something from this. Hopefully more retailers will start carrying the P. Mauriat brand, AND hopefully the prices don't sky rocket to obscene levels.

later

Joel

[semipro]

Sax Quest just started carring them. I played the 67R at Midwest this past Dec. Awesome horn. Had I not already bought my Ref.54 Alto I would have definately bought a P. not because it sounded better than my 54, it just doesn't for me, but it was so effin close for half the money at the time. I could have almost bought the alto and tenor there for what I paid for my Ref. I wish they could get in at WWBW.

[GAS_Wyo]

I'm still in love with mine also! In fact, I'm in love with both the 66R and the 67R. I couldn't resist!

[bradshawm]

Joel, thanks for the report, especially on Tims work. I picked up a PMST 60NS (nickel silver) used a few months back. I love the sound, but the action was so tight that pushing the left palm keys would cause the sax to move to the right almost before the key would open. I was also having problems with crossing the bridge on big jumps and a couple other small items to include a very tight neck. I was not wanting to spend the money but have not had much luck with local techs in the past with other horns, so I ended up sending it off to Tim a couple weeks ago for his new horn set up. When it comes back this week, he should be sending me a couple of the new necks to try out also. Your report makes me feel better about spending the extra money.

[OOlufoks]

I finally got my PM 66R after a while (~ 6 months) from sax alley. This was during the time Tim took a medical leave of absence, and that's why it took a while to get to me.
I was actually suprised by the setup, it was poor compared to the work Tim did on my Conn soprano, which pretty much resurrected the soprano after I almost condemned it to ebay. I had also received a yani S992 from Tim in the past, and that was also setup perfectly. There were some obvious misses with the PM setup, which makes me suspect Tim didn't do the actual setup. I mentioned the issues to him, and they have been resolved.
Back to the PM 66R; it seems to want to the take the place of me T991 for my primary horn. It sounds bigger and a little bit clearer to my ears, even though the recordings don't indicate that much of a different between the two. It also seem to work better than the yani with my big chambered mouthpieces. It doesn't feel quite or sound as smooth as the Yani, the LH pinky keys placement is also different, but these are some of the reasons why I like it. I now have two great horns, and I think I am now over my tenor sax GAS attacks. I'll recommend this horn to anyone.

[davidanthony411]

have had my 66r for about 6 months now, constanlty palying, hard playing..r&b/funk...no way I can ever overplay this horn...no problems of any kind..also have had the jazz VI neck..oh my..what a sound...havent really cleaned it and it still looks great...let see, what else...oh yeah, it feels like I have had this horn for years, and now that it is broken in it feels so vintage, in looks/sound/feel...i know alot of cats have alot of horns...my question is: why? if you have 66r...

-David

[Mark R]

i know alot of cats have alot of horns...my question is: why? if you have 66r...


Because sometimes David I don't want the saxophonic equivalent of lobster at every musical meal. I sometimes like a little variety and want some ribs instead or to get ethnic I like to switch between the rich French cuisine and some down home cookin'...or Asian...variety is the spice of life ya' know:twisted:

[davidanthony411]

as for myself i like to stay with one horn (and mcp for that matter) and make it work in all situations...establish a "personal sound"..which i say i do have..i was out with my wife the other weekend, and there was a band playing upstairs, me, as always, have my horn in the trunk of my car, was able to get on the band stand...even without looking, my wife and 4 other friends knew where i had disappeared to..from the sound of my horn..in short...it lobster ALL the time for me baby...
D

[Mark R]

I can appreciate where you are coming from David . I played the same horn and mouthpiece for 23 years.

After all these years it has kinda become a hobby of mine to check out other gear. At 47 yrs old I am not after some type of holy grail, I am happy with my gear but enjoy checking other stuff out and I like playing different set-ups from time to time. Also one reason I picked up the Black Nickel Guardala is because especially during the summer time I play lots of outdoor gigs and live close to salt water so I prefer to take the Guardala out since the Black Nickel finish is bulletproof and it allows me to keep the P. Mauriat confined to the great indoors and protected from more possible elements of inclimate weather conditions.

I am very blessed and fortunate that after many years I am able to afford owning more that one saxophone. Bottom line though is if I was faced with having to own just one at this stage it would certainly remain the P. Mauriat PMXT-66R Lobster!;)