[Ixthusdan]

I purchased a Cannonball Vintage Reborn Tenor sax in February and love playing. The mouthpieces I have are OL-STM-NY (7) and a Vandoren Java Jumbo (T55). The instrument came with a Cannonball Mouthpiece, CTM5J. This mouthpiece actually plays quite well on the horn. But their website only listed a 5* mouthpiece so I asked them about this one. They responded that this is an .086 opening like the 5* and that Meyer makes their mouthpieces. So, it is a decent mouthpiece. I have added a Rovner dark ligature, which is nice. I also have a BG Super Revelation that is 20 years old. At any rate, Meyer is a decent mouthpiece manufacturer, and it explains why the Cannonball is very consistent in its rails and flat table.

 

[Reet McVouty]

I purchased a Cannonball Vintage Reborn Tenor sax in February and love playing. The mouthpieces I have are OL-STM-NY (7) and a Vandoren Java Jumbo (T55). The instrument came with a Cannonball Mouthpiece, CTM5J. This mouthpiece actually plays quite well on the horn. But their website only listed a 5* mouthpiece so I asked them about this one. They responded that this is an .086 opening like the 5* and that Meyer makes their mouthpieces. So, it is a decent mouthpiece. I have added a Rovner dark ligature, which is nice. I also have a BG Super Revelation that is 20 years old. At any rate, Meyer is a decent mouthpiece manufacturer, and it explains why the Cannonball is very consistent in its rails and flat table.

No, Meyer does not make their mouthpieces. Meyer sold out in the early 70's and since then the Meyer brand has been manufactured by JJ Babbitt. https://jjbabbitt.com/ And, depending how old your OL-STM-NY is they most likely made that as well. Anyway, Babbitt does have some quality control issues from time to time, but they still make descent mouthpieces.

 

[Ixthusdan]

To be clear, this is my communication with Cannonball. I wonder sometimes if we split hairs on some of this? I am only going on what I was told and I have no reason to think that Cannonball is trying to misinform me. So they should say that their mouthpieces are made by JJ Babbit?

Begin email copy:

Hello Daniel,

Thanks for playing on Cannonball! We need to update our site. The mouthpiece we put with the tenor saxes used to be a 5* but for the last few years it has been a CTM 5J. I really like this mouthpiece also.

Yes our tables are designed to be flat. Meyer makes our 5J mouthpieces and they are very consistent.

Best wishes,

Leesa McBeth

Cannonball Musical Instruments

Artist Relations - Education Specialist

[email protected]

801-563-3081

letterhead round and spelled

From: Daniel Geer <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2020 9:56 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Cannonball Mouthpieces

Greetings,

I purchased a Vintage Reborn Tenor in February and have found that I like the mouthpiece you provided better than either my OL STM NY or my Vandoern Jumbo Java T55. I have two questions:

1) My piece is a 5J and that is listed as an Alto piece, although it looks like a tenor. Are you making a CTM 5J? You site only lists a 5*. Is it .086?

2) Are your tables designed to be flat?

Thanks for your responses.

Dr. Daniel P. Geer, DMin

 

[extradarcafe]

I have a HR Cannonball tenor piece that came with a 1998 Knight model, the first pro level tenor they made. It is a twin to my vintage Meyer 6M. Parted with that horn, and a TVR, about a year ago but felt there was no sense including the mpc, which I thought no one else would appreciate.

 

[Sigmund451]

Regardless of the communication with the company Reet is correct. The Meyer company does not exist other than in a trademark name. Either the person is ill informed or theyndont want to illude to Babbitt making their pieces. Its difficult to know which but your piece is not made by Meyer.

I jave nit seen the tenro version. The alto design is interesting and pretty good for an in case mpc. It is similar to a Meyer but has an oval vs rounded throat.

