[Tom Walsh]

http://www.sax.com.au/mouthpieces.html

anyone had experience with these? they LOOK like exactly what im after

 

[JB4sax]

Tom - just contact Mark through his website. Tell him what you're trying to do with your sound. He's a great guy to deal with.

 

[Tom Walsh]

already sent him an email just after second opinions.

 

[saxbrain]

Steve Neff has done a review two weeks ago, take a look at his webside.

 

[Nefertiti]

I love the piece I have although I still find it pretty open. I'm seriously think of getting another model that is around .110. I think it's the J44 model. I was hoping to find one to try but they are not too common. I'm on the lookout though.

 

[Tom Walsh]

steve. If you were interested mark is making a batch of these pieces now and you could order one in whatever size you wated to fit what you're after.

 

[Nefertiti]

Tom, Did you ever get that Spencer piece? I'm curious what you thought of it.

 

[Tom Walsh]

no i didn't actually which i'm really bummed out about. i'm still really keen to get my hands on one though so ill probably get in touch with mark again

 

[Nefertiti]

I sold mine because the tip was just too big for me to feel comfortable on all the time. When I got comfortable on it that piece smoked though. Getting another one with a smaller tip is still on my wish list.

 

[Benny]

I sold mine because the tip was just too big for me to feel comfortable on all the time. When I got comfortable on it that piece smoked though. Getting another one with a smaller tip is still on my wish list.

that was the problem I had with mine- just too big, especially if I was feeling out of shape.

 

[Tom Walsh]

yeah i know what you mean steve. that piece was about 118 wasn't it? i personally wouldn't want anything much over 110 either.

 

[Benny]

Mark did make some smaller ones- Tony Buchanan's was quite a narrow tip (compared to the rest of them). I don't think he plays it anymore.
Mine was 118 also- just too much. My next tenor mpc after that was a 6*!

 

[Tom Walsh]

yeah, mark makes pretty much what ever you want. he just reccomends about an 8* to 9*

 

[Nefertiti]

yeah, mark makes pretty much what ever you want. he just reccomends about an 8* to 9*

I wonder why? That is unusual when most of the saxophone universe gravitates towards 7* tip's. His do have that unique baffle. He suggested a .113 for me and I think he might be right. With that baffle I think that tip would be perfect.

 

[Tom Walsh]

yeah i thought that was a bit unusual aswell. He just felt his pieces played better in wider tips. He said he had a tester piece that he loaned people and im pretty sure thats a 8*

 

[benbyrne]

I remember when I went shopping for my first tenor mouthpiece - Mark was working at Brisbane Brass and woodwind, where I work now, as well as teaching at the conservatorium here (unfortunately I wasn't a student of his). At the time I had just bought a busted up '67 conn that needed an overhaul, prior to this I just owned a selmer series III alto with a C* and I played size 3.5 reeds. Mark handed me a hand full of mouthpieces including, a florida link opened up to .115, a mark spencer which was .125 a brand new 8* link, some ponzols etc. In the end I walked out with the 8* link, he never gave me anything smaller than an 8* - and in short he sort of said "Oh you don't want to play anything smaller than this thing!" To be honest I barely picked up my tenor that year, it took me 2 years to really figure out how to play that link. But yeah Mark has always said that about mouthpieces.

 

[Nefertiti]

I remember when I went shopping for my first tenor mouthpiece - Mark was working at Brisbane Brass and woodwind, where I work now, as well as teaching at the conservatorium here (unfortunately I wasn't a student of his). At the time I had just bought a busted up '67 conn that needed an overhaul, prior to this I just owned a selmer series III alto with a C* and I played size 3.5 reeds. Mark handed me a hand full of mouthpieces including, a florida link opened up to .115, a mark spencer which was .125 a brand new 8* link, some ponzols etc. In the end I walked out with the 8* link, he never gave me anything smaller than an 8* - and in short he sort of said "Oh you don't want to play anything smaller than this thing!" To be honest I barely picked up my tenor that year, it took me 2 years to really figure out how to play that link. But yeah Mark has always said that about mouthpieces.

I can't figure out if this is a positive post or negative.......are you saying Mark helped you out or no?

 

[benbyrne]

I can't figure out if this is a positive post or negative.......are you saying Mark helped you out or no?

It's just a story saying he really thought big mouthpieces were the way to go.

If I was going to say it was short term a bad experience, but long term it forced me to really learn to work the lungs. So long term it was a great thing. he did fix all sorts of embouchure problems that I had. Mark is a really insane player. He apparently sold all his horns and barely plays now. I think he occasionally buys old beat up horns and does them up and sells them for a bit of cash. About 2 years ago I was working in another store and Mark was called in to do some repair work, and after he finished every horn he would play test them and the guy could still play. He just sounded, so good!

I also asked him if he ever regretted selling a horn, and he said "not really... except maybe a gold plated SBA that I owned for a short while."

... sigh....

 

[Nefertiti]

OK, now I understand. The thing I find hard with the large tip openings is doubling. I find it hard to play clarinet, alto and then pick up a tenor with a .115+ tip. Once I get used to it it's fine but when I first pick it up it feels huge! Before I dies though I do want Mark to make me another..........when I dialed in that .118 it was a monster!

 

[benbyrne]

Haha, I've been saying the same thing since I got comfortable playing tenor.

It can be hard to get Mark to do work though. An awesome tenor player in Melbourne, Julien Wilson said that it took months for Mark to build him a mouthpiece. I think that's probably part of the reason why I'm a bit afraid of getting Mark to make me one, I don't think I have the patience! In his defence though I know a guy who used to help Mark make the blanks, and he was always saying that Mark spends hours and hours doing these pieces up and the pieces really are worth more than he sells them for. As well as this Mark works a full time job providing for his family.