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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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#94 ·
By the way, whatever metal you decide on I'd highly recommend these pieces. Both are fantastic playing pieces and are a great value. If you don't think that sterling silver makes a difference for your playing then get the silver plated brass piece. You won't be disappointed.
 
#95 ·
I already have HR The Boss 7** and am hesitating on which metal piece (and what opening size) take :). It will be hard to decide without testing and I have to say that even 500$ is a lot money, for me at least.

But thanks for all your opinions and samples :) Good luck
 
#96 ·
I already have HR The Boss 7** and am hesitating on which metal piece (and what opening size) take :). It will be hard to decide without testing and I have to say that even 500$ is a lot money, for me at least.

But thanks for all your opinions and samples :) Good luck
I also already play on a the boss HR and I' getting used to it better and better, even playing classical etudes with difficult intervals etc...
I' ve already ordered a metal robusto in same tip opening 8*.
I'll report back asap what that piece delivers.
 
#97 ·
Hi guys!
Eric is working hard on the mpc's as we speak. He's got the bite plates done in about 50 of them and has finished much of his handwork. After that is the plating, etc... we are getting closer. Tons of orders to fill, and I will get more audios up soon. Tom answered the question about silver mpc's well. They do take time to warm up, and they offer oddly enough a nice warmth and brightness to the sound. I've owned loads of silver Francois Louis mpc's and they are interesting for sure. I've owned other solid silver pieces and I know buyers will be very happy if they decide on the solid silver versions of my 10mfan™ mpc's. The brass pieces are incredible----they will shake the entire saxophone mouthpiece world up for sure. Just seeing the players reactions who have come to my home with their Links and other vintage metals, and their copy pieces of those out there----its been staggering. I have seen this time and time again now. I am so excited for the first batch to get done, so I can ship them out to the buyers.
The comparisons for me and the others has been frankly ridiculous across the board. I worked my *** off on my mpc line and I am psyched for others to FINALLY be able to get enjoyment from the metal tenors. If you play a Hollywood, Stubby, Double Ring, or Tonemaster metal, and you want a warm, full-bodied piece which offers way more for me than those are capable of---go with my Merlot metal. If you dig Florida stms, EB stm's, Bergs, and want a classic robust sounding piece with loads of fattness, power, depth, body, and more brights available then the Merlot can give---go with the Robusto.
All the best, Mark

I'm trying to stay on top of the posts, but its been swamped here. More emails, texts, phone calls to answer than ever before, and loads of business opportunities I'm in the middle of at the moment. I'll do my best to be here as much as possible.
I answer all my emails every day, so if you have questions, you can write me at: connsaxman@comcast.net
 
#102 ·
Where can I find pictures of Your metal mouthpieces 10mfan? It would be interesting to see the chamber, baffle, tip, rails, beak and window.
 
#103 ·
As the owner of a good fat mouthpiece drawer, I can guarantee that baffle tip rails window... do not represent how 10mfan pieces actually sounds.
You better listen to the samples and hear what the piece can do.
About metal pieces, we are all waiting to see pictures of the first batch.

sent from a cheap touchscreen mobile phonw
 
#108 ·
One thing I can tell you guys from experience is that Mark is GREAT at identifyig what tip and model will work best for you if you take the time to communicate with him and even send some clips of your playing. I would have saved myself a good chunk of $$$ if I had done this myself. I am now playing exactly the setup he recomended from the beginning....if only I had listened!

As far as the look of the metal pieces, I have had a chance to spend time with the metal Robusto and thought it was beautiful. The biteplate is black and set in the middle of the beak as opposed to spanning all the way across. The shank has three raised rings, keeping with the theme of the rubber pieces. The most distinguishing feature of these pieces IMO is the WEIGHT. They are heavy! I've played some very expensive metal pieces that were very lightweight and had an almost "cheap" feel to them. These metal pieces are made from a big hunk of brass .... you know that you are dealing with a serious mouthpiece as soon as you pick it up!
 
#110 ·
one thing i can tell you guys from experience is that mark is great at identifyig what tip and model will work best for you if you take the time to communicate with him and even send some clips of your playing. I would have saved myself a good chunk of $$$ if i had done this myself. I am now playing exactly the setup he recomended from the beginning....if only i had listened!

