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* PHIL-TONE and Theo Wanne MOSAIC Reviews *

117K views 254 replies 74 participants last post by  Vanadiel 
#1 · (Edited)
I am pleased to announce the arrival of the second cooperatively made piece by Phil-Tone and Theo Wanne Inc. Plans for the Mosaic began midway through the design of the Tribute. As many of you know, the Tribute is a precise replica of the Florida Link. It is focused, refined, and in every way embodies what most players envision when they imagine a great Link.

The support we have received for the Tribute has been outstanding. It is truly a phenomenal piece. However, most of us want more than one flavor of ice cream. Everyone doesn’t want to play a Link. Sometimes a player wants a piece that is a little less civilized, maybe sometimes even a bit rude. The Mosaic is that piece. It has color, texture and resonance to extend your sound concept into different realms. Offering a tonal palate that is thick, chunky and rich the Mosaic can get “Up in your face” when you want it to and simply sings.

The sound is inspired by the Dukoff “Stubby” but takes the concept a step beyond. The piece accomplishes what few pieces can. It is easy to blow, has an enormous sound and resonance. Never thin, the Mosaic has more color than any mouthpiece I have ever played hands down! The piece accomplishes this without the use of high baffles. This allows the player to shape his or her sound. From warm ballads to driving bop the Mosaic delivers.

The Mosaic is machined to the highest standards available. Each piece is then handcrafted to completion. Each and every piece is play tested prior to final finishing. The Mosaic will be offered as a 7* (.105) with custom tips available. The piece will ship with Theo’s Enlightened Ligature and two pressure plates. The retail cost for the Mosaic is $495.

As titled, this thread is for reviews....our very own Steve Neff will be posting very shortly.

Thanks
Phil
 
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#84 ·
Nice! I really like mine....these are great jazz mouthpieces. I thought about special ordering a smaller tip as well, but the 7* is turning out ti be a great opening for me. It has a body to the sound that I've only been able to get close to on much more open pieces in the past.
 
#86 ·
What can I add that has not already been said about this piece? Mostly my findings are the same as what others have already reported, but this piece is so satisfying for me, and I am so happy with it, that I feel obliged to add my observations, similar or not.

I have had my Mosaic for two days now. Some mouthpieces you have to live with awhile to make a determination whether or not it will work for you, but not this one. The efficiency of this piece is evident immediately.

The first thing I noticed was the response of the piece; it’s right there with you, and very quickly. Do you need Link chops to play it? I don’t know, since Links are almost all I have used in my 30 + years of playing, but I did not find this piece overly resistant at all. On the other hand it was not so free blowing to adversely affect intonation.
Playing scales, the piece can be extremely fast if you want to push it, and one does not have to alter one’s embouchure when moving into the palm key range; the scale is very even, and the palm key notes do not thin out.

But what’s it sound like? I really can’t say, because it seems to go in whatever direction you want; it’s pretty much up to the player where he wants to take it. For example, I was able to get a nice Coltrane type sound from it (think the Ballads album, or early Blue Note), but I was also able to get a Dexter thing going with it. So it seems there is a lot to discover with this piece. It’s very versatile. One person posted hearing a Grossman vibe to it, and I can hear that too, but it’s kind of up to where the player wants to go with it; it is capable of a quite lovely, singing tone in the high register that begs to be exploited.
It’s been said before, by almost everyone who has reported on this piece, but nevertheless cannot be emphasized enough how rich the sub-tone is on this piece, and how easy it is to access it.

Some have worried about the volume/projection of the piece. I suppose there may be louder pieces out there, but so what? This piece gets plenty loud enough, and has great complexity and just so much fun to play. I found I could increase the volume by altering my airstream, and especially by taking in more mouthpiece.

Now for the bad news: I thought this piece would end my mouthpiece gas. I have a Tonemaster I love, a great STM, and now this. But I played this it back to back with my STM, (and it’s one of the best STM’s I have owned, an older one with a serial number) and my problem now is if the Tribute is like a great STM like mine, but with more open palm keys notes and the same lush subtone and playability with added sizzle, I’m in trouble, Jonesing for a Tribute. Please somebody stop me. I’m seriously thinking about selling my STM and getting a Tribute. Anyway, just had to thank Phil and Theo for this.
 
