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10mfan METAL Merlot and Robusto tenor mouthpieces are now READY!

231K views 599 replies 94 participants last post by  10mfan 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
I am now officially taking orders for the metal Merlot and Robusto models!!!!!


If you yearn for ORIGINAL design modern mouthpieces that don't feel, look, or sound like anyone elses mouthpieces--- here's your opportunity.

I am ALL about carving my OWN path with original design mouthpieces that for me, outplay the vintage mouthpieces in the 3 categories I have set them up in.

THE BOSS model (my 3rd category piece that will have tons of power and volume, but also loads of body), will be out in the next month or so, but right now you have 2 new options to choose from with my metal MERLOT and ROBUSTO models. These are my first 2 category mouthpieces and in case you have been on Mars the last 9 months, you can read about that on my website: www.10mfan.com :)

I could not be any prouder of these pieces. These have great body and soul. They are not all about just volume and they offer the player the perfect amount of resistance in my opinion, to be able to shape the sound how they want. These are very colorful and resonant and Eric Falcon has worked with me beautifully with these to help me make my dreams come true.

I GREATLY encourage everyone who owns vintage metal mouthpieces like Links, Dukoffs, Zimberoffs, Selmers, Gales, and ALL the copycat mouthpieces of those pieces----- to see what I have been up to. I believe strongly, that you will be blown away....I AM. Eric Falcon said the Merlot and Robusto metal mouthpieces will absolutely knock out the guys who especially love vintage Links, and want MORE than their Links will give them. He told me that he has kept 2 very special Florida Links in his personal collection for a very long time, that he has considered to be the BEST examples for him of those pieces. He told me that the Robusto for him, absolutely smokes them both and he is VERY excited because he knows players will go nuts for these. I have compared the Merlot and Robusto metals to the best vintage metals here in my personal collection, and they just outplay them for me. I would not pick any of the vintage metal pieces I have here that fit into my first and second categories, over these 2 pieces I am releasing. This has been a lot of work for Eric and myself and has taken an enormous amount of time, money, and energy to complete.

THANK YOU ALL FOR STAYING PATIENT WITH ME THROUGH THIS.



I THOUGHT LONG AND HARD ABOUT PRICING!!!!!


I have wanted from day one, to make modern mouthpieces that outplay vintage mouthpieces and are affordable for musicians today. I spent years selling high end vintage mouthpieces that many musicians could not afford, so the mouthpieces ended up going to many dealers overseas. Prices got nuts for the vintage pieces so it was super important for me to get my head back on straight and undercharge for my hard rubber modern 10mfan™ line of mouthpieces so players could enjoy them and not feel like they emptied the bank account to do so! $385 for my pure hard rubber bar stock mouthpieces is an incredible deal. I see copy pieces of vintage mouthpieces going for much more, and there's no reason for that at all. Modern mouthpieces shoudn't be priced in the stratosphere, in my opinion. I think modern mouthpieces should be able to be bought for what you would get for a couple very good playing gigs.

I look at the marketplace and I see loads of copies of Links, Dukoffs, Guardalas, Meyer Bros, etc... its never ending. So I said to myself that I should be charging much more than those, because mine are actually ORIGINAL and have taken an ENORMOUS amount of time, money, and hard work to get right.

Well...thats one reasonable way to look at it, but the bottom line is I just can't see charging $850 or $750 for a modern mouthpiece that isn't rare or collectible by any means, like the vintage mouthpieces are. In fact, I can't see charging $650 either. I asked MANY players where they think my metals should be priced based on affordability and what they thought I would be asking.... and amongst the 40-50 people I asked, those players thought I'd come in at around the $550-$650 range.

I decided that I will do exactly what I did with my hard rubber pieces, (which have turned out to be incredibly successful), and ask much less than I know I should in order to get more people to play on the mouthpieces and see how fantastic they are. I am hoping with the addition of these metals and 2 hard rubber altos coming this summer, (they have been in the works for quite some time, and I think a summer release is VERY realistic.)---to sell WELL over 1,000 mpc's my first year of sales directly to players.

