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SR Tech Pro Vs Robusto

11K views 48 replies 14 participants last post by  hakukani 
#1 ·
Can anyone provide some form of objective comparison between the excellent SR Pro & the much vaunted & advertised Robusto?......strengths & weaknesses.
 
#2 ·
well....yes and no...........cannot vouch for the SR TECH (never tried it), but I can speak to the much vaunted and advertised ROBUSTO by friend to SOTW..... 10mfan. It lives up to all the hype! In the past few years of played pieces ranging from THEO WANNE AMMA and GAIA, JODY JAZZ ESP and GIANT, LAMBERSON J, RUNYON SMOOTHBORE, and several different models from LEBAYLE. I won't knock any of those pieces, and from time to time I was very content. They all have their strengths and weaknesses as you put it. The ROBUSTO METAL version has yet to give me reason to put checkmarks on the "weakness" side of the ledger. It is big, lots of core, bright but not too, can be backed off and subbed easily, great altissimo, and reed friendly (once you lock in the right reed/strength). Plus it just feels great when playing......just the right mix of resistance (i like) and free blow feel. Having said all that, I'm one of those players who believe I sounded like me on all the above pieces......the piece doesn't make the player/sound. What the piece does, is make the player feel comfortable and hear in his/her head the sound he/she wants to produce. When those two factors are conquered, then the player is freed, so as to focus on playing the horn beyond the neck cork. Sort of like that over-used sports term, "being in the zone." The piece should get you in the zone, and then your skills, practice regimen, and creativity can take over. I know, more (and less) than you were looking for in an answer to your question, but at the same time it shows that I've put alot of thought (and experimenting) into this, and why the ROBUSTO has emerged as my choice.
 
#3 ·
Thanks for your reply, but it is difficult in words to differentiate between the objective and the subjective.
What you say about the Robusto I could equally say about the SR Pro.
I am sure that Mark is a splendid chap, & he is certainly a good business man, but I have inherently doubts when hearing accolades from his friends. Surely not everyone likes the Robusto, good as it may be....so I would naturally attach more importance to a report from someone who dislikes the mouthpiece for any reason.
The SR Pro is, in my opinion, a first class piece & I find it hard to see how the Robusto is streets ahead.
I am reluctant to be drawn by advertising hype.....but equally I do not wish to eschew something I may prefer.
 
#4 ·
You sound perfectly happy with the SR Pro.....why not just stick with that and play the heck out of it.

FWIW I've tried both and found the Robusto to be much more comfortable. The SR Pro felt really "stiff", while the 10mfan pieces play with a lot more flexibility. But if you're comfortable with the SR, you'd probably end up sounding essentially the same on either one.
 
#5 ·
The fact that you have played both is important to me & I value your opinion.
Perhaps, not having played one, I could "play the heck" out of the Robusto to a greater extent.
Perhaps my curiosity will force me to find out. :)
But to try one would be an advantage.
 
#6 ·
I know that if I were to walk into a store and try both I undoubtedly would walk out with the Robusto. The sound is great, but plenty of other mouthpieces will let you produce essentially the same sound. The ease with which you can do what you're trying to do is what makes the Robusto special. From super altissimo to low Bb everything seems to just come out with very little work or adjustment. With enough time a person could get to the exact same point on other mouthpieces, but I haven't played another piece where all the elements of your playing are "there" as quickly as with the Robusto.

What's your setup at the moment?
 
#7 ·
I concur with dctwells above. And, I'm not really a "friend" of Mark (10mfan), but I will say he's a good and knowledgeable chap from the few phone calls I've shared with him. To be quite honest, I put my faith in what I heard after hours of listening to clips from several players online playing all of Mark's pieces (3 styles, in HR and METAL). Players who I respect, sharing their thoughts and sound, and who I had no reason to believe were doing it to stump for Mark. We've all bought pieces based on some form of hype or curiosity only to be disappointed upon trying them..........that's just part of never being satisfied...not a bad thing.
 
#8 ·
I have played the Robusto metal and I am also currently selling a SR-tech pro on this forum btw.
For me, the Robusto has more flexibility and is more free blowing. The SR has a more robust sound.
 
