[RomBl]

Hi everyone,
I own a very very nice OL Tone Master since a couple of days and I wonder if it is a "normal" Tone Master or an "improved" one.
The Serial-Nr. is: 1 E 47, written in small letters.
Does anybody have an idea?
Thanks a lot for your help.
Greetings from Germany
Roman

 

[J-Moen]

Based off the sizing, I believe this is an earlier model, so just the "normal" Tone Master. Here is a reference picture from Theo Wanne's Mouthpiece Museum:

Left is the early model, Larger numbers on the right are the later models with adjustments.

Reference:
https://theowanne.com/knowledge/mouthpiece-museum/otto-link-mouthpieces/

 

[RomBl]

Thanks a lot for your answer.
I know this picture from Theo Wanne, but I think the description is not precise. "Early model" and "later model" can be "normal model" and "improved model" of course, but also early and later models from "normal" and "improved".

 

[J-Moen]

I believe my statement is still correct though. I found this from a quick search:

https://www.nicolastrefeil.com/improved-tone-master
https://www.nicolastrefeil.com/tone-master-1940-1946

I believe your serial number shows up in the list (1E47) of regular tone masters, not the improved model. All of the Improved models have a 3 digit serial number, larger stamps, and were created in the later years as per these lists.

 

[RomBl]

Okay, super, thanks a lot for your help!

 

[J-Moen]

Okay, super, thanks a lot for your help!

No problem!

 

[Dr G]

Okay, super, thanks a lot for your help!

No, the Super Tone Master was a different model. :twisted: :bluewink:

 

[mrpeebee]

Hi everyone,
I own a very very nice OL Tone Master since a couple of days and I wonder if it is a "normal" Tone Master or an "improved" one.
The Serial-Nr. is: 1 E 47, written in small letters.
Does anybody have an idea?
Thanks a lot for your help.
Greetings from Germany
Roman

View attachment 260154

You can't see the important details to determine the Tone Master model on that picture. The serial number also doesn't say much, Link re-used the same numbers.

Please share a picture of the shank.

The normal Tone Master (produced between 1940-1946) has a thicker shank compare to the improved Tone Master (1946-1949).

Check this picture from my collection:

 

[RomBl]

When I compare my mouthpiece with the picture ʹm quite sure that my one is an old Model.
Thanks for the pictures.

You own a nice collection of Otto Link MPCs

 

[mrpeebee]

I believe my statement is still correct though. I found this from a quick search:

https://www.nicolastrefeil.com/improved-tone-master
https://www.nicolastrefeil.com/tone-master-1940-1946

I believe your serial number shows up in the list (1E47) of regular tone masters, not the improved model. All of the Improved models have a 3 digit serial number, larger stamps, and were created in the later years as per these lists.

The serial of the Tone Master of Roman showed up in the list of Nicolas Trefeil because he probably did reface it (check the picture in post #1, it has the NT mark from Nicolas).

Your statement about the number of digits of the serial number is not correct. Both normal Tone Master and Improved Tone Master models started with 3 digits, but went on with 4 digits numbers. You can see that if you scroll down on the pages of both models in the links you supplied to the site of Nicolas.

When I compare my mouthpiece with the picture ʹm quite sure that my one is an old Model.
Thanks for the pictures.

You own a nice collection of Otto Link MPCs

Thanks Roman and glad you now know what type of Tone Master you have.

I have owned four Tone Masters (still have two of them), besides owning many other vintage Otto Link models:

My Tone Masters:
1. - Normal Tone Master in an original 5* tip, serial G50
2. - Improved Tone Master, refaced from tip 4 to a 7*, serial H51 (traded that one)
3. - Improved Tone Master, refaced from tip 5 to a 8, serial I20 (this is a great sounding mouthpiece, but I prefer my 10* Florida no USA)
4. - Improved Tone Master, refaced from tip ? to a 7, serial N32 (traded that one)

I've tried out many more of others.

 

[RomBl]

Yeah, my Tone Master was sold to me by Denis Gaebel (he got it from Heiner Musiol), a quite famous german saxophonist.
The original tip opening was 5, it was opened by Brian Powell to 7 and by Nicolas Trefeil to 7* after the rectification.

I must say that I looked in the list of Nicolas but I haven´t found the serial, because I saw the numbers rising and I didn´t look at the bottom part of the list :faceinpalm:

 

[Sofiane]

Hi there!
I've got three Tone Master, two improved and one early version.
They all play great and have different sounds and offer different sensations.

