I have the clarinet and alto mouthpieces from D'Addario and I've been really pleased with them - good intonation, even tone over the range of the intrument (especially the clarinet piece). Now I see they have a tenor piece out (since November apparently) but not much information on what it's modeled on.
Has anyone tried it ? Interested in any comparisons - I currently play a phil-tone refaced new vintage-series slant link HR piece which I like a lot.
I had a customer bring one by about two weeks ago to have it modified. He liked the piece overall but was really bright to my ears after hearing him and also getting a chance to play it. For the price, this thing is really well made but we spent some time lowering the secondary baffle angle. It has a long flat baffle (why people call this a 'rollover' I'll never understand) that continues into a long curved lower baffle with a very tight squeeze near the throat area. Modifying the piece a little on the inside helped to dial back the EQ in the upper register, particularly in the palm keys. It's a good crossover piece, but anyone who is expecting it to be "like a Link" may not be happy.
Again, though, it was really well machined and someone looking for a loud piece could probably pick it up and use it right away.
I had a customer bring one by about two weeks ago to have it modified. He liked the piece overall but was really bright to my ears after hearing him and also getting a chance to play it. For the price, this thing is really well made but we spent some time lowering the secondary baffle angle. It has a long flat baffle (why people call this a 'rollover' I'll never understand) that continues into a long curved lower baffle with a very tight squeeze near the throat area. Modifying the piece a little on the inside helped to dial back the EQ in the upper register, particularly in the palm keys. It's a good crossover piece, but anyone who is expecting it to be "like a Link" may not be happy.
Again, though, it was really well machined and someone looking for a loud piece could probably pick it up and use it right away.
I call it a rollover if I look at the mouthpiece from the tip side and I see the baffle roll away from me as I tilt the mouthpiece tip down as I'm looking at it. I'll look at the Select Jazz again but they looked like rollover baffles to me. I'm not sure I have ever seen a truly flat baffle from tip to chamber. My Lamberson J7 might come close and I seem to remember a Soloist with a pretty straight baffle in the past. Steve
Not sure what model it is, unlacquered top two screw hard rubber version, Fits on my Ted Klum ResoTone, the Tonamax, the Otto Link Vintage series, Drake Stan Getz model and a bunch more that I can add to the list after I get home from work. I should add it is a little snug on the D'Addario Jazz Select but it does fit. I just don't know what the ligature model is. I should also add that I have had the mouthpiece only a few days and I do like it so far, it blended well in the big band section and tonight I am trying it in a small group situation. I find it has very nice highs and it is brighter than I am used to as I have been playing a Four Star Link and ToneMaster for some time now. Anyway I will try to find out the model.
Does anyone know how the internals compare to a Vandoren Java? The descriptions I'm reading about sound like the two pieces might be similar internally.
Brightness can also depend on reeds. I'm playing the 6 with 3M unfiled jazz reeds. The broken in ones play bright, the harder ones play dark. I'm still loving this piece, that's says a lot for me as my creative voice is the soprano sax. Tenor has always been challenging finding a comfortable mouthpiece.
The D'Addario 7 tenor piece I played was quite nice ,it had a rich and powerful voice and played evenly over the range of the horn.
I was interested in playing the new D'Addario as I once owned a rubber .105 Freddie Gregory mkiv , my Freddie Gregory piece was brighter and had a distinctive voice, a very high resolution tone quality I thought, it had a kind of glassy sheen, a highly polished surface to the sound I thought.
I had wondered if somebody was going to copy Freddie's mk iv as I thought it was one of the great modern tenor pieces, but I don't think this D'Addario is that copy. The D'Addario is a very good piece in it's own right and it is good value for money but it didn't sound like my mkiv, but it may sound just like Jeff Coffin's mkiv.
There are a couple of guys on the forum who collect Freddie Gregory mkiv pieces, it would be interesting to hear their impressions of the D'Addario, one of these collectors who lives in Spain told me that the piece I sold him was the darkest mkiv he had played, and it was brighter than the D'Addario 7 I played.
If a straight edge lays flat on the baffle near the tip, I would not call this a rollover even if it is curved convex somewhere downstream. In my records I call these "SB" which I think I copied from Lamberson designation. Short baffle or straight baffle.
Some call longer arched baffles rollovers. I think this just adds to the confusion. I reserve rollover to mean a curved baffle near the tip rail. But they can be short, medium or long. A long rollover is similar to a short arch in my system.
It is not easy to capture all the 3D aspects of baffles in a few words or measurements.
If a straight edge lays flat on the baffle near the tip, I would not call this a rollover even if it is curved convex somewhere downstream. In my records I call these "SB" which I think I copied from Lamberson designation. Short baffle or straight baffle.
Some call longer arched baffles rollovers. I think this just adds to the confusion. I reserve rollover to mean a curved baffle near the tip rail. But they can be short, medium or long. A long rollover is similar to a short arch in my system.
