BEST Theo Wanne Mouthpiece EVER?
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- čas přidán 17. 06. 2023
- #bettersax #saxophone #theowanne
Jay Metcalf reviews Theo Wanne saxophone mouthpieces.
Theo Wanne Ambika IV geni.us/GfJkbcU
Theo Wanne Brahma (hard rubber) geni.us/JY9NZ
Theo Wanne Brahma (metal) geni.us/DEcl9IX
Theo Wanne Shiva IV geni.us/FCqqZHW
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A few years ago I found a scientific study that tested the sound of different mouthpiece materials and how it effects the sound. The final conclusion was that it only matters to how it sounds in your own head as it reverberates your skull. To outside listeners the only thing that matters is the shape of the hole inside the mouthpiece.
Ahh that is an interesting hypothesis. Would explain a lot.
The baffle shape definitely matters but if that's included in the "shape of the hole" then yeah this tracks. The sax is a woodwind, so it's the air vibrating that makes the sound like a flute, unlike something like an acoustic guitar, violin or piano which has a wooden soundboard that is an integral part of sound generation
Cool, thanks for sharing that. It would be interesting to search for the scientific evidence with more studies, which may corroborate or contradict that
To my ears , personally, there is a difference between the materials
This is what all the makers of cheap mouthpieces have been saying for YEARSSS. It's what Rico (D'Addario) is betting on and the 3D-printed joints. May be true and I love my $25 Amazon mouthpiece and had some of my best tones on $25 Rico mouthpieces.
As in so many things about music…it’s entirely subjective.
One person likes it, another person likes something else.
These videos are tough because I listen and I keep thinking “yeah, sounds like Jay”. Your phrasing and sound is so personal and developed that you make all these race car quality mouthpieces sound great. Awesome video as always!
The Brahma metal is brighter than the rubber but both are good. The ambika is darker
Thanks for watching and listening!
Honestly my biggest takeaway is that the BetterSax Burnin’ mouthpiece is great quality, awesome design, and seriously underrated considering the relatively low price compared to the Theo pieces. I love my Burnin’ alto piece and keep coming back to it over a vintage Meyer Bros.
Thanks Doug!
Honestly learn how to do mouthpieces and do a good one. 1000$? I think is the same 😂
WOW. That's exciting
Theo Wanne’s Hard Rubber pieces always strike me to be the best sounding. I love their sound.
Glad you do these recordings dry
o reverb!
Super helpful, Jay.
I still have my silver Selmer mouthpiece and it is perfect for last 28 years :) I tried many but nothing is better.
I’ve been playing a TW Shiva Destroyer 7* on tenor and a Shiva 2 in an 8 on alto. Both are in hard rubber to take the edge off. Very flexible sound.
100-200$ budget reviews would be appreciated
Have some cheaper options coming soon to a video...
The Ambika sounded amazing to me. I love the subtone sound. It's one of the things about my playing that I really like, so if I find a nice bag of money at the side of the road that's the one I'm going to get. For now, my Claude Lakey that I bought in high school back when the earth was cooling, and a Legere reed get the job done for me.
Me gusto el sonido de la Ambika IV...
Great video Jay! I would like a video comparing the Lakshmi, the Brahma and the Gaia 4, that would be great.
Thanks Jay - really interesting to hear those pieces side by side. Sounding great man!
Thanks Nigel
I’ve got several older Wanne pieces, I completely love the Kali…
high baffle, large chamber, lots of great sound.
And… I wish I had a booth!
My wife works from home…
Great video ...like many I can hear slight changes in the brightness between different models. Listening to you I liked your tone best on the Burning Sax. There's a warmth and woody-ness to the tone and the projection never sounds harsh or strident. I find with higher baffle pieces that I have to work inversely to get a darker tone. For all the tricky engineering a good rollover baffle can do a lot with a well developed embouchure. Now what I really want is your recording booth ! LOL
The Better Sax MP was my favorite 😩 🤷🏾♂️
Thats a really cool mouthpiece, I wish I could afford it.
