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* Phil-Tone & Theo Wanne Tribute Reviews *

122K views 228 replies 65 participants last post by  Sigmund451 
#1 ·
The early thread I trouncing this mouthpiece and discussing its progress (as well as my medical issues) has become a very large thread. It seems at this point logical (and I hope it's ok) to make a thread where people using the piece can post reviews, impressions, sound clips etc..

The first review is by our esteemed Steve Neff. I will post a link to his site.

Thank you Steve, and thank you all for your support and encouragement.

http://www.neffmusic.com/blog/2013/06/phil-tone-theo-wanne-tribute-tenor-saxophone-mouthpiece/
 
#216 ·
Wow! Got mine today.
I’ve played an Otto Link NY 9 since 15years or something now.
Picked up the Tribute and went straight to rehearsal with one of the groups I play with.

I’ve been wanting to try this piece for over a year. And last weeks I’ve been like a child waiting for Christmas.
Often, huge expectations makes for dissepontmemt. Not in this case.

After the “warm up jam” I got huge compliments on my sound. And after the rehears session they where very pleased how my sound “glued” in the mix.
My Tribute has small numbers saying .110 on the side so I guess it’s a bit more open then the stock 7*?
I certainly didn’t feel that I needed to adjust to anything. Used the same V16 1-1/5 as I’ve used on my 9 NY Link.
Loved the sound, response, highs, lows, subtone, everything. Even the bore size was exact match for my cork.

Tomorrow I will try some different reeds and maybe try some harder strengths.
 
#223 ·
Picked up a Tribute from a fellow SOTW-er last week and have been going back and forth with my Barone SNY and a modern Link STM (probably a bit too much). I played that modern Link full time for years, but it's a been a while, so, while I could tell this thing was a quality item right away, it took me a couple of practice sessions to really get totally comfortable doing my thing on it.

Once I did, though, I was really impressed at how flexible it is. My modern STM is good (refaced by Eric Drake years ago), but I've always struggled with a bit of tubby-ness in the right hand around the in-the-staff D, Eb, E in particular and especially on my Selmer (and the Yamaha before it). The Tribute is just that little bit more focused all around and, with the slightly higher rollover than my modern STM, has the capacity for that little bit more bite in the sound that really gives fantastic definition all around.

It has a bit more of a sensation of resistance than the Barone (very free-blowing) and the modern Link (moderately free-blowing), but not in an unpleasant way at all. The sound feels very controllable at all dynamic levels and I have had no problem playing as softly as normal.

Compared to the Barone, which I just can't seem to get away from, it's much less edgy and slightly more focused. The Barone is more spread, but with a ton of edge/buzz in the sound (a good thing, IMO). Both have a nice capacity to pick up some of that "nasty" that I really like to get when I push hard, but I think the Tribute holds together cleaner for longer than the Barone, which pretty much starts doing that at mezzoforte. I love it for that, but sometimes that's not what the situation calls for! The modern Link can't hold a candle to either for outright volume or for this ability to push and pick up character, which is the main reason I've moved away from it in recent years.

As far as dark/bright goes, I think it's a fair bit darker than the Barone, though the more focused character of the Tribute definitely means that its tone is more middle of the road than outright dark, at least how I see things. I tend to play Links pretty bright, though, since I spent so long playing rock gigs on one.

Overall, this seems like a really versatile mouthpiece for someone who mostly plays jazz and needs to occasionally hang in a horn section, r&b or rock gig. Like a good Link should and like modern Links really struggle to do. If I were dividing my time more evenly among those things, then I think something with a bit more baffle like the Barone would probably be a better starting point, since pushing a Link hard can be a fair bit of work on a long gig.

If you like Links, you will like this. If you don't, it's probably not for you. I like Links a lot and I think this is a great option.

By the way, the Rico RSS1 inverted ligature (HR soprano size) fits and looks great!
 
#226 ·
Using this thread even though old as it contains lots of useful info. I just received my Tribute and have spent a few hours on it. I gave Phil the usual mishmash of sounds, tones, and examples I was looking for and a list of mouthpieces I liked or disliked. He tailored a Tribute in a few days and it arrived in a week.

First thoughts were that it sounded great and blows very easily. I recorded myself and experimented with it to see what I could make of it, and I managed to get all the tones I was looking for out of it and more, specifically a subtoney, woody Link sound all the way to a more edgy sound I get from a wide open Berg. And really solid across the range, no ups and downs that need adjustments to get a consistent tonal quality. (My modern link, in contrast, jumps in teh middle register and gets more middly/nasal there and you have to back off on the reed a little.)

I have tried other modern pieces in teh same price range that sound fine, but are less flexible I think - for me they have a more characteristic range of sound that is harder to escape from. I'm an intermediate player, by the way, so I guess I fall into a majority in some sense! But the pros here may differ in terms of being able to get almost any sound out of any mouthpiece, but I would say this piece feels at all times ready to work with me and doesn't fight me if I want to increase the spread, or focus the top end. And I find I can manipulate those tones without unduly changing the volume, too.

As others have said, a surprising range of ligatures fit - even the Rovner Star I use on my Berg - but I've settled on a standard Link ligature (convenience, and mine does seem to work fine).

Everyone knows by now I think the build quality of these things is absolutely first class, inside and out. Almost as nice to look at as to play. No - it's just as nice to look at. I stuck a clear BG patch on it and the otherwise bead-blasted finish feels good to me - stays put and has a nice heft to somewhere between my thinner Berg and fatter Link beak.

So I'd say if you're looking to end your search for the perfect Link, for example -- at least for the foreseeable future! -- you can save a lot of time and trouble by speaking with Phil. He was very helpful, to the point, and the whole process went very smoothly. Oh and he is using Theo Wanne's latest brass blanks so clean and safe, no worries about food-safety etc. for those of us unwilling to risk any more braincells.
 
#227 ·
Thanks R. I just saw this post. Im glad you are enjoying it. The entire plan of the Tribute was to avoid the reface hassles and gamble one takes on vintage pieces. The Tribute can be made to most sizes. Each one is adjusted with the horn in my lap trying the piece so there is no such thing as a dud.
Play it in good health!

Phil
 
#228 ·
in the end I took the tribute 7*. even though I've been playing for a short time I've had no problems with the very simple emission. I used 2 and a half green vandoren reeds. with the rico the sound became darker. every time I am amazed at how reeds can change the sound. I found it very centered in terms of sound and with many harmonics. the low notes came to me round and dark. at the top I felt they were less bright than the mouthpieces I have, but that's fine with me so I don't like sounds that are too clear. in short, as a first impression I really liked it and I noticed that with its lig it resonated better than the lig berg larsen. unfortunately I can't tell if it sounds like an eight link having never tried one. Happy weekend to everyone
 
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