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Mojo Mouthpiece Works Vortex Review

31K views 45 replies 24 participants last post by  ZootTheSim 
#1 ·
I received a Mojo Mouthpiece Works Vortex .111 gold plated Tenor Mouthpiece a little over 1 week ago.

The baffle profile, side rails, tip rail are quite thin in comparison with most of my other tenor pieces. It starts with a fairly high baffle leading into a bullet chamber...but it is a little rounder..not as pointed as most bullet baffles ala Berg and in addition to being a little rounder it gets deeper sooner as it then drops off into the vortex fluted chamber that swirls 3, 3.5 revolutions before stopping at the shank.

It has a thinner body than most metal tenor pieces but something I found interesting is considering the slim profile it has a generous sized reed table that supports the entire reed stock. Most I own have at least a small portion of the reed stock/butt hanging off the end..I've no idea if that has any effect or not on the performance. My main mouthpiece for several years, an LA Sax silverplated is the opposite, it has the shortest reed table I have seen on a mouthpiece, nearly an inch shorter than the Vortex.

The Vortex plays with both good depth, great projection and sassy sizzle. As would be expected it is powerful, still a pleasant fat voice without being brittle or shrill. Plays well in all ranges, subtones nicely. The fluted chamber is not so much a factor until you push more air into it...then it kicks in and adds some sparkle, color and edge to the tone that is unique and not something easily described in writing. Makes me feel like we saxophonists finally got an acoustic equivalent to the guitarist stomp box effect pedal!

Yes it is bright, but easy to control. Sorta like a car with a turbo engine, it is very powerful but that power doesn't kick in until you step on the gas. I wouldn't use this for an duo gig in a hotel lobby. For a variety, dance, cover band with a horn section it will work darn good.

Anyone wanting something that rips like a Guardala Super King but also adds some deepness to the tone would do well to check this piece out.

Played it on my Andreas Eastman 52nd St. Tenor and Bundy Special tenor and both horns matched up well with the Vortex. Intonation is fine (I was concerned about this when I ordered it) and no surprise altissimo plays with ease as does the other extreme at the low end without a lot of adjustment in embouchure. Excellent wonderful quality workmanship and more important really nice sounding mouthpiece for a SoulJazzFunkster like me. I have no idea what if any affect the swirling chamber has...but the total package coupled with Mojo's fine finishing work makes this mouthpiece a lot of fun to play on.

I will admit it is not going to be a piece you want to use in a reserved, quiet setting...but if it is about being live in living color and playing modern music it is another fine alternative for players to consider. For a little more visual information, check the video link below.

 
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#9 ·
Your mileage may vary but I find the Vortex to play best with reeds that are on the hard side. When I try with some of my softer more broke in reeds the tone character gets a bit fuzzier...so keep it crisp when going through the Vortex!
 
#10 ·
I have had a low marketing approach to rolling out this mouthpiece. "If you build it, they will come." It helps me keep the price down on this boutique quality mouthpiece.

I'm getting favorable comments (and sales) from Berg players and DG King players among others. They are happy to have a new, quality mouthpiece that is not another variation on a Link. Some think the .120" tip region is best to darken the sound some with tip opening. Others prefer the .105" region to allow the use of harder reeds for a less buzzy sound. One size does not fit all so several sizes are available!
 
#19 ·
I just enjoyed my turn on the Mojo Vortex pass-around. I had the .109 version. The Vortex is a beautiful goldplated tenor piece with a high baffle and a bullet chamber. It was no surprise that it was a very bright piece, but I also found the sound to be quite flexible and the low notes were phat and easy to produce. I also appreciated that the Vortex was reed friendly, not picky about my sloppy reed placement against the piece, and the edge of the reeds didn't stick out the side of the tip. Lastly, my reeds never chirped when I was playing...in my band, the other sax player plays a JJ DV and he chirps regularly (which makes me whince.)

At Mojo's price point (somewhere around $400) I would buy this piece over the Theo Wanne Datta or the Jody Jazz DV (both of which I've tried, but not owned.)
 