 

[turf3]

OK, would we all feel better if the sentence used had been "Our mouthpieces are made by Babbitt, the maker of Meyer mouthpieces, to that pattern"? (It means the same thing, I rather doubt that Cannonball management are trying to hide the fact that Meyer MPs are made by Babbitt (It would be kind of hard given that the VERY FIRST search hit on "Meyer mouthpieces" is the Babbitt website)).

I've been using Meyer on tenor for over 40 years now. It's a good though not very popular choice.

 

[leycroft]

Is it possible Babbitt have a seperate team on Meyer production and also work on Cannonball mouthpiece. I have been trying a Meyer tenor 7 MM this week and a modern Tone Edge both well made good tip rails and pass the reed suction pop test .

 

[Sigmund451]

Im not saying they are trying to hide it...its only a possibility. Its equally possible that the person at the computer has an extremely limited knowlege of mouthpieces and tossed out something she had heard.

Either way I dont care all that much

 

[Ixthusdan]

OK. Meyer made by Babbit. LOL The mouthpiece can blend or get a little edge. I have checked it over and it is flat and the rails are very regular. I think I got one that is well made. The Rovner ligature adds a little more back pressure, making it easier for me to control. I did not expect that with a ligature.

 

[saxcop]

I've had a couple CB mouthpieces and agree they play well. I'm pretty sure the Phil-Tone mouthpieces are reworked Babbit pieces. Feels like a Meyer.

 

[Sigmund451]

Feel free to attack my politics but just because you dont agree is not a reason th take side slams at my work.

Nice try but lacking finesse.

For the record I design most of my blanks and have a number of sources.

Bye forever.

 

[saxoclese]

This is the history of Meyer mouthpieces from the Theo Wanne website.

1916 - Frank J and Edward G Meyer started making saxophone mouthpieces.
1931 - April 28, 1931. Frank and Edward Meyer patented the bite-plate inlay for metal mouthpieces with Otto Link.
1936 - The Meyer Bros Mouthpiece Company is founded & their first metal mouthpiece is released.
1937 - The Meyer 'True Flex' Facing mouthpiece was released.
1948 - The 'Meyer Bros' mouthpieces released.
1960 - New York USA Version 1 released.
1970 - New York USA Version 2 released.
1971 - JJ Babbitt purchased the Meyer Mouthpiece company from Ed Meyer.
1972 - J.J Babbitt incorporated the Meyer Company on July 1, 1972
1995 - Reissue of Meyer New York Limited Edition.

 

[saxcop]

Feel free to attack my politics but just because you dont agree is not a reason th take side slams at my work.

Nice try but lacking finesse.

For the record I design most of my blanks and have a number of sources.

Bye forever.

No it wasn't me that every attacked your politics. It was you who just name calls because I don't believe in masks. Now you have the nerve to be sensitive.

How is this a slam on your work? So are you denying that your pieces are made from Babbit? Ok maybe not all.

review post #308 https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showt...-philosophical-views%85&p=4158524#post4158524

The OP said he like CB pieces and believed they were made by Babbit. I said I like CB pieces. I said I'm pretty sure yours are Babbit. In fact I think I can find that somewhere.

For the record I still have the Eclipse and my regular alto piece is a Rift. Hardly a slam when I play your pieces. So do you use Babbit????

 

[Reet McVouty]

WOW! I see there are a few ruffled feathers here today. I wasn't trying to start some kind of debate here. I was simply stating a FACT. There is no longer a Meyer Bros. company, nor is there a Otto Link Co. JJ Babbitt holds the licence to produce mouthpieces under those names and they make good mouthpieces. The people at Cannonball should know better, and I think they use the Meyer name because it's a major brand name and easily identifiable for some people. Whatever the case, if you like your Cannonball mouthpiece, then play it.