Back to the price of my metals....
I am going to price them lower than they should be---I am going to offer them at only $495.
To me, it's another gift price for my mouthpieces, so I hope this makes many of you happy.

My mouthpieces are made of brass and will be silver plated and engraved with my 10mfan™ logo, model name, and tip opening. I am not gold plating them because I want to save YOU money. Eric does a wonderful job with his plating and they will look and play gorgeous. EVERY mouthpiece will be hand finished by Eric and play tested by both Eric and myself before they are sent out. My pieces have a bite plate and are really fantastic. I do not have any "finished" version photos to release. You will have to wait till the first group of orders are completed. I just have the prototypes here, but I won't put up pics of those.
My website will have to wait too. :)


A FEW LIGS THAT WILL FIT MY METAL MOUTHPIECES:


Selmer 404---cannot be one that is already bent from the top ridge of an Otto lLnk. It must be virgin.

Ishimori---Otto link M size

Silverstein metal tenor lig

Vandoren V16 optimum

Marc Jean---I'll get you the size

Any Rovner in the 3ML or L13 size

BG sized for a metal Link

Rico H lig HTS2


I AM OFFERING THE MOST COMPLETE SELECTION OF TIP SIZE OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO THE BUYER FOR BOTH MY METAL MERLOT AND ROBUSTO MODELS: 4*-12*


I already have a bunch of names on a list who wanted these when they came out, and I will be officially taking all other orders starting NOW.

Just email me and tell me what tip size and model you want, and I will have you send a paypal. We will not be able to get the first orders out for about 1 month due to the back up with the rubber mouthpieces and the first group of metal orders, but one month or so isn't too long to wait for something new that's actually original.

You can email me at: connsaxman@comcast.net


THANK YOU ALL FOR THE MOST INCREDIBLE 9 MONTHS I COULD HAVE EVER HOPED FOR IN TERMS OF MAKING SOOOOO MANY PLAYERS SO HAPPY ALL OVER THE WORLD, AND THERE WILL BE MORE TO COME FROM ME WITH ALTO AND SOPRANO AND POSSIBLY BARI MOUTHPIECES...

YOUR SUPPORT AND KIND WORDS HAVE BEEN SO GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!

*** You will need to order the metals directly through me via my email until I have my web guy set up the page on my website. He will be doing that this week for me. ***

Thank you.
All the best, Mark
 
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#64 ·
Mark,

I gotta try some of your mouthpieces one of these days! You bought several vintage pieces from me along the way.

I just graduated yesterday form the famous woodwind and brasswind repair program in Red Wing, Minnesota. Now I can go back to having a life. 9 months of 8 hours per day to learn this skill. Awesome course and great instructors.

Mark was always a super nice guy to deal with!

William Odell
 
#66 ·
Thank you for all the emails and orders so far!!! IT'S BEEN NUTS HERE! Eric will be locked up in his shop for the unforeseeable future. :)

I will post pics of the finished product once Eric gets the first group of orders completed.
I am waiting to get the Robusto metal back from Honkbopsax so another SOTW member whose playing I love, can make a great audio on the 10 tip.
Getting it away from Honkbopsax has not been easy. :)
He told me I ruined it for him with his Bergs, and those are now in his mpc drawer. He is awaiting a finished Robusto.

I'll have more audios coming shortly.
If you dont want as much overdrive, go with the Merlot metal. Its very classic sounding with really nice width and body to the sound, and plenty of warm power ---it just doesn't have the extra sizzle that the Robusto does. It keeps the warm vibe going. Its also more buttery sound wise, in comparison.
If you like the vintage sounds of Mobley, early Dex, Getz, Marsh, early Sonny, etc...----go with the Merlot.
if you want a piece that has warmth, but more sizzle available like later Dexter, 70's Sonny, 60's Gene Ammons, Red Holloway, etc...----go with the Robusto.

I'm glad to see so many energized about the upcoming metal 10mfan™ mpc's!