#89 ·
I think they they are in the same ball park in that they both give a wonderful classic tenor type tone and are both responsive to the way the player plays them in the sound that can be produced but I do think that they are distinct sound wise from each other. For me the defining characteristic of the Mosaic is the full, rich broad tone that it gives with lovely and easy subtones. With the Tribute the tone is still really full but there is a grainy texture to the sound that I really like and I don't get to the same extent with the Mosaic. I think of that as more of a Link thing.
The Tribute is similar to the Mosaic in the great response over the whole horn and the fullness you can get in the upper register.
There was a nice sound clip on the Tribute thread by Roger Nording that nicely demonstrated what the Tribute can do (although maybe Roger deserves some of the credit for his sound too!!!).
I hope that helps a bit. I'm not very good at describing tone in words but I know that I love both pieces. I pretty exclusively play Links or Link like pieces as I think you do.
Best Wishes
Tony
 
#93 ·
I was mostly kidding about getting another Mosaic, but you never know. If I were to do so, I'd go for a larger tip. Mine is a 7*, which measures, I believe 105. It's very reed friendly, everything seems to work with it, even old reeds I'd played on another piece.
 
#94 ·
Just an FYI. Steve should have the Mosaic again. His review and clip was from the prototype which is very close to what people are buying but not exactly the same. His was darker, had a little longer facing and was rounder. Wanting a little more umph I made some minor changes so he is playing the market version soon and updating/altering his review if he sees fit. Im really enjoying the sound clips you guys have posted.

My take on the difference of the Mosaic and Tribute is that the Tribute is more focused, more refined and tuned a little more to upper frequencies. Its really hard to say which is brighter because they have a different color palate. I personally think of the Moasic as a marriage between a Dukoff Stubby and Hollywood. As David illustrated, it can go really Dexter like with the right reed. It can also sub and be really sultry. However, it tends to always have a really colored textured edge.

...The Tribute has a smoother buzz. It has an unusual amount of focus for a large chambered piece. It presents more refined but still has a nice little growl because of how the baffle is shapped.

They have a lot in common because they are both medium to lower baffled pieces with rounded sidewalls and chambers. The Mosaic may have the largest chamber of any jazz piece on the market right now but I cant stand by that with real measures. The sidewalls are really deep and there are areas in the bore that are pretty expansive too.

...enough noise from Phil. Lets hear more clips :)
 
#95 ·
Phil made me a 6* Mosaic and I've been spending some time with it. About a month now I believe. I truly am liking it more and more every day. I'm actually going to take it out on the gig tonight for the first time as I finally feel comfy enough with it to play a show!

I will post a clip soon (still trying to work out some personal kinks on a freshly overhauled horn and getting comfy with this piece!) and let that do the talking as to what it can do:)





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2
 
#96 ·
I just updated the Mosaic review I did with a new sound clip and changed the review a bit to fit the new tweaks that Phil made to the Mosaic mouthpiece. The new clip is the first made in my new house and office. It's a very different sound as the room is bigger, has more wood and less carpet, has no acoustic tile ceilings, etc............. You can hear a bit of the natural reverb in the room.

I'm not sure what tweaks Phil made but in my first review I had said that I felt like the piece lacked some volume and power. I just felt like I couldn't fill up the horn 100%...... This new piece is great and I no longer feel that way. This is a great representation of how a piece can have some nice brightness but at the same time be really fat sounding! Great job Phil. http://www.neffmusic.com/blog/2014/01/phil-tone-theo-wanne-mosaic-tenor-saxophone-mouthpiece/
 
#97 ·
I just replaced the clip again. I've been playing the Mosaic all day and I feel like I'm getting more used to it as I play it. (I also had a cup up coffee so am a bit more energetic in this clip........) I feel like it takes a bit of time to get adjusted to the larger chamber............. but once you do it's pretty awesome.........
 
#104 ·
Did another quick recording on my Mosaic 9, now with a Rico Plasticover 2 reed (instead of my normal La Voz medium). Here is the clip:

- 'Birk's Works' (Mosaic 9 - Plasticover 2): http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=12780785

Also recorded the same tune on a Florida no USA 10*, see >this< post in another thread if you want to hear that one.
 
#106 ·
Thanks JNB :). The Plasticover 2 reed gives much more buzz to the sound, but it was also a softer reed compared to the La Voz medium reed. That LVm reed used in the previous clip was a very old one, formed to another mouthpiece, so actually not a good one to test a new mpc. Will have to test the Mosaic with a new La Voz medium, but playing time is very limited here :|. Bottom line sofar is that I like the sound of the Mosaic a lot, but am still looking for the right reed to get the full potential out of it. My old Florida no USA Link's (9 and 10*) are hard to beat for sound, volume and playability, but the Mosaic also has it's own great thing going on.
 
#107 ·
I'm going to pile onto the rave reviews and add my own. My previous main piece was very dark and warm sounding, and while I loved the sound I got from it I just couldn't project and fill up a space when playing live gigs. I ordered a Mosaic in search of a piece with more presence while still appealing to my taste for that thick, dark tenor sound.