 

[saxoclese]

WOW! I see there are a few ruffled feathers here today. I wasn't trying to start some kind of debate here. I was simply stating a FACT. There is no longer a Meyer Bros. company, nor is there a Otto Link Co. JJ Babbitt holds the licence to produce mouthpieces under those names and they make good mouthpieces. The people at Cannonball should know better, and I think they use the Meyer name because it's a major brand name and easily identifiable for some people. Whatever the case, if you like your Cannonball mouthpiece, then play it.

From the information I posted about the history of Meyer mouthpieces, it appears that JJ Babbitt has made Meyer mouthpieces under that name since the early '70's. The Babbitt corporation purchased the Meyer Company and made it a separate corporation under its ownership in 1972. Isn't it reasonable then to say the mouthpieces marked Meyer are made by the Meyer Corporation which is owned by Babbitt? I personally think it is a bit silly to quibble over whether Meyer or Babbitt makes the Cannonball mouthpiece since they are essentially one in the same.

1971 - JJ Babbitt purchased the Meyer Mouthpiece company from Ed Meyer.
1972 - J.J Babbitt incorporated the Meyer Company on July 1, 1972

 

[Ixthusdan]

I am a little curios about this thread. Folks, sometimes people just like to talk about their stuff. I have neither the desire nor the need to look for a mouthpiece produced early in the last century. I had no idea that it was a faux pa to speak of Meyer in such an amateur way. You may find that many players are like me, just enjoying the time we have and how in the world does one learn what trips everyone's trigger, and on a mouthpiece of all things? Sorry I brought it up. If an administrator could delete this thread, I am good with that. Lesson learned.

 

[J-Moen]

No, there is nothing wrong with how you spoke of Meyer. The semantics of Meyer Corporation owned by JJ Babbitt is not a hot button issue. Just an interesting fact for those who want to be accurate to the T.

Your thread highlights some good info, so I would hope it's not deleted. Good to know cannonball doesn't just stick some unusable blank with their horns!

 

[leycroft]

Clarinet and saxophone mouthpieces a book by professor Anton Weinberg in it he states on J J.Babbitt they manufacture in a " particularly important grade of ebonite".and manufacture specialised blanks for other individual makers".

 

[Sigmund451]

Just to set the record straight. Yes, that model, the Eclipse is from an old blank Babbitt owns. It was originally an MC Gregory developed piece. The blank is used by me, was the base of all RPC hard rubber pieces, and one of Lamberson's models. Its nothing like a meyer chamber. It has lots of material and variations so a lot of different things can be done with the piece by individual makers to get different results.

I also own some molds that cost several grand each that Ive created that babbitt uses to produce roughed out blanks. Afterall, it takes a factory to make and vulcanize HR.

Other blanks and pieces are sourced out to Theo and other sources. All are finished out and dialed in by me...so thats that.

 

[raindog]

I am a little curios about this thread. Folks, sometimes people just like to talk about their stuff.

Isn't that what is happening here? People talking about and around the subject that you brought up. Interesting and relevant stuff, history, strong opinions back and forth, that's what I love about SOTW. I get it you didn't actually have a question in your original post, but if you ONLY wanted to state you like cannonball mouthpieces, and only want comments reinforcing that idea, I think you could have stated things differently.

Back to the topic. I'm not the least surprised Cannonball is taking eh... a loose approach to clarity and truthfullness in their communication. Is it wrong to say their MPCs are made by Meyer? I dunno, kinda, kinda not maybe, but whatever, I would say "acceptable" answer from a random company representative.

I have no experience, and as such, no opinions about CB products in general although have heard a lot of good things. Their marketing on the other hand has always striked me as having tad too much BS and intentional vagueness. This thread inspired me to take a look at their website, and I'm happy to notice it's much better than some years ago when I last checked.

For example, it took only two clicks to find the Taiwanese origin of parts in clear writing, when earlier you needed to seriously hunt for that information (I have nothing against Taiwanese production, if the company isn't trying to hide the fact). Also BS about stones and weights and acoustic customization has been toned down a good bit. Nice to notice CB is stepping up their game a bit there!