It is not easy to capture all the 3D aspects of baffles in a few words or measurements.
Of course I've seen tons of online pics and read several reviews. I have a Java but not a Select Jazz and am thinking the two pieces look similar in terms of baffle profile, chamber etc. I'm wondering if anyone has both pieces to compare.
I used the Select Jazz on a R&B gig last night and must admitt I am very pleased with it.
As I am the only woodwind player in the band I need lots of power to compete with the hard driving
boogie woogie pianoman and an electric guitar and drums and a string bassman. I also have wireless mike on the bell that helps.
For this kind of work I usually pick my Dukoff for the real nasty stuff or a 20TD but since I noticed the power of the DSJ
I decided to give it a try. Thinking I would only have it on the sax at the beginning of set 1 when our music
is still kind of decent. It turned out I kept it on the entire evening during 3 sets. Only at the start of set 2 I decided
to put on my trusty dukoff again but the difference was so striking in both sound and comfort the DSJ went back on after the first two numbers.
Reason: the DSJ has an almost similar kind of edge to the sound with the right reed like the Dukoff but no matter how much air I push
it keeps sounding full and fat. As opposed to the Dukoff that needs a lot more control for not sounding like
a buzz saw when playing at full throttle. And boy it is surprisingly loud.
To me a better name for the Select Jazz would have been D'Addario Select R&B.
It reminds me alot of my Brilhart Hard Rubber that can have the same edge and projection however is a little less loud.
Not that this is a bad thing. The low end of the DSJ is really killing though.
Also due to the brighter edge on top of the low tones. As for example even the Dukoff can get lost in the mix when
playing low around low C or down to Bb. The SJ doesn't. The low notes are very articulate and don't drown in the mix that easily.
I used a Rigotti Gold Jazz 2,5 that is a bright sounding reed.
The SJ changes character dramatically when using a thicker reed like a 3 or 3,5.
Then it lives up to the Jazz name. Really nice also. The SJ sure has a character of its own.
In particular the lush low end and the fat mids are wonderful.
The tone has a kind of hollow character to it. It might be something you'd like or not.
The hollowness (I don't know another way to call it) makes it perfecy for old school style jazz stuff.
That said I am not sure if the SJ will replace anything yet. I have some some great playing pices that are wonderful for jazzy stuff too. But for the old school R&B it sure stole my heart and will be in the case together with the Dukoff from now on. I know it sounds
crazy and hard to believe but yes.. it is true.
O I forgot add I have the 7 tip which is supposed to be a .105
Rethinking this. Giant Jeff Coffin was involved in the design of the DSJ based on his own Gregory mouthpiece and he is not old school at all.
So consider this just to be my perception. I am still in the process of exploring how versatile it is.
I picked up a 7 recently, I was really surprised. I wasn't actively looking for a new mpc, but I thought it played well enough to explore a bit more. Wondering what reeds have worked well for folks in this facing. Thinking Jazz Select 3S might be a good match. FWIW, this baffle/chamber configuration really seems to open up my horn (later VI). I never have had much luck with rollover pieces on this horn before as I felt them lacking in power...
I use a 2H on this mouthpiece with a 7 facing. I played a dance gig this past Saturday with a Viking M58S tenor with the new D'Addario Select Jazz TENOR mouthpiece. I received unsolicited compliments from musicians and non-musicians regarding the tone. This mouthpiece is a winner (me, not so much). "Great tone", "solid sound" were some of the comments, and this was playing into a garden variety SM58 mic.
I'm curious.... I have a Boss 9 and a metal PPT 9* that I really like and I'm not an HR mpc user. I'll wait until a local shop stocks one, I'd like to try the 9.
I picked up a 7 from Amazon for $165 out of curiosity and because I'm always interested in mouthpieces to recommend to my students. All I can say is WOW! This is a hell of a mouthpiece and a great value.
I just reworked another of these for Pat Labarbera who liked the ease of playing, but like a lot of "Link guys", it had too much of that 'frying pan' sizzle that they prefer not to have. changing the lower profile a lot and adjusting the upper profile to voice this a bit more like a traditional piece makes for a warmer but still powerful tenor piece for very little money. Now he has something for gigs where it can get very loud and he doesn't feel like working too hard. He still preferred the Tonamax I set up for him but he liked it nonetheless.
After experimenting a bit, I have decided to sell the 7 I picked up if anyone is interested (i am listing it FS in the Marketplace). Ultimately, I think its a great piece for the money but it didn't replace any of my other mpcs for now. I might be more interested in checking out an 8 sometime, I think I would like the longer facing a bit more. Anyhow, I got a good deal on mine so I'll pass it along if someone wants to pick one up cheap...
I tried one of these this past weekend when someone came over to try my mouthpieces out. He didn't love his Select piece but I thought his sound was good on it. I think its a nice mpc for the money. Someone else was over a few weeks ago with a Greg Weir slant copy piece and I thought that player sounded good on that piece too, but he wasn't in love with it either. In the end, it's all about getting a piece that pleases you, the player. We all like different things, so you can't please everyone.