As far as the look of the metal pieces, i have had a chance to spend time with the metal robusto and thought it was beautiful. The biteplate is black and set in the middle of the beak as opposed to spanning all the way across. The shank has three raised rings, keeping with the theme of the rubber pieces. The most distinguishing feature of these pieces imo is the weight. They are heavy! I've played some very expensive metal pieces that were very lightweight and had an almost "cheap" feel to them. These metal pieces are made from a big hunk of brass .... You know that you are dealing with a serious mouthpiece as soon as you pick it up!
Thank you David for all your support with both my metals and hard rubber mouthpieces. I am thrilled you love them so much!
Everyone knows they can contact me and talk about tip openings, reeds, or which model would be best for them based on their particular needs. Some people listen and others don't. Others don't ask anything before they order.
I even had a friend tell me he has an 8* Robusto hard rubber and loves it, but sometimes he wishes it was an 8. So he ordered a 9* metal against my suggestions of just going with an 8 tip metal. Some buyers will do what they do. Why go to a bigger tip if he wished the 8* was a hair smaller----I don't know, but he wants the 9*, so that's what he'll get even though I want him to get an 8. I wish everything made sense, but at times it doesn't.
I am here and I answer emails and calls faster than anyone i know in this business. All the daily calls and emails are answered everyday before the day is done.
Thank you very much for your post. Your sincerity and support are most appreciated.
All the best, Mark
 
#109 ·
Hi guys,
I wish everything I did made everyone happy, as thats how I wish life could be, but unfortunately you cant make everyone happy no matter how hard you try. My return policy is very clear and I'm sorry if it isn't the way some of you want it to be, but it's how my business is run. Business has been absolutely unbelievable this past year with my policies just as they've been, and they will remain the same. We are running at full throttle and the quality of my mouthpieces will never take a second place to quantity of potential sales. 1st class quality and playability is what its all about! I am confident my metal price of $495 is far nicer for you than a price of $795+. I understand that, and have priced them there for good reason with much thought and care. I am also the only mpc maker I know of who offers tip sizes from 4*-12*, to accommodate all the players tip opening needs. I have an incredible amount of happy customers all over the world, because the products are so well designed and well made.....AND THEY ORIGINAL DESIGNS WHICH IS SO IMPORTANT TO ME. I can't please everyone, but I am trying to. :) I appreciate all of the business and happiness my mouthpieces have caused. I hope those of you who are on the fence about getting an mpc, will take the opportunity to check out my mouthpieces and see what they're all about. There's good reason they've become so popular and business has grown WELL beyond my wildest expectations. I can barely keep any inventory in here for more than a week for local players to check out at my home. My home is open to any and all of you who wish to come over and try my mpc's in person. When I get a handful of extra pieces outside of the weekly orders from Eric, I list those on SOTW and usually the 5-7 pieces sell out within 3-4 days. In the first month of accepting orders for the metals I have gotten over 100 orders from players directly.
These are excellent metals and for me, outplay the best vintage metals I have here ---and I have quite a fantastic collection from the last 30 years of selling mpcs. Without any question, just like with any other mouthpieces, somebody will get a 7* and wish they had gotten an 8. The marketplace will have my mouthpieces up for trade where someone is looking to trade their 7* for an 8 and someone else who got an 8 will wish they got a 7*. Those people will come together and make nice trades with one another. Thats one of the wonderful things about this forum. You can make a trade with someone for a different size and/or model---and not have to take a loss at all. SOTW is full of these great opportunities for players. Loads of 7*, 8, and 8* tip sizes have been ordered, so when trading opportunities arise here at SOTW, you will be able to take advantage of that.
I look forward to continuing to provide world-class mouthpieces at an affordable price and thank you all who have been so supportive here at SOTW.
All the best,
Mark
 
#111 ·
Hi guys,
I just got an email from Eric, and he got called away from work this entire week with an urgent family matter. I am just letting all of you know who have been patiently waiting for the first few batches of metals to be finished---that the pieces will get finished when Eric returns to the shop. Hang in there and I am sorry for the delay. I will let you know when the pieces are ready to be shipped. Thank you again for being patient. IT'S GREATLY APPRECIATED.
All the best, Mark
 
#115 ·
They are bigger and, at least for me, much more comfortable. The Guardala's are super thin, and I found that many reeds hung off the sides, causing bleeding lips. The 10MFan metal pieces are much wider and more comfortable, plus the beak angle is super comfortable to play.
 
#117 ·
Interesting... Back in the day I used to play a Guardala. Never had the bleeding lips problem unless I was practicing for four or more hours straight, though. I kind of miss that Guardala and was thinking about getting a metal Boss. If it were nice and round like the HR Robusto but not quite as wide, that would be about as perfect as it could get.
 