Thanks again, Jay, for all these comparisons and honest opinions. I really enjoy the side by side comparisons as you can tell the subtle differences in your sound as you travel through the different makes and brands. Personally, I feel the Burnin' Sax 7+ and the Brahma IV 7+ sounded the best to me. At first I thought the Hard Rubber Brahma was better than the metal, but you are right, they are almost discernible from each other. The Shiva defintiely has a brighter and more punchy tone for a Funk/rock feel. It would be interesting how a Growling solo would sound on it compared to the Braham or Burnin' Sax. I was turned off by metal early on in my learning phase as I had an Otto Link that my technique wasn't ready to handle. Also, the metal was very coppery/metalic in my mouth taste wise. Thanks again and I look forward to more comparison videos!
Man, the SHIVA is killing. I enjoy you the most on that one. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Jay as always very informative. About to buy my first metal mouthpiece, from what l've have learned, a 6 opened is what l need. Its all in the trying
Try stuff out if you can before. Good luck!
Thanks for your Review. Since I saw your take on the Brahama I'm struggeling with buying the Ambika 4, what I was literally about to do.
I would love to see you review on Ambika 4 vs Lakshmi vs Brahama. Sadly I can try them all by myself. I love the sound of Ambika 4, but I think the Brahama still fits a little better in a concert band setting.
Theo Wanne makes the best mouthpieces. The MARGE Chuck Levin exclusive is one of my favorites for alto and the Ambika for my tenor is my other favorite.
I like the Shiva IV... problem is worth more than my tenor sax and what I can afford.
I played Durgas for a long time until Wanne started to change styles, I now play 10Mfan Chameleon and never looked back, Love the TW mouthpieces tough.
Love the brahma, smooth and textured, leaning more towards the HR
the sound I've been looking for Ambika...wow
Damn that Brahma is packing some power
Both Brahmas sound really great. Wish I could afford one!
Gracias por la comparación.
Acabo de adquirir la Durga V 8 para tenor y estoy supuer contento. Vengo de una otto link super tone master 8* metal y acabo de ver la luz. Aún puedo tocar subtones pero del registro medio para arriba es sonido brillo y alegría.
Boquillas para recomendar, si. Theo Wanne.
Gracias por la comparativa, ayuda mucho a la comunidad de saxofonistas a tomar una decisión.
Un saludo y felicidades por tu trayectoria.
Damn, Jay's playing is good these days. Not that it ever wasn't but to me it feels like it has developed quite a bit in the last years. Really awesome!
They all SOUND GREAT, for some reason the BRAHMA HR sounded the warmest, even warmer than the AMBIKA which you said was THEOS warmest, i play on his DURGA 5 metal and i am looking at one of his HR mouthpieces now. Thank you for this JAY.
The barama hard rubber is the best sound ever. That really works for you because that tone is so good you never tired of listening. Some sax tones are really nice but the listener gets saturated after a few songs and looses interest. That hard rubber never gets saturated sound and people just want more.
I like the shiva
Recomendation for alto?
Awesome tone across the whole range, I'm partial to the ambika, but I'm more of a tone edge type guy, albeit my main piece is a 10mfan celebration, man that mouthpiece is a masterpiece
I like the Metal Brahma the best.
Would also be interested in a comparison video of Lakshmi vs. Brahma vs. Ambika
I reckon the Rovner style webbing strap ligatures muffle mouthpieces, particularly metal ones.
The Ambika IV - the low notes are lush, big round and centered sounding in all registers. Ambika doesn’t have a thin metallic edgy pitch you commonly hear with the small chambered mouthpieces.. Ambika IV my favorite
HR.7 and Ambika sounds the best for me. Warm full and in tune.
Metal Mp sounds brighter, but his high tones are to bright and not so accurate.
Burnin.7 sounds really good, similar to the HR7.
Bonjour je suis entièrement d'accord avec vous, mais pour se faire une opinion sur il faut les essayer !!!! Et puis un bec est personnalisé a chacun !! Merci à vous pour vos essais.
Theres a difference for sure on the hard rubber vs metal brahma. The HR is a little buzzier in the overtone sounds, the metal is a little edgier and defined.
Do you have a discount coupon?😊
similar to V16 Vandoren metal small chamber ! but half price of corse need to try in mouth .
It’s to expensive for me to ever own
One man's opinion: in this video you sounded best/most at home on your Burnin' piece. Bang for the buck, it's definitely the winner here.
Another good video and an interesting comparison, but i miss one mouthpiece: the Lakshmi!