1. This is the early version. Was a 4* opened by E. Greiffenhagen to 5* (0.085).
It has nice core in it, speaks and focuses well.
Plays great soft too sub tones are easy, think Coltrane on this one.

2. Was a 3* opened up to 6* (0.093) by a famous refacer in NYC but didn't want to sign the mouthpiece because when I send it the bite plate was already showing off the roof.
Great job but the guy don't want his name associated to it because of how it looks.
But this piece is well balanced it has a kind of everything in it, warmth, softness, focus, loudness, a true singing voice !!!

3. I don't know the original tip of this one, but there is a 7* stamp on the side of it. Maybe was it refaced by the workers at Pompano or Elkhart because it looks like it.
However it was since then opened up to 6* by E. Greiffenhagen and then by B. Powell to 7 (0.102).
This piece is a screamer, it the loudest and the edgier of all three.
It has more baffle material than the others too.

But they basically have the same root of sounds even all those differences.
Since I play definitely hard rubber, I don't know which one I want to keep, they are all good in their own way.

 

[mrpeebee]

I've got three Tone Master, two improved and one early version.

Sofiane, are you sure about that?

I think only number 2 (the one in the middle of the pictures) is an improved Tone Master, the other two look to me like the first model Tone Master (check the fatter shank diameter of both).

 

[J-Moen]

Thanks for the clarification Peter! Glad you could clear things up.

Somehow I missed the 3 digit Original TM serial numbers! Would love to try one someday!

 

[Sofiane]

I've got three Tone Master, two improved and one early version.

Sofiane, are you sure about that?

I think only number 2 (the one in the middle of the pictures) is an improved Tone Master, the other two look to me like the first model Tone Master (check the fatter shank diameter of both).

I forgot to precise that from left to right are numbers 1, 2 and 3.
Hard to tell but number 1 is fatter than 2 and 3.
Maybe I am wrong, I will add a better picture perhaps you can tell me more about it.

I love those pieces they have a nice zing in the tone, but I prefer definitely hard rubber.

 

[Nicolas Trefeil]

Hi everyone,
I own a very very nice OL Tone Master since a couple of days and I wonder if it is a "normal" Tone Master or an "improved" one.
The Serial-Nr. is: 1 E 47, written in small letters.
Does anybody have an idea?
Thanks a lot for your help.
Greetings from Germany
Roman

View attachment 260154

Your Otto Link is Tone Master. Not an improved Tone Master.

 

[Nicolas Trefeil]

You can't see the important details to determine the Tone Master model on that picture. The serial number also doesn't say much, Link re-used the same numbers.

Please share a picture of the shank.

The normal Tone Master (produced between 1940-1946) has a thicker shank compare to the improved Tone Master (1946-1949).

Check this picture from my collection:
View attachment 260172

It is not the shank shape which is different from the Tone master and Improved Tone master. in each serie there is many variations on the shank shape. I will post a detailed pages on different Link models on my mpc museum page web site.

 

[mrpeebee]

It is not the shank shape which is different from the Tone master and Improved Tone master. in each serie there is many variations on the shank shape. I will post a detailed pages on different Link models on my mpc museum page web site.

Thanks for reaching out to us Nicolas.

From the Tone Masters I've seen the older models always had the father shank ring, which is from the outside the most easy difference to see. But I know that there are more (and often more subtle) differences between them and sometimes also between two mouthpieces of the same model.

Looking forward to see more information about that on your already fantastic and very detailed website.

 

[Leon]

I have one of each - one with the fatter shank and three digit serial, and one with a 4 digit. I don't know which is the "improved" model, but I do have a slight preference for the 4 digit one. Not sure what the so called "improvement" was.

 

[mrpeebee]

I have one of each - one with the fatter shank and three digit serial, and one with a 4 digit. I don't know which is the "improved" model, but I do have a slight preference for the 4 digit one. Not sure what the so called "improvement" was.

Leon, the one with the fatter shank is most probably the older model, the other one the improved model.

Marin Spivack made a good post about some of the differences between them:
https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showt...ation-thread&p=1666454&viewfull=1#post1666454

He says this about the Tone Masters:

*Tonemaster NY early- very dark and very spread (very big chamber no baffle) multiple visually different blanks in here..
*Tonemaster NY late-medium dark and quite spread (smaller, but still large chamber, modestly higher floor slight baffle)

Hopefully Nicolas will also share his (big) knowledge on these models with us soon.