#9 ·
Thanks for that.
In descriptive terms one would imagine that the Robusto would have the more robust sound.
Mark has generously allowed his UK agent to send me both a Robusto and a Boss for evaluation....shews confidence in his products.
I genuinely hope that I will like them.
 
#10 ·
It's always worth trying whatever is out there to see if there's something that you enjoy better for whatever reason, than what you currently use.
You may hate them, or you may love them---Either way, it's always good to check out what you can to see if something moves you more than your current mouthpiece does.
Let me know how that goes for you.
All the best, Mark
 
#11 ·
Cap'n, is Mark sending you metal or HR? Keep in mind the metal version of the Robusto is different from the HR version. And no, I'm not saying it has anything to do with the material (let's not go there!); it might, but also the design is somewhat different, I believe.
 
#13 ·
I have decided that the last thing I need is another mouthpiece....I can do everything I require on many that I have.
I was simply curious to know why, in their advertisement, SR describe their pieces in one paragraph, whereas the very pleasant & knowledgeable Mark requires about 14 foolscap sheets. Mark however is a super salesman.
Had the Robusto incorporated a triple swirl, double underhand laminar pulse correcter then I would understand that a real difference from the norm had been established.
However, it seems to be just yet another carefully made & accurate top end mouthpiece.
I have received many PMs on the subject....some advocating the Robusto & many others suggesting that the SR Pro is best for my style of playing.
In his blurb, Mark compares it with various Carlos Fandango Links.....that is, for me, a negative; having never liked any form of Link.

A couple of passing thoughts:-
In naming his piece the Robusto....usually a coarse & inferior coffee bean, is he leaving space for the improved Arabica?..a superior bean?......&
Many of my PMs also wonder why Mark is given the facility of using this forum as a market stall.

In summary, thanks for all your contributions....it all boils down to personal preference.
 
#15 ·
I love the sound of Links JL....but in the hands of players like Arnett Cobb, Ben Webster & Lockjaw Davis.
In my hands (mouth) they are thin at the top & not much woofier at the lower end than the sound I get from a Metalite.
I have several, including an 8* STM tweaked & perfected by Morgan Fry, but they just do not work for me.
There is some mystique about them whereby many, (including some prominent members of this forum), assume that a mantle from the Masters is placed around their shoulders when they play a Link.
In fact they sound like me playing one & really should try something else.
A decent player, on his favoured mouthpiece, should be able to squeeze pretty well any sound he likes on it....but that mouthpiece will default to the sound he wants....surely that's the reason it's our favourite.
If there were a mouthpiece on which everyone sounded good then surely we would all be playing it.
 
#27 ·
LOL, well what's in a name anyway?

In my hands (mouth) they are thin at the top & not much woofier at the lower end than the sound I get from a Metalite.
I have several, including an 8* STM tweaked & perfected by Morgan Fry, but they just do not work for me.
The Links I've tried (admittedly not many) didn't work for me either. I liked the sound I got out of a NY Link I had, but it took a lot of work to play and was extremely reed-picky (probably a poor facing). I also couldn't get enough volume out of it for my purposes.

Not so for the Robusto. It plays well, feels great, and especially on the metal version I can get the sound concept I hear in my head--a fat, warm "Link-like" tone, but with plenty of cut and volume when I push it. My point is, don't expect it to play as poorly as the Links you've tried. It's not a Link, but I think you can get that fat tone quality, which is kind of illusive on most high baffle pieces I've played. But of course, like any mpc, it's not automatic and it may or may not be for you.
 
#16 ·
Robusto refers to cigars, not coffee beans.

In opera there is a 'tenore robusto', which is the tenor version of the dramatic soprano. It's a tenor that has a baritonal timbre. like Franco Corelli and Placido Domingo.
 
#23 ·
LMFAO!

When I made my hard rubber Robusto, I made it to have a very robust sound with a super rich core.....mission accomplished.
I do like an occasional cigar on the golf course, and so the Robusto name worked well for two things I enjoy.