I’m guess I could have included that one but it came out last year.
Jay, what reeds you playing, is it always the same reed size on each of the mouthpieces?
I showed them in the video. The new BetterSax jazz cut reeds which will be available very soon. 2.5 strength. Same reed on each mouthpiece.
Brahma, yep best TW mouthpiece so far on tenor and now soprano!
What kind of horn is this?
I've been looking for a mouthpiece that would best help me produce a tone that is a mix of Andy Snitzer and Michael Brecker. At the beginning of this journey, and a couple of years back, I purchased a Durga, which is a bit too edgy and not enough roundness or midtones. The next purchase was a Gaia. This was based on your advice. It is wonderfully round with nice midtones, but lacks edge The Altissimo does not come out confidently. So now after hearing your tone difference on the Brahma, I.Just purchased the Brahma eight star. So far it is the best tenor mouthpiece I've ever played on. It really is the perfect blend of everything I've been looking for. All notes play effortlessly. The altissimo notes play strong! Intonation is more accurate. My confidence level in phrasing has increased just by knowing that whatever note I intend on playing will come out beautifully. Thanks for your advice!
Glad this helped.
So here's an update: although I loved the tone of the Brahma, I found myself becoming more and more frustrated. Part of my style is to over blow and create a sort of rasp without growling in my throat. Think Sunburn or Snitzer. The Brahma just wouldn't let me do that. Everything else was great. But that rasp is a signature part of what I do. I remember you discussing about the Shiva and its sweet tone. So I sent back the Brahma and purchased the Shiva. So far, it is playing more like my Dukoff on my alto which is more what I've been searching for on the tenor. Surprisingly enough my tone, although it is bright, is still very smooth. Still in this case, it was your advice that helped me make this decision. Thanks again for your channel!
@MartyPaoletta who is sunburn? 😮thanks.
The Brahma HR sounds awesome and in my opinion sounds better than the metal Brahma. But if we’re to buy I would go with the metal because of $$$. I own 7 TW Mpcs .I always found the HR models are lower in price but in this case not.I’m sure Theo has his reasons.
His Mpcs the best!!!😎🎷
Frankly, Jay, I like your piece the best. The altissimo above C seems a bit meek, but the sound up to C sounds the fullest -to me. Your piece sounds kinda like a Brilhart Ebolin or a Tonalin, and though I usually play a Link on tenor, I like that sound. A heck of a value these days. I bought my first Guardala Studio tenor model for $250 , brand new, in '88. People thought that was a CRAZY amount to spend on a mouthpiece. Ha! Theo has come a long way since the "large chamber" pieces of the early 2000's which sounded good, responded well, but due to the "large chamber" design, were quite inefficient. These new ones all sound good-and they sound like the resistance is pretty close to perfect. Good work, Mr. Wanne. For reference, I play one of two 7* STM (Florida) Links that Marin Spivack refaced and adjusted for me about ten years ago, and lately have been quite taken with Dr. Bunte's "ARC" Reso-Tone copy. Also @ about .105". 3-1/2 whatever works reeds. Usually something cut by Rigotti, not necessarily with the Rigotti name on them. Thank you, Jay. You sound great, baybee! Oh-the brass Brahma seemed to have a teeny bit more upper mid ring in the sound, but is this the material or variation from piece to piece? Both sound really good with you drivin' em. You're getting that fancy Yani tenor to go really well! I'm not giving up my SBA's, but I'm gonna have to try a 9933 like yours-silver bell, silver neck.
Very, very nice stuff you have going there-working really well. Excellent!
Thank you Jon! I remember the early Guardala days when they were twice as much as anything else haha!
Brahma metal seemed a little louder, which might be more accurate than brighter, but brighter seems right,too.
Can you compare the Durga and bari sax mouthpieces please?
I don't have any Theo Wanne bari pieces unfortunately. Maybe will try and get some though.
1:27 Jays been doing squats. That's the biggest leg i ever seen :D
WHAT????
THAT IS NOT JAY
haha 🤣 no I have skinny legs, it's just the wide angle of the lens distorts the image a bit and makes things that are closer seem huge.
The metal mouthpieces for me has a different ring to it on tenor. But I prefer HR on my alto. I have the gaia 4 and the Durga 5 very happy with those MPs
Yes, those are great mouthpieces!
