[AntPea]

Hello, I've read all there is on this and I would be very grateful if people who play or played the V16 HR L care to share their opinion on this mouthpiece.

 

[DaveR]

Hello, I've read all there is on this and I would be very grateful if people who play or played the V16 HB L care to share their opinion on this mouthpiece.

Not quite sure what you mean by 'HB'.
But I have played the L chamber ebonite V16 Vandoren in both 7 and 8.5 facings. In comparison to the M chamber, i.e. the original V16 tenor piece, I prefer them. For the price, they are very good, but IMO there are better large(ish) chamber pieces to be had e.g. Phil-Tone's Sapphire which has more sparkle and resonance. The guy in the clip plays well, but the sound is sort of 'dry' (i.e. rather bland and a little muffled in certain frequencies - I'm not talking about reverb) which is a quality I associate with all Vandoren tenor pieces. It might be improved with a Vandoren reed, maybe.
But as I say, good value for the money, I think Vandoren do a good job within the price range.

 

[AntPea]

HB... what was I thinking... yes HR is what I meant . I've tried the medium chamber ones, but found them a little harsh sounding. I have a T10M which plays with ease and with a nice sound but its to loud for what I want. A T6L or T7 L, I am hoping, might be more suited for not so loud acoustic settings.

 

[ving]

I’ve been curious about these as well. That is the second clip of someone playing the 8.5 opening. I’ve ordered a couple of those to try, I’ll let you know how they play when I get them later this week. I’ve played a T8 and liked it but found it a little constrictive. I’m curious how these new chambers play. (As with the s plus altos, I am thinking this new chamber in this particular facing has something the others don’t. I found that to be true with the 5 s plus altos).

 

[AntPea]

I've been curious about these as well. That is the second clip of someone playing the 8.5 opening. I've ordered a couple of those to try, I'll let you know how they play when I get them later this week. I've played a T8 and liked it but found it a little constrictive. I'm curious how these new chambers play. (As with the s plus altos, I am thinking this new chamber in this particular facing has something the others don't. I found that to be true with the 5 s plus altos).

Looking forward to your opinion on the mouthpiece. Here's a video of Lucas Pino playing on a V16 T9L

 

[AntPea]

Not quite sure what you mean by 'HB'.
But I have played the L chamber ebonite V16 Vandoren in both 7 and 8.5 facings. In comparison to the M chamber, i.e. the original V16 tenor piece, I prefer them. For the price, they are very good, but IMO there are better large(ish) chamber pieces to be had e.g. Phil-Tone's Sapphire which has more sparkle and resonance. The guy in the clip plays well, but the sound is sort of 'dry' (i.e. rather bland and a little muffled in certain frequencies - I'm not talking about reverb) which is a quality I associate with all Vandoren tenor pieces. It might be improved with a Vandoren reed, maybe.
But as I say, good value for the money, I think Vandoren do a good job within the price range.

Which one do you prefer? T7L or T8,5L?

 

[DaveR]

I could play either one. With the right reed they both worked well.
If I used, for instance, a Java #3 on the 7, then a Java #2.5 would work on the 8.5. With this approach I got more thickness from the 7 and more brightness from the 8.5.
I suppose a choice between the two is more about what is comfortable and what your tonal preference is.

 

[Berg-Man]

The large chambers are rather tubby sounding the m chamber is more in line with an older Link slant/EB but the rubber is probably not as good causing some of the harshness you hear.

 

[ving]

 

[AntPea]

I've been curious about these as well. That is the second clip of someone playing the 8.5 opening. I've ordered a couple of those to try, I'll let you know how they play when I get them later this week. I've played a T8 and liked it but found it a little constrictive. I'm curious how these new chambers play. (As with the s plus altos, I am thinking this new chamber in this particular facing has something the others don't. I found that to be true with the 5 s plus altos).

Hello, did you get the mouthpieces? I am looking forward to hear what you think of them.

 

[ving]

Yes! I ordered two to try but only got one so far, I think the other is on the way. I like to compare two of the same opening. My thoughts are that it is much more flexible than the M chamber. It’s got more depth, and is darker overall as it’s default but the chamber allows you to shape the sound more and play brighter if desired. For me, the beak felt quite high. Higher than I remembered on the M chamber if that’s possible, but maybe this opening is just a tad too big for me in this chamber, and the beak height doesn’t help. It’s got a thick, complex sound which I really liked, especially in the mid/low register. I didn’t find the upper register as flexible or open though. It’s resistance is interesting, it’s quite freeblowing but gives you a lot to lean into if that makes sense. If you like to push a lot of air I think it’s a great option. My other mpcs are quite different and more efficient, so I’m not sure this workload is something I’m interested in dealing with all the time though. Also, in this opening if you are like me and like playing on softer reeds this is a good option as it still has a big, thick complex sound even with softer reeds. (I tried v16 2 1/2s and Zz 2 1/2s). Hope that helps! Overall, a great mpc for the price I think.