I'll keep you updated on the first few groups of orders, once I hear from Eric with the update.


Thanks again for all the great support here.
 
#67 ·
I have a whole bunch of new reed boxes (Rigottis of different strenghts, dark - Classic - and bright - Jazz), RSJ, La Voz standing here ready to test the pieces when I get my hands on them ;-)
 
#71 ·
Eric Spaulding (honkbopsax) having fun on the new 10mfan™ metal ROBUSTO 10 mouthpiece!


His 3 videos:







ENJOY!!!!!

Thank you Eric for doing these videos. I am honored that you love the mouthpiece so much that you told me that your Bergs have gone into the drawer, and that the Robusto metal has taken over!

What reed are you using there?

Sounds great!!!----thank you, my friend.


Come and see what all the talk is about:
www.10mfan.com
 
#72 ·
I am honored that you love the mouthpiece so much that you told me that your Bergs have gone into the drawer, and that the Robusto metal has taken over!
That's really saying something. I've played with Eric at a couple of jams, he has sat in with my band, and he always sounded fantastic on his Berg; I know how much he liked that Berg. So for him to put it away in favor of the metal Robusto is very meaningful!
 
#81 ·
Post #1 has this info:

Back to the price of my metals....
I am going to price them lower than they should be---I am going to offer them at only $495.
To me, it's another gift price for my mouthpieces, so I hope this makes many of you happy.

My mouthpieces are made of brass and will be silver plated and engraved with my 10mfan™ logo, model name, and tip opening. I am not gold plating them because I want to save YOU money.
Post #41 has the price for solid silver pieces: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showth...e-now-READY!&p=2228134&viewfull=1#post2228134
 
#83 ·
SOTW'S DCTWELLS (DAVID WELLS) DEMONSTRATING A BALLAD SIDE OF THE NEW 10MFAN™ METAL ROBUSTO 10 TENOR MOUTHPIECE


"TENDERLY"



ENJOY!!!!!

I didn't have his tip size in stock for any of my finished prototype Robusto metal models, so he was gracious to give the 10 tip metal a try for me.
He and Eric Spaulding agree---its can be warm and can be a BEAST! David is a bright player, so he will be getting a Merlot metal for himself. He prefers the Merlot hr to the Robusto hr because he blows brighter, and without any hesitation--- he will feel the same about the metal versions too. Because he is a naturally bright player, the Robusto gets a little too bright for him, so he has settled on the Merlot hr. Players who play warmer and want more punch and brightness, will want the Robusto. Players who play warmer and prefer that, will want the Merlot. Players who play bright and fight that brightness, will want the warmth of the Merlot to balance them out. The real bonus is that with either model, your reed brand choices will allow you great adjustability with the color.
Stay tuned.....More videos to come as more guys check them out.

DAVID---THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING THIS AUDIO. YOU SOUND AND PLAY FANTASTIC!!!
DID I REALLY HEAR YOU QUOTING THE OLD BURGER KING THEME SONG AT 2:16??? LOL

COME AND SEE WHAT ALL THE TALK IS ABOUT:
WWW.10MFAN.COM
 
#99 ·
I hear you, my friend!
I think you'll love him on the Merlot metal too. I hope you're well, and I look forward to hearing from you after you get your metal piece too.
Eric is working on the first group of orders as we speak.
All the best, Mark
 
#92 · (Edited)
This is true!

It also has a lot to do with one's ability to play and what level they are on. If you give a beginner a solid silver mouthpiece he isn't going to notice many, if any, differences compared to the brass one. Same with most intermediate players although they will perceive more than the beginner. It's the same with horns.

So you have to look at the source. There are a lot of guys that consider themselves experts out there still in the beginner and intermediate category:)

That being said I'd trust Chicken 'Lil's statements.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2
 
#93 ·
As I stated, it's my experience. I would say some folks think that there's no difference between ligatures, reeds, necks and neck straps. Others disagree. Many people agree that material doesn't make a difference but many people don't play my gigs on my setup. I do and I can tell the difference. So, you know, ymmv.
 
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