Hard to "hear" the Theo Wanna advantage over the burnin' mpc in this medium. The mellowness of the rubber Theo was apparent, mostly. I love a metal mpc on tenor, and my go to is the old Otto Link Super Tone Master in 7* . I'm typically using a 2.5 strength reed. I'm mostly using Vandoren reeds. I may be willing to try a rubber burnin' mpc on alto, but hard to justify the expense since I don't focus on alto as much. Btw, the Shiva didn't sound all that aggressive. I used to have a tenor silver metal high baffle piece that was a screamer. Sold it for quite a chunk of change. Can't for the life of me remember what it was. I'm thinking Guardala something or other. As always, enjoy your content Jay! 👍
Happy Father's Day.
Thanks! yes, the Shiva or Guardala can be brigheter if you want. I think it depends on who's playing it and how. I always tend to try and darken very bright mouthpieces and brighten very dark mouthpieces since my sound is somewhere in between.
@@bettersax I did some investigation.. It was a Dave Guardala Super King with a 0.125 tip opening.😉I’m not a fan of my forgetfulness lol
Good evening
I play 10 years in hotels all kinds of music as the situation demands.
I play a Selmer superaction 2 tenor and a mouthpiece metal Vadoren v16 t45 over 20 years.
I play 2 hours continue,alone mostly, 4/5 times a week,
so after 1 hour+20' started to feel a bit tired.
I saw your presentation about Theo Wanne mouthpieces and i would like to ask you what do you suggest of those mouthpieces or other,so it can helps me to make better, rest, constantlly, and according to
this kind of way as more than 10 years l do.(?)
Thank you very much for all your information you give us
play softer reeds. You should not be getting tired if you play every day , unless your reeds are too hard.
@@bettersax almost l do but Abiga hard rubber isn't better than metal for all kinds of music?
Thanks
Does he also make these mouthpieces for alto sax and the other saxophones as well?
Yes definitely
Is the Durga not better than the Brahma ? Nice video 👍🏻
Everyone will have different preferences. I prefer the Brahma to the Durga.
Do they make a metal mouthpiece in a dark lacquer to match what's on a P. Mauriat and similar finishes?
It wouldnt make sense to lacquer a mouthpiece. The lacquer would get damaged really fast. Plating is the way to go
Only gold plating. Silver plating on the Mindi Abair model.
@@saxappeal8890
Lacquer was a poor choice of words. Finished in a way to make it comparable with the dark lacquer of a P. Mauriat.
What Ligature are you using on that Burnin??
It's a Yanagisawa ligature
@@bettersax I got one of the Burnin Tenor Mouthpieces. Excellent quality and plays really nice up and down the horn. The Yani Sixs Ligature is a really nice Ligature. I have been using the FL Pure Brass and the Rovner Versa X. Definitely a lot of bang for the buck with this mouthpiece. 😀
Jay, do you still prefer the Lakshmi over the Brahma?
I haven’t compared them but will do so now that a few people asked.
@@bettersax Yes please Jay !! Gaia 4 too perhaps, a TW All Star Video ?
Uhhh.... what were you pointing at, at the end of the video Jay 😅😉😊. (I know there was likely supposed to be some link or something there, but it seems that not all browsers will have the related link.)
James, thanks for telling me, I forgot to add that end screen video in. It's there now.
@Better Sax Wow, now in my mind I can tell myself I actually Influenced a Jay Metcalf Better Sax video. 💫💫💫😉 Thank you for your content. If you ever need someone to help you hold your collection of vendor provided pieces, I'm available.
Not like .. but love the mouthpiece comparison. Thanks
I don't doubt that Brahma is amazing like everything Theo Wanne does, but I think Lakshmi is one of the best things he's done recently. Greetings.
Yes, Lakshmni is great too.
I’ll take the Burnin’ mouthpiece any day over these other horribly over-priced mouthpieces. I played for 25 years (don’t play anymore), but my best sounding, easiest playing mouthpiece was the plastic diamond Beechler. (The metal Beechler was my second favorite.)