 

[AntPea]

Yes! I ordered two to try but only got one so far, I think the other is on the way. I like to compare two of the same opening. My thoughts are that it is much more flexible than the M chamber. It's got more depth, and is darker overall as it's default but the chamber allows you to shape the sound more and play brighter if desired. For me, the beak felt quite high. Higher than I remembered on the M chamber if that's possible, but maybe this opening is just a tad too big for me in this chamber, and the beak height doesn't help. It's got a thick, complex sound which I really liked, especially in the mid/low register. I didn't find the upper register as flexible or open though. It's resistance is interesting, it's quite freeblowing but gives you a lot to lean into if that makes sense. If you like to push a lot of air I think it's a great option. My other mpcs are quite different and more efficient, so I'm not sure this workload is something I'm interested in dealing with all the time though. Also, in this opening if you are like me and like playing on softer reeds this is a good option as it still has a big, thick complex sound even with softer reeds. (I tried v16 2 1/2s and Zz 2 1/2s). Hope that helps! Overall, a great mpc for the price I think.

Thanks for the reply. You mention that your other mouthpieces are more efficient, and that the V16 L creates a greater workload. Could it be that due to the large chamber a smaller tip would be more efficient requiring less of a workload? You are talking about the 8,5 opening, am I correct? I am currently playing on a Java (not Jumbo) T75. Yesterday I tried a friends V16 T7M with a Red java 2,5 and a rigotti 3 light and it played well. Considering wht you say about efficiency maybe I should get the T6L.

 

[ving]

Yes, smaller tip i think in this chamber would be better for me. I found myself working to get the extra high end/brightness from this piece. I ordered this opening because from comments I heard it was brighter than the surrounding facings for whatever reason. I think as a result of that and the high beak I just felt too “locked in” in the way I needed to play/voice this mpc though. I prefer something a bit more flexible.

 

[AntPea]

Lucas Pino on a V16 HR T9L

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10155520988108073

 

[ving]

That clip makes me want to keep one of these, Lucas Pino sounds great!

 

[AntPea]

That clip makes me want to keep one of these, Lucas Pino sounds great!

He is also a great saxophonist. He's got plenty of clip playing the V16L on his Instagram account. Anyway I've got a V16 T7L on it's way to me from Thoman, I'll let you know what I think of it once I get it.

 

[ving]

He seems to switch around quite a bit, but I’m assuming he plays his Vandoren a bunch as well bring an endorser.

 

[AntPea]

Update: I received a V16 HR T7L today. First impressions are very good. Easy to play and reed friendly. Tried it with Vandoren Java reds 21/2, Jazz selects 2H and Vandoren V16 21/2 and 3. It produces a deep/warm and full sound throughout the sax range. Sub tones beautifully and altissimo is easy and full sounding. It's a well balanced mouthpiece and has a good dynamic range and facilitates very soft playing and it lucks the harshness sometime associated with the medium chamber V16. Another good thing they did is that they lowered and elongated the profile compared to the standard V16 HR.

 

[pontius]

The large chambers are rather tubby sounding the m chamber is more in line with an older Link slant/EB but the rubber is probably not as good causing some of the harshness you hear.

The medium chambers are nothing like a slant link. The chamber and throat is smaller and the sidewalls are not nearly as hollowed out. The floor leading up to the tip has a much higher arch (Links floors are actually straight or slightly concave.

I have two V16 T6 Medium chambers and have opened up the chamber, sidewalls and floor and brought the baffle down and they both now have warmth even when you lean into them. I took a ton of material out of there and the chambers are still smaller than my original Slant Link. The rubbers seems really good IMO.

 

[AntPea]

The medium chambers are nothing like a slant link. The chamber and throat is smaller and the sidewalls are not nearly as hollowed out. The floor leading up to the tip has a much higher arch (Links floors are actually straight or slightly concave.

I have two V16 T6 Medium chambers and have opened up the chamber, sidewalls and floor and brought the baffle down and they both now have warmth even when you lean into them. I took a ton of material out of there and the chambers are still smaller than my original Slant Link. The rubbers seems really good IMO.

I think roughly that's what Vandoren have done with the V16L.