I have a 6 that was given to me by D'Addario which I love. I bought another as a backup and it plays just as great for me. I endorse D'Addario products but would not play this if it did not work for me. I'm playing this on all of my gigs without hesitation; paired with D'Addario Jazz Select 3M reeds and a vintage Selmer Magnatone, perfect FOR ME.
I received a D7M I bought from a member here (ving) beginning of this week. Spent some time practicing and the piece felt really good. Response was really great especially in the upper and lower ranges compared to my trusty V16 T8 Ebonite. It has a more solid core than my T8 and I feel that it is more flexible in tonal color as well. Played my first gig with it last night and I was blown away. The tone with a RSJ 3S Filed reed was out of this world, and it had plenty of dynamic range while maintaining a great sound throughout.
Mouthpieces are such a personal thing and everyone is different. I have played a lot of great pieces, but last night at the gig was truly the first time I have felt that moment of bliss with my tenor sound. GJ D'addario. This is a piece I would definitely recommend folks to at least try out.
It is a great mouthpiece indeed.
I first landed on the Rigotti Gold Jazz reeds that turned the DSJ in a real powerhouse.
Oddly enough the Jazz Select reeds did not work to my liking at first. I usually play
3H unfiled when using SJ reeds and on the DSJ it turned out stuffy compared to the Rigotti. I started going down in
strenght and shazam! the 2H and 3S are perfect. In particular for a warm and lush jazz sound with a beautiful low end.
I still prefer the Rigotti Gold for more punch though.
This is definitly a keeper.
I ask this in all seriousness-what to those of you who are raving about this piece think makes the DSJ piece worth about 1.5 times the street price of a Vandoren V16 or Java? I think the manufacturing/QC on both the DSJ and the Vandoren pieces must be pretty comparable. I play a V16-T7 a lot and it is a very good piece for me but it is not my "one and only forever" piece. I know that many of you are professionals/educators and some of you got one or more DSJ pieces from D'Addario to start a buzz about the piece-and not for one second have I thought that any of the reviewers are putting lipstick on a pig because they got a free one. Atonal was on the track that I am trying to go down saying "it looks like a Java" and ended up at "WOW" without much comment on "why wow?". What makes this piece stand out compared to the comparable Vandoren pieces (I have read most of the posts in this thread)? What is it about this piece that would make a non-professional but a player that plays a lot of small time free gigs lay out the money for this piece? I know that an honest answer can be "try it and you'll understand" but I wonder if there is more to it. The DSJ does seem to hit a lot of your personal sweet spots.
Thanks for your time reading this!
I agree with you about the QC of both. Every Vandoren piece I have received and play tested played well. A few better than others, but not by much. Very consistent. I have only played this one DSJ I have now, so I cannot comment on their consistency, but I would imagine it is on par with Vandoren. I think the price difference will come down to personal preference. As I stated and most others will tell you, the mouthpiece is a very personal subject. In my mind, after working with this piece for two weeks now, it feels to me as a refined version of my V16 T8 Ebonite. I sound very similar on both pieces, but I hear more depth in the core, a little more sizzle, and a better response specifically in the upper range and altissimo from the DSJ.
Based on these personal things, for me the price difference is justified in this case. If it were opposite and I felt as if it gave me nothing over my V16 T8, then I would not see the value in the difference. Hopefully what I've typed here makes sense. it is early and I have not had enough coffee yet...lol.
For ME, it is far and above the Vandoren pieces mentioned. Why, it is far more versatile. I always feel like the Vandoren pieces and others put perameters on how I can play, basically putting me in a box. The DSJ is very flexible and again versatile. Yes, mine was free, I also purchased a back up as I tour and need backup equipment. I am a professional player and educator, I'm playing this piece and only it. There are a few heavy players in Chicago that are playing this mouthpiece that I know of.
Wy bother writing about a plain rubber piece that's available in more less every sax shop there is, what's the point??? I rather want to read and see reviews about stuff that I can't easily get my hands at.
I think it's a nice thing that people share their views, but remember, in the end, some people will like a mouthpiece and other people won't. That's how it will always be.
Their own review doesn't mean it's good or it's bad ---it just tells you how they feel about it.
It's like listening to a movie critic review a movie. They may hate it, but you may love it. You shouldn't pass on it just because they don't like it. You are really listening to just individual opinions and in the end, you need to try everything yourself to see if it works well for you.
I think it's a nice thing that people share their views, but remember, in the end, some people will like a mouthpiece and other people won't. That's how it will always be.
Their own review doesn't mean it's good or it's bad
Mark,
I think what many people are saying is that for a fraction of the cost of many other mouthpieces that plays as well or better for them it's a no brainer. Bravo for Selmer for getting it right.
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