#20 ·
Hi folks
I have had one of these for a week and will be putting it in the mail to Mojo tomorrow. Mojo made one in a 0.104" tip and sent it to me. I have been playing close tips/harder reeds. I've also been playing Links, on a Conn 10M, and I've been pretty much playing in an older more straight ahead style in my latest saxophone "career" (I've had several).
I do know that high-baffle pieces seem to do what they do best with a larger tip opening, so I believe the 0.100" and up range is probably fitting for this piece.
I've been at it again for about only five years, so for that reason also my review should be given less weighting than those of pros or others with more experience.
I decided not to make any sound clips, as it would not serve any purpose, due to the reasons above and the general rule that player/chops make most of the tonal content.
This piece has very nice workmanship, and is pretty much as others have described it.
I'm not sure where this baffle height would lie relative to a Berg 0, 1, 2, etc. But it is needless to say way more baffle than the STM I been playing.
The side walls are pretty square, not rounded like on a Link.
When I see this type of piece I first think "not me", and second I think of Mike Brecker who I think played mainly square chambers with a lot of baffle, and is perhaps the best example of the tone that can be produced this way. I know he played on LaVoz reeds a lot, so I think that type of cut may be a general direction to consider for a piece like this. I do know in my experience that type of reed cut matters a lot with different pieces.
I don't know if those are considered "dark" reeds, but I've found that on Links reeds considered "bright" work well. Offsetting or complementing the character of the piece, if you will.
Anyway, because one of the few softer reeds I had was a Plasticover 2 1/2, I can tell you that if you want to be loud and ear-piercing, try this with one of those! Holy smokes! But I wouldn't call that a pleasant tone. So do find the reed that complements this piece, whatever that would be.
I also had a Legere Studio Cut, 2 ½, which was a bit more pleasant sounding. But cane reeds seem like they'd be best on this. I think I tried some Rigottis and Javas. I've found V16s mellow out the sound of my soprano. Maybe those would work well, or LaVoz…?
I've also heard it on good authority that playing mouthpieces of newer design than your horn is generally a bad idea, so I think players would do well to have a modern horn with this piece, like Mk VI or newer design.
The piece responded well. I think the finish work on the facing is probably pretty good.
I struggled right at first with jumping registers, or failing to do so, between say upper register and palm keys/altissimo, and back again. But I'm sure that was due to the radical change in mpc not being handled well by my chops. It went away with a little practice.
One minor note: the cap provided did not fit tight with the Rovner lig Mojo provided. So be careful if that's the case… wouldn't want someone to damage the tip even though Mojo does work some miracles.
Thanks Mojo! Nice job.
Oh BTW that rifled barrel is great. I hit a guy right between the eyes with a altissimo Bb! It knocked him off his barstool! (actually I'll let the more knowledgeable players comment on the benefits of that feature - it certainly didn't have any ill effect on the sound of this thing)
 
#37 ·
I've also heard it on good authority that playing mouthpieces of newer design than your horn is generally a bad idea...
Good overall review Rod, but I just can't let this pass. I don't know what 'good authority' you got this from, but it just isn't true. At all. Sure, there may be a modern (or not modern) mpc that won't be a good fit with a given vintage horn, but that won't have anything to do with when the mpc was made. So I just wanted to set the record straight on that.

This looks like a great 'high powered' mpc Mojo! I don't need another mpc, but I would think, at least for me, with that high baffle, a 120 or 125 tip would be about right. In any case, hope you do well with sales and I'm sure there's a market for a piece like this.
 
#21 ·
Hey one other thing:
I put a clear mouthpiece patch on it, because I was going up beyond the bite plate with my teeth. Then when I was sub toning, I went aft of the bite plate, so I added another patch.
The bite plate confines you to a pretty narrow area.
I didn't want to mess up the plating.
Mojo, I don't know if that could be broadened…? Maybe I shouldn't be in those areas with this piece? Anyway, I've been playing/practicing more and more out onto the forward parts, and yes also out at the tip more too.
A patch fixes this. So it's not a big deal.
 
#22 ·
Oh one other thing:
I thought the intonation would get iffy with this on my old big bore Conn. Jaws talked about how Bergs tend to go sharp up high but a Link will hold the pitch much better.
But I didn't find any pitch issues with the piece, which kind of surprised me.
 
#23 ·
I just started my trial. I have only played it about a half hour. I have the .108. It is bright for sure. The closest thing I have to is is a Sakshama Dukoff .110. It is brighter than the Sakshama. The first thing I noticed was that the altissimo is the easiest of any piece I have ever played. More later.
 
#24 · (Edited)
I have purchased the piece. It is not my everyday piece, but I will use it in loud environments. The altissimo response is impressive. Workmanship is very good. The other piece that I have played that had a similar sound was the Theo Mantra. I sold it a bit back. The Mantra was had a larger profile. The response of the Vortex is better and the low notes speak easier than the Mantra.
 
#25 ·
"One minor note: the cap provided did not fit tight with the Rovner lig Mojo provided." I recommend starting with the Rovner Light L-11 ligature. It fits nice, won't scratch the gold plating and is a good value. The generic cap Rovner includes is too fat. It can be made to fit better by putting a strip of adhesive backed Velcro inside the cap. Use either the fuzzy carpet side or the hook side of the Velcro. This is a technique that Runyon used to use on their caps. I have some Velcro here and will try to remember to put some in the caps. Those who have purchased the L-11 with the Vortex can send the cap back to me for a free fit adjustment.
 
#26 ·
I took the Vortex to a loud gig last night. It cut though very nice. I used a fibracell 3 reed that was a little buzzy to my liking, but I was playing another piece most of the time and the Vortex on the real rockers and that enabled me to switch them out fast. I got compliments on my tone. My piece is very free blowing. It will take all the air that I can give it.I can play up to altissimo A with confidence on this piece. It pops with power. I can go higher, but I'm not that good at it.
 
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