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Slant Signature Otto Link Owners Club

10K views 32 replies 15 participants last post by  hornstar 
#1 ·
I don't have one yet. Still looking but I would love to hear about your slant signature mouthpiece. Anything you want to share is appreciated. From your search to how it plays to why you decided on one. etc etc!

I've only tired 3 briefly and loved them. Got chills a little from one of them.
 
#5 ·
They really are fantastic players. Over the years I've had all 4 of the slant vintages, and it was really interesting to see the differences in how they sounded from one generation to the next. Personally I prefer the latest USA generation as they seem to be a bit brighter in my eyes but some of the very earliest New York eburnated bar models have been killer players too. Hope you enjoy that one you just picked up! Maybe post a video if you feel like it :)
 
#6 ·
I'd love to collect 'em! Thanks for sharing. I've read Theo Wanne's museam page. I wonder if there are any other good resources like that on the web. Who do you like to listen too? What are you playing now? I'm on a 150XXX. My piece is about a 90 tip opening and had a dark richness. I'm going to focus on ballads.
 
#14 ·
No up to now since I've come back to the sax about 2 years ago I have only used a stock lig and a dark rovner lig. Right now the vandoren mo one screw is really nice and I'm happy with it. Just want a couple of other options to have in the bag. Did you try the echo brass? Available at get-a-sax (they advertise here)
 
#15 ·
First of all, congrats for your Slant. They ARE absolutely fine mouthpieces. I had a Florida Tone Edge 5 that had been refaced by Brian Powell to a very nice 0.099. I let that one go because it felt a bit too much on the treble side. At that time, I had an Eburnated Bar NY Slant as well that a well-known German refacer opened for me to 0.108. That one is my darkest mouthpiece and wonderful for any ballad stuff. Two years ago, I found an original Florida Slant 8 Tone Edge that has become my #1 over the last weeks. When I found a near mint Florida Slant 5* over here I thought it would be a good partner for stiffer reeds. It turned out that mouthpiece had been molested, and Adam Niewood restored it to original Florida Slant specs. He avoided to work on the table which meant opening it to 0.108 (the 8 Tone Edge is 0.106). That one is a very good Slant as well, very rich, but a bit more focused than the Eburnated Bar and the Tone Edge 8.
I use four ligatures, and they match the Slants perfectly: a Silverstein Cryo TLE, a Francois Louis Ultimate, an Ishimori Woodstone and a Marc Jean gold plated. They all have their distinct influence on tone and performance, and in most cases I grab the Ultimate or the Cryo.
My favourite reeds for my Slants are either a Woodstone 3 or a RJS 2H. This is my Tone Edge Slant 8 with a RJS 2H and the Cry TLE on my 1949 Super Balanced Action. I love that tone.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/541jcgzbedlsp6q/Cry Me A River SBASlant.mp3?dl=0

Hard to believe this is the about the same setup two years earlier. Same horn, same mouthpiece, same type of reed, this time with the Woodstone lig.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/19s91cjhe5kq6rn/Naima 3 SBA.mp3?dl=0

For my sound concept, Florida no USA Slants fit perfectly because they are more balanced than the later USA models or the "Straight Sig" or EB models.
 
#16 ·
I use four ligatures, and they match the Slants perfectly: a Silverstein Cryo TLE, a Francois Louis Ultimate, an Ishimori Woodstone and a Marc Jean gold plated. They all have their distinct influence on tone and performance, and in most cases I grab the Ultimate or the Cryo.
+1 for the Francois Louis Ultimate ligs. I especially appreciate the way the reed seems to ring so freely. I have three of them so there is always at least one with each tenor.

Yes, I have a whole box o' ligs, but those are the ones I use.
 
#20 ·
I have an original Slant Link Tone Edge in an 8 facing that a friend gave me as a down payment for an $1,700 debt. It comes with its original box (which has a price of $21 on one side). Can anyone send me a PM or email advising me of the estimated cost of it? Tip and rails are in excellent shape. I'm debating whether to sell it here, Ebay or Reverb.
Thanks!
 
#22 ·
I use Francois Louis Ultimate lig on mine... I was lucky to get a great Slant from an Australian player/collector... He had about 10 of them, selling them on eBay one after another. I grabbed the first or the second one. I do not know who did the work on it, but it feels like 8 opening and blows effortlessly... I barely play it - stubby being my main piece these days - but you prompted me to pull it out of the drawer and spend some time with it... Good luck in your quest!
 
#23 ·
I've been playing a no USA 5 slant in original condition. Beautiful straight cut baffle. It measures more like a modern 4*. Plays surprisingly full and loud. It's been an interesting experience learning ways to manipulate and control a small tip. It's also been enlightening to study and measure floor height, baffle height and angle, and facing curve. Mine has a slightly convex table as do most of my vintage rubber pieces. Although perfectly flat tables may have their advantages, I suppose it's easier to mss produce a working mouthpiece with a slightly convex table vs perfectly flat.
 
#24 ·
I recently got a 4 Florida No USA Slant Sig with one of those old metal pick up attachments stuck in it. I plugged the hole and have been playing it. I’ve thought about having the hole plugged professionally and the mouthpiece opened to a 6 but it plays well as is. I’m used to smaller tips but this is close even for me.
The other idea is leave it alone and get a pick up for it. I could hear getting the Eddie Harris thing out of it as far as sound. Eddies ideas and technique more than likely won’t ever happen.
 
#27 ·
I recently got a 4 Florida No USA Slant Sig with one of those old metal pick up attachments stuck in it. I plugged the hole and have been playing it. I've thought about having the hole plugged professionally and the mouthpiece opened to a 6 but it plays well as is. I'm used to smaller tips but this is close even for me.
The other idea is leave it alone and get a pick up for it. I could hear getting the Eddie Harris thing out of it as far as sound. Eddies ideas and technique more than likely won't ever happen.
Yeah, I am hesitant to open mine because it plays so well. I think I'd rather put in some time on it to see just how much I can do with it. I like the solidity of the pitch and the mouthpiece timbre seems way more sensitive to mouth placement on the reed, the airstream and oral cavity, . On small pieces like this it seems like you let the reed do more of the work and just try to find that sweet spot. It's also very comfortable which frees my body and brain up so I can think more about the musical concepts. Sometimes I wonder whether small tips are like the best kept secret of a few pros.
If they play great leave them be. There's nothing you can't do on a small tip if you know how to do it. I had a chance last week to spend some time with Pharoah Sanders, guy still sounds absolutely amazing. Huge, solid sound -- on a 4*.
 
#25 ·
Yeah, I am hesitant to open mine because it plays so well. I think I'd rather put in some time on it to see just how much I can do with it. I like the solidity of the pitch and the mouthpiece timbre seems way more sensitive to mouth placement on the reed, the airstream and oral cavity, . On small pieces like this it seems like you let the reed do more of the work and just try to find that sweet spot. It's also very comfortable which frees my body and brain up so I can think more about the musical concepts. Sometimes I wonder whether small tips are like the best kept secret of a few pros.
 
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