Ponzol Mouthpieces

Ponzol Product

Allo Raphyel,my main tenor mouthpiece is the Ponzol 110 S IIVI,this is my second metal Ponzol tenor mpc! The first one was OK,but a 100 was'nt opened enough,when I played the 110 S man what a mpc this turned out to be!
I have played many tenor mpcs,and owned quiet a lot but the Ponzol IIVI S 110 has been my main mpc and best mpc I played on tenor for the last yar and a half!I am still experiencing with getting a second spare tenor mpc,but Ponzol is it for me now!I also have spoken with Mr.Ponzol a few times,,he's a good guy!So Ponzol products are great for me,,I know that mpcs are not always the same,,but that one I have ,,is definitely a keeper for many years,,and I do take care of it!
All the best,
Saxobari

Keep the basic M2 tenor models handy. They're the eye (and ear) openers.

yes, the M2 is a really easy mpc to play.. loud and modern but not too edgy, which is a very good combination for someone who is looking for an all around mpc in an accesible price..

I really dig my Traditional alto piece. It can be quite loud when pushed, but it isn't inherently bright. Very flexible piece.

Anyone try a Ponzol stainless steel MP yet?

Hey Raphyel,

I've been playing his traditional HR tenor mpc since 1999.
It's a .115 opening. I checked on his site and the most open he makes now is .110.
I've tried others (including expensive vintage) but I haven't found one I liked better.

I find it matches up well with Vandoren BB reeds, which is not always the case with open mpcs.

I have a old ebony(wood) 110 tenor mouthpiece I got on clearance around year of 2000 at wwbw.com for about $58(list supposedly was $355). Nice mouthpiece. Works well w/ my SX-90 Keilwerth.

LateNiteSax said:

Anyone try a Ponzol stainless steel MP yet?

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I just caught wind of this! It would be nice if Peter put out some SS mouthpieces with good facings. Those interested look here: http://www.peterponzol.com/

Been playing primarily an M1 (105) on tenor for the last couple of years. Love it. The sound has enough cut to be heard well when I play in loud accoustic or pop situations yet it is not very bright and certainly not thin. For some reason I don't get as good an altissimo with it as with an (EZ) Berg or (Tenney) Link that I have. But I'm not much of an altissimo player anyway so it works just fine for me. I prefer it over any of the Barones or the new AMMA that I've played.

Also have a M1 alto but don't get the relative fullness on this with my alto as I do with my tenor M1. It's a good modern mpc, I just seem to get more body out of my Meyers and JJ HR and my (primary alto mpc) JVW Runyon Custom.

I have a friend who swears by a Ponzol he got from Peter many years ago here. He has never switched.

I have a old(again bargain basement $55 wwbw.com) M6 85 opening alto piece. Intersesting metal mouthpiece. Lot of power but not too bright(big round chamber). I use it on occasion.

I recently got an HR soprano piece by Ponzol, tip is a 65. It is a very nice piece with a small throat/chamber size similar to a Super Session but with less rollover baffle. In fact, the baffle design is pretty interesting. It has an initial rollover section that is fairly short and not at all extreme, but then the baffle goes slightly concave for a short distance before turning back out again towards the floor. The only other piece I have with this sort of baffle design is my Zagar SBB (tenor). Of course, that piece has a very large chamber. The character is that of a fairly small-chambered soprano piece with a moderately bright and focused sound, and without excessive shrillness. I currently prefer it over my Morgan vintage and Bari HR soprano pieces, which have been among my favorites.

Hi
Well, just received a new Peter Ponzol mouthpiece for tenor from Raphyel! Great doing business with you! I ordered the new M2 110 Plus, thats the new mouthpiece from Ponzol. More edge than the M2 regular, just what I am looking for. Lots of edge and power. check it out, or order on the Ebay site from Raphyell

Ponzol also has a new M2Plus in stainless steal, check his website
Good luck
Remco

the custom is killer on bari-i see its no longer made-toobad

I've found Ponzol metal tenor pieces, especially the M2 Plus 110, easy to blow with plenty of power and projection for a big jazz ensemble. The Ponzol Super 110 seems relatively dark to me, so I prefer the M2 model for it's brighter sound with more edge.

I'm not really a fan of the M2, I found it finicky and a little difficult to play and control. Feels like an overpriced Dukoff to me. Maybe I got bad ones, or didn't have the right reeds for it, or just didn't have the right chops at the time, as it seems many other ppl really like them and Ponzol is a respected name. But that is my experience with M2's so far. I forget which exact sizes I played.

I tried a Ponzol Traditional and that is a NICE piece for the price. Very flexible, easy and comfortable to play, can be nice and loud when pushed and a full sound. If a student is looking to upgrade to something a bit better this is a great piece to try, I prefer it over my Meyer by far. I didn't buy a Ponzol Traditional because it wasn't the sound I was looking for but it left a very good impression with me.

BTW these were all alto pieces.

I have a Ponzol gold plated neck for my VI, I've tried it on my Selmer AS220 with great results, and let another person try it on his VI he liked it better than the original neck. Was worth every penny, I wouldn't trade it for double what I paid for it. I had a older silver plated alto mouthpiece, I think it was a M1 and I know it had the largest tip you were able to order at the time. I don't play much jazz on alto so it wasn't for me and I sold it for probably 2 to 3 times what I paid for it a couple years later. Oh yea I think my right hand thumb hooks are ponzol also, although they might be runyon I got from Ponzol, either way their great.

I won one of the new SS models on ebay in early Dec. It's an M2 110 but they are also available in 105. The overall piece appears to be finished with more precision and although I can't tell any difference in the baffle from my older M2-120 the outer dimensions as far as where the lig goes is slightly larger. Doesn't visually look bigger though. You can now use a Selmer 404 or anything that would fit a STM.

After playing the brass M2-120 for most of 2006 I tried the smaller M2-110 but the sound was not quite as full as the 120. The new SS has a slightly more full & clear sound and the altissimo feels way more comfortable. Can't say if the sound is better than the brass models, but it's different and it's more of what I want.

Nitetimer said:

I won one of the new SS models on ebay in early Dec. It's an M2 110 but they are also available in 105. The overall piece appears to be finished with more precision and although I can't tell any difference in the baffle from my older M2-120 the outer dimensions as far as where the lig goes is slightly larger. Doesn't visually look bigger though. You can now use a Selmer 404 or anything that would fit a STM.

After playing the brass M2-120 for most of 2006 I tried the smaller M2-110 but the sound was not quite as full as the 120. The new SS has a slightly more full & clear sound and the altissimo feels way more comfortable. Can't say if the sound is better than the brass models, but it's different and it's more of what I want.

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Nice review Nitetimer. I cant WAIT to try one of those new SS models, and I being as jaded as I am, thats saying something.