I guess I could've also called it SEX or GOLF, as those are also two things I enjoy, but the Robusto name works great. LOL



The bottom line is if you want to check out my mouthpieces you can. You wanted opinions from people that have tried both and you got some. If you're happy with what you have then enjoy it and have fun.
 
#30 ·
I've only tried a few links myself one Alto & 2 Tenor, both Tenor were refaced, a Sakshama that was OK but not as good as my Phil-Tone , and now this latest Ed Zintera that matches the Phil-Tone and some more. From the feedback from this thread, it seems the Robusto is the answer to a link professionally refaced and also with something extra. But what I find from the clips I have heard of the Robusto is a good Tenor sound but very similar sound from player to player. Unlike the many Tenor link players that all seem to have there own individual sound.
 
#32 ·
I couldn't disagree with you more. The clips of people playing the 10mfan pieces run the gamut from Joel Frahm's rich straight-ahead tone to Rich Maraday's ultra-modern tone.
When playing tenor, I always found myself coming back to links for the sound I wanted. With Mark's pieces I get the sound I want with much less effort!

Back to SR tech--I wouldn't play on the obviously finely-crafted SR technology pieces. I play best on a .120 tip, and they only make .108 tips, plus their facings seem like they would be too long for me. That was my problem with RPC tenor pieces.
 
#48 ·
So this is really about Mark personally and his marketing and has nothing to do with comparing mouthpieces.
That's just part of it....apart from my misgivings about a salesman designing a better mouthpiece (according to some) than any of the specialists.
His boastful hype, at the expense of universally renowned pieces I find distasteful in the extreme....little short of a coster-monger....a barrow boy.
My sole reason for not trying a Boss is the fact that I might like it.....like you, I can well afford one.
He seems to be treated here in a manner accorded to no other, with the facility even of using this forum as the pitch for his wares...to the point where no-one dares mention the fact.
 
#49 ·
That's just part of it....apart from my misgivings about a salesman designing a better mouthpiece (according to some) than any of the specialists.
His boastful hype, at the expense of universally renowned pieces I find distasteful in the extreme....little short of a coster-monger....a barrow boy.
My sole reason for not trying a Boss is the fact that I might like it.....like you, I can well afford one.
He seems to be treated here in a manner accorded to no other, with the facility even of using this forum as the pitch for his wares...to the point where no-one dares mention the fact.
That's just not true. He has his own website. Mark has been dealing and collecting vintage mouthpieces for many years and so has played most everything out there, is an accomplished player, and has worked hard tinkering with his pieces to get them how he wanted them. Just because he can market well should be irrelevant to the quality of his pieces. He has never cheated anyone.

It is against forum rules to attack a member personally. I find this thread to be a veiled attempt at such a personal attack. Now, you have as much as admitted it.
I'm closing this thread.
 
#38 ·
If you play a Metalite, the only way you can go is up.
I'm not surprised that Links don't work for you, but you have to play on on them for awhile and try different reeds.
I tried one of Mark's mouthpieces, the Merlot. It played like the good hard rubber mouthpiece that takes you a lot of trial and error to find. My only problem is that I already have a couple of those.
You should try one of his higher baffled hard rubber pieces, it may surprise you.
His postings about his product being available don't bother me. I don't read every thread anyway.
 
#41 ·
Clearly you lack the skills or the practice to get the best out of the excellent Metalite.
"You too have missed my point.
I have said many times that the Robusto is, without doubt, a very good mouthpiece."

So you've played one then?
How can I make you understand the point of this thread?
People like you turn everything into a sniping competition.
I do not have to play a Robusto to know, from clips & comments, that it is indeed very good....or shall I say it loudly and s-l-o-w-l-y, yet again, so that even you can understand.
 
#42 ·
Doubt if these two pieces can be fairly compared. Really, is there anyone here who used one as their main piece and switched to the other??? I was very disappointed in the SR Pro when I tried one; their hr Legend is an excellent tenor piece, but big tippers are going to have to shop elsewhere. Haven't tried a Robusto, but a few players here whose opinions I respect have switched to one, although many of the clips people post sound overly buzzy to me. I've been gravitating toward a tenor tone that has more of a round, woody, almost clarinet-like core that can overdrive when pushed. No one is marketing something like that...
 
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