Now, from past experiences I have come to expect that with mouthpieces there are typically compromises and trade-offs. I expect to have to give up some warmth in the sound for the sake of additional edge or projection, ease of altissimo for complexity of tone, etc. The Mosaic actually proved this wrong for me. Not only did it add loads of sizzle and charisma to my sound (excuse my non-technical speak), but it could actually outperform my old piece in intimate settings as well! The Mosaic plays softer, louder, higher, and lower with additional ease, all the while with a richer core and thickness to the sound. I did not know that it was possible to see improvement on all fronts from what I believed to already be a stellar piece (and still do: my previous piece still outplays everything else I've tried, Mosaic aside), and the Mosaic surpassed all my already-high expectations; the bar has been raised. This mouthpiece can effortlessly fill up a concert hall and captivate it with the gentlest of subtones. Beautiful work well done - hats off to Phil and Theo!
 
#108 ·
Nice review, esoro. Thank you - I think. Reviews like this make it difficult for me to keep my credit card from popping out.

What tip opening did you select?

I am curious to learn your previous favorite 'piece, but understand should you prefer not to say. It sounds like you have been waiting for the Mosaic.
 
#111 ·
Here is Review from a recent customer:


Phil,

I just wanted to take the time to write you about my experience with the Mosaic.

At first it took me some days to get used to the mouthpiece, it was closer than my main link florida 8* (refaced), but the lower baffle and bigger chamber proved to be more demanding.

After some days i noticed i wasn't even thinking about going back to my main piece (now the secondary one). With the Mosaic, i really can feel i'm in control of so many things i didn't notice before. I can get a very bright or a very dark sound out of it. Today, i used a Rigotti 2.5 and i could get a very nice dark sound with edge that it inspired me to write this review.

I feel that when playing this mouthpiece there are so many frequencies sounding at the same time that you truly modulate your sound when playing. If you play a mouthpiece with more of a predefined sound than the Mosaic, that can be at first confusing. After some days (and it took me just about a week), when you start to get used to this mouthpiece, it's hard to go back to a piece that ofers you a more locked-in sound. I really like how i can play very softly for some bossa novas i was playing (triying to remotely emulate a bit of the Getz vibe), and i like how i can get a very bright sound wich doesnt ever get thin. I have the whole dinamic range under my control too, even for the bell notes where i can play softly and subtone (wich is raher difficult for me on other pieces). I agree with the descriptions i have read that describe this mouthpiece as broad or fat sounding and i think i am repeating what others have told you already. But i don't think i have read a description wich highlights the control you have over the tonal palette within that broadness. The only downside of control is that it takes some time to learn how to use it, altough it is so satisfiying to learn this.

This is a great mouthpiece Phil. I cannot wait to get the tribute and compare. I will let some friends playtest my mosaic this weekend so that they can tell what they think about it too.

About other reeds: I tried some ZZs, and dindn't like them on the piece. Also,i tried some Javas with better results than the ZZs, but again, those were not for my taste. Had a box of Rico reeds (the cheap ones), they sounded nice, but not better. I think i'll stick to Rigottis for a while.

Greetings, Roberto.
 
#113 ·
Well, here is my Mosaic review. Simply put, this is an excellent mouthpiece that covers a lot of territory. I play in two professional big bands, a jazz quintet, I play a duo format in small venues and I do a lot of pit work. I need a mouthpiece that can play dark to bright and very soft to very loud while still maintaining a quality core sound. This piece does it all. I almost bought this piece, and I still might order one at some point. This piece has the perfect level of resistance. The Mosaic went toe to toe with my Early Babbitt Tone Edge 8 and my Early Babbitt STM 7* and this mouthpiece is second to none when compared to other modern pieces available. I would highly recommend this as a serious mouthpiece for anyone interested in something that has a great tone color palette and an absolutely superb response.
 
#115 ·
I just shot The Mosaic down To Paul Perez for him to give it a Whirl. He is not a big poster here but he haunts the place on occasion. He sent me up a little note with permission to post so here ya go:


The Mosaic: Ailght, first of all thanks for givin' me the opportunity to give it a toot. You know my Link story and again I gotta say the Mosaic is as good as it gets in this design. Pieces don't play better than this but I know sax players can get greedy thinkin' "if this Florida plays this good, I'll bet a Double Ring will be even better!"
That's when the Link merry go round starts and the hunt is on for "the missing Link" made in New York or is it Pompano Beach at 10:30 am on Sept 6, 1963. You've really given all them Link players permission to stop the madness and buy everything they've been lookin' for in a Link style piece with your pieces. The piece, both pieces, the Tribute and Mosaic (which has a splash more grit in the sound btw) are stellar examples of what a good Link should've been made like. I'd highly recommend anyone lookin' for this style of piece to save themselves time and money and buy either one. The Tribute has that pure, ringing tone Links are known for while the Mosaic has just a little more R&B grit in the tone but both are great examples of what a natural tenor sound SHOULD sound like. As far as the manufacture of these pieces, it doesn't get better than this either, there are some makers out there where every piece plays different (Babbitt Link anyone?) not so here, these all play EXCELLENTLY and are just waiting for YOU to give them YOUR sound, ya can't ask for much more than that, well done my friend! -Paul Perez

His review of the alto Rift is forthcoming.

Thanks Paul
 
#116 ·
Phil,

I was going to message you for some advice on a tenor piece; then I found this thread...lol. I have been playing a TW GAIA 7* Metal for the last year. I like the piece; great thick tone, easy to play, and it really responds if I just even think. I feel though that it is just lacking a little bit of that "rude-ness" when I get into some of my rock/jam band or contemporary jazz gigs. The sound is also fairly spread compared to other pieces I have played. I play a TW Kali 8 HR on alto, and it is the perfect mix of versatility, brightness, edge, and focused sound for what I am looking for in my sound.

After reading through this thread and listening to some of the sound clips, I am wondering if this might be the tenor piece I am looking for. The description fits what I am wanting from my sound, chops work and shed'ing aside of course. My thoughts were to try Theo's Kali tenor, but from the sound clips I have heard from different people it sounds like it might be just over the cusp of what I want. Any thoughts and also if I was wanting to possibly play test this piece how would I go about doing that?

Thanks!
 
#117 ·
Phil,

I was going to message you for some advice on a tenor piece; then I found this thread...lol. I have been playing a TW GAIA 7* Metal for the last year. I like the piece; great thick tone, easy to play, and it really responds if I just even think. I feel though that it is just lacking a little bit of that "rude-ness" when I get into some of my rock/jam band or contemporary jazz gigs. The sound is also fairly spread compared to other pieces I have played. I play a TW Kali 8 HR on alto, and it is the perfect mix of versatility, brightness, edge, and focused sound for what I am looking for in my sound.

After reading through this thread and listening to some of the sound clips, I am wondering if this might be the tenor piece I am looking for. The description fits what I am wanting from my sound, chops work and shed'ing aside of course. My thoughts were to try Theo's Kali tenor, but from the sound clips I have heard from different people it sounds like it might be just over the cusp of what I want. Any thoughts and also if I was wanting to possibly play test this piece how would I go about doing that?

Thanks!
I love the Tribute and Mosaic and couldn't recommend them highly enough but if the Kali is your piece of choice on alto and you want that sort of sound on tenor I would have thought you might want a piece with more baffle than the Mosaic and Tribute have. I think that for me the Mosaic and Tribute are in the same ballpark as the Gaia which I owned at one time but I much prefer the two Phil Tone pieces.

Others may think differently though.....
 
#118 ·
Wow, I just realized I had this mouthpiece a month ago and I'm just finally getting around to posting a review. I've now had all three of Phil's new mouthpieces (Mosaic, Tribute, and Sapphire) in my hands. Of the three I felt the most comfortable on the Sapphire and it also had the sound that is closest to what I think I hear in my head. This one is a really close second and I feel like it's the kind of mouthpiece that would get more comfortable and present more possibilities the longer you spent with it (but I only had a week). I liked it much better playing it at a comfortable volume in my studio than I did on the gig where I had to push a lot harder. I think I would find the volume if I had more time though. As with the Tribute, if I played a different kind of music or in different situations I would like it more. I've mentioned several times in various forums that I have become more comfortable with higher beaks on HR mouthpieces and that might help explain my comfort level with the Sapphire over this one. It's incredibly well made and looks fantastic. I have a sound clip with my full review here: http://barrycaudill.com/phil-tone-theo-wanne-mosaic-review/ There's no doubt I'm a fan of Phil and his work. The Mosaic is a prime example of Phil's attention to detail and wonderful instincts.
-Barry
 
#119 ·
I just got mine. Posting a review and clip soon later today, but wanted to ask:

What kind of bite plates or bite.... Anything do you guys put on the piece? I played it for 3 hours and already has a knick on the top from my biting (I have a very strong bite).

Any specific ones that you would recommend or steer away from? I've never purchased one.
 
#120 ·
My Florida Link STM was pretty worn back from many years of play - then I discovered these:



I much prefer the Charles Bay Vibra-Ease Cushions in Thin/Clear to thicker/softer patches.
 
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