#118 ·
"was thinking about getting a metal Boss. If it were nice and round like the HR Robusto but not quite as wide, that would be about as perfect as it could get."
Thats exactly what it will be. The Merlot, Robusto, and The Boss metals will all have the same great feeling beaks. They have the roundness and great feel in the mouth like the hard rubber versions, but are smaller for the metals.

Still working on The Boss metal.
 
#122 ·
I had a chance to check out the metal Robusto 8* prototype. Since I've been playing the HR version, I knew it would be a great mpc, but the metal one actually surpassed my expectations. For a start, it is a very comfortable mpc to play. Those who don't like metal due to the small size won't have an issue with this one. The beak is fairly wide and just high enough, pretty close to how the HR feels.

More importantly, it plays extremely well from top to bottom. I know Mark suggests experimenting with reeds, but the reeds I normally use (Rigotti 3L, 2.5S, V16 2.5) all played very well, so no reed issues for me. The tone quality is superb; it has that husky, bold, FAT tone that is what a tenor should sound like, imo. I'd describe it as the sound of most tenor players in the Blue Note through Hard Bop era. I know that's a pretty broad swath, but this mpc will cover a wide range. It subtones easily and will brighten up when you speed up the air, but never gets thin or overly bright, no matter how hard you push it. The upper register stays full and rich.

Mark told me he sees this mpc as somewhere between a good Link and a good Berg. I'd agree. It has the best characteristics of a Link, with more power, but probably not as bright as most Bergs (that I've heard), and maybe more versatile, tonally, than a Berg. My guess is it plays much easier than most Links or Bergs, but then I haven't played that many.

I realize all these descriptions are subjective, but one thing is for sure: Most of all, I found this mpc to be really FUN to play! Super responsive, comfortable, and versatile, with a great tone. Not much more you can ask of a mpc.

Comparing it to the HR version, yes it's comparable. Not the same, but in the same ballpark. Maybe a bit more focused. I'd be happy with either, but if you prefer metal, then the metal one is for you!
 
#123 ·
Thanks John.
I am so glad you dug the mpc so much!!!....now you can see why Eric Spaulding and David Wells were so nuts about it! Definitely a ton of fun to play and it will take all you can give it.
It has so much flexibility, which is one thing I dont find in many mouthpieces at all. It has a classic blow to it, (not a fast blow like a Guardala or Dukoff SPC). That punchy, faster blow will be my The Boss mpc. The Merlot and Robusto metals have nice resistance to push against so you can shape the sound. You can subtone super easy and the altissimo is awesome. Sorry for the delay in getting the first couple batches of orders out----Eric was out of the shop all last week and is now back working hard on the mpc's for all of you. I'm as excited about you guys getting them, as you are. Thanks for being patient.
John, thanks so much for checking it out and posting.
All the best, Mark
 
#125 ·
Sorry, I'm not set up to do that right now, especially since I no longer have the mpc (it was a trial on a protype). Maybe sometime soon if I end up with one and ever get around to figuring out how to do it. I don't want to put up a poorly-recorded clip that won't come close to what the mpc really sounds like. Beyond that, it won't tell you how well these mpcs play.

I like sound clips, but imo they mostly tell you how the player sounds (assuming the recording is decent).

Scroll back to page 4 & 5 in this thread and you'll find a couple of clips by honkbopsax and dctwells. I'm sure more will come in once the mpcs are ready to go and more players get them.
 
#137 · (Edited)
First pics of the metal Robusto and Merlot tenor mpc's


Robusto:
Hand Drinkware Musical instrument Finger Wind instrument


Automotive lighting Hood Automotive mirror Bumper Vehicle door



Merlot:

Hand Drinkware Door Dress Musical instrument


Liquid Tableware Drinkware Fluid Bottle


THE O-RINGS ARE INCLUDED FOR BOTH MODELS, AND CAN BE REMOVED BY SIMPLY SLIDING THEM OFF IF YOU PREFER THE ALL SILVER LOOK. (AS PICTURED ON THE MERLOT).
CHECK POST 145 FOR MORE PICS. THEY'RE JUST THERE FOR THE LOOK---THEY WON'T CHANGE THE SOUND. :)


Eric Falcon's handwork on my pieces is sensational. I could not be more pleased with how they play and look.
 
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