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.
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.