I am still struggling to find any huge difference between different sorts of mouthpieces especially when it comes to Pricing. I have tried so many different ones in shops and feel is something more personal player feeling rather than from listener perspective. My experiment is that invited few guests in a Saxophone shop and went through 5 different mouthpieces including the Theo Wanne one, JoddyJazz etc.. surprise, I can feel slight difference between how much effort and air control need to put in, guests are more like : IS THE SAME sound :)
My own concerns of the Theo pieces is no cap.
Hay I am about to start 7th grade band with my tenor sax in GA and I am wondering if allstate is worth it because all my friends want to do it but I am not sure if I am ready
You might not make it, but you’ll definitely improve practicing for the audition and you’ll know more about the process for next year. It can’t hurt 🤷🏻♂️
well the thing is that are band is extremely high rated and everyone else is doing it, but I can’t even sight read.
What horn are you playing?
Yanagisawa TWO33
HR def a touch warmer
I want an ambika so bad
Well as we all know....whatever you are playing on you sound like YOU.....the bad news for Theo is that a mouthpiece 1/3 the price of his sounds as good to my ears. I've been playing over 30 years and like everyone at the start thought you could sound like your hero if you had their setup......you won't EVER...you'll only sound like you.... EVER because it's your mouth/throat etc that makes your sound not the mouthpiece.
However if you feel better/cooler/ playing an $800 mouthpiece, "go for it" I say...just don't think you sound any different to the listener unless it gives you more confidence playing on something expensive....which it might!!!
The 'Apple like' design superceeding really cheapens the investment for average players. Its nice for sure but i think were past a point of over investment in multi axis CNC machines.
I think there is just a very small difference in the metal and HR. For the price I'd always go metal, although I'm playing a Saxscape HR that I really like. It's shaped like metal. Normal HRs are just too fat for my comfort level. Ambika would be my choice if I had the $$ for that high of a priced piece.
$775 for a modern MPC never made sense to me. I play a Bob Sheppard Retro-Revival on Tenor oh and do have a BetterSax for Alto.
If i see the prize of those mouthpieces i wonder if i can afford playing the saxophone.
This sounds like There Will Be Never Another You
do you have old one saxophone? can you give me old saxphone 😢 im just borrowing saxophone to my friend to play
first!
I tried wanne. Table warped. 2x. From normal wear and tear. After a few years, you get micro squeaks and they get worse. Turns out the ligature oblongs the holes. First one took 5 years to warp. They warrantied and the subsequent piece warped after 5 years too. I didnt call or try and warranty it. I play on a klum and navarro now.
Devolop your Own Sound
Nice sax looks like a Yanni
It is. TWO33
@@bettersax very impressed i have a yanni 902 , not in the same ball park silver seem to have a purer tone ,wish I could justify such a huge price tag.
i hope you notice me 😢
Please let the peeps know the HR smells like sulfur for a few weeks while it degasses
brahma 7*...
Is it pronounced like that - lol i've always said 'wayne'
775? Wow better 1500 😂😂😂😂😂😂
I trade you my Rolex for it.
Better sax mouthpieces much better.
His best ever is the Lakshmi but then, again, mouthpieces are so personal and a lot has to do with how it reacts to the player. These videos provide very limited value, if any, in helping one chose.
I agree 100%
The best way to choose is to try them for yourself of course. However, many people don't even know what is available out there and it's at least a starting point to watch a video and hear someone else play on them.
@@bettersax fair point
I dont understand how a mouthpeice is worth 1000 dollars 😐
These are super expensive yes. The machines they are made on are also super expensive, as well as the materials, the skilled workers, the gold plating, and the R&D to develop them. Luckily there are lots of much less expensive options out there that play great.
You just sound like you on all those mouthpieces! $775…really? What are they made of?
Prohibitively expensive for many players.
no such thing
Theo pieces are nice but waaaay over priced. I have several pieces that are just as good if not better than TW for half the price. Don’t buy the hype. The only thing new about some of these pieces is the number. You pay nearly a grand for a mp and the ligatures suck and no cap. Go figure.
Thin core
Pretentious Hindu names
Unbelievably overpriced
Best mouthpiece ?????? Imagine yiou play 700 dollar and you have a bad one ! I tried all models of Jody Jazz and not even one suits my needs. The best mouthpiece is that one which fits your needs, even if it costs 50 dollar. All propaganda !!!!!