[StitchPlaysBird]

Hey everyone! I've heard a lot about vintage Brilharts being great mouthpieces for alto and I would like to buy one to give it a go. The only ones I have been able to find are on eBay and they cost a fortune!!! Does anyone (or do you know anyone) who would be willing to sell one to me, whether it be a Ebolin or Tonalin? I've never really been one to spend a lot of time on finding the right gear, I just make do with what I've got. So far I have gotten by on a Otto Link Hard Rubber Tone Edge 7 and D'Addario Jazz Select 3M reeds, though the piece feels restricting in terms of airflow and I want a bigger, warmer sound. I';m also open to suggestions for other pieces you recommend, but I still am set on trying one of them 🙂

 

[Reet McVouty]

Well, first off what do you consider a fortune? I would suggest a new Meyer NY or a Morgan jazz model. But again budget is the issue. Brilharts are great pieces but are hard to come by in great condition. What do you know about mouthpiece characteristics? You need to educate yourself so you know what you want in a mouthpiece that will help you produce the sound you desire. Theo Wanne's website has a resources section that can help you with that. Here are some suggestions.

https://www.wwbw.com/Meyer-New-York...l8Lsb0kRDEmWDDYdARdIQa2-4Kvjsq9kaAuUDEALw_wcB

https://www.morganmouthpieces.com/products/morgan-jazz-alto-l-large-chamber-saxophone-mouthpiece

https://theowanne.com/knowledge/saxophone-mouthpiece-tip-opening-charts/

 

[click]

Hey everyone! I've heard a lot about vintage Brilharts being great mouthpieces for alto and I would like to buy one to give it a go. The only ones I have been able to find are on eBay and they cost a fortune!!! Does anyone (or do you know anyone) who would be willing to sell one to me, whether it be a Ebolin or Tonalin? I've never really been one to spend a lot of time on finding the right gear, I just make do with what I've got. So far I have gotten by on a Otto Link Hard Rubber Tone Edge 7 and D'Addario Jazz Select 3M reeds, though the piece feels restricting in terms of airflow and I want a bigger, warmer sound. I';m also open to suggestions for other pieces you recommend, but I still am set on trying one of them 🙂

If I were you, I would consider having a discussion with mpc refacers.

Some of them might be able to do facing and chamber work on a modern Brilhart Ebolin (which are cheap) and get a reproduction of the vintage you are looking for.

 

[click]

Spoke too soon.

Every place I looked says that Ebolin is out of stock.

 

[Manitou]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/137...67905746588198/?sale_post_id=3067905746588198

 

[click]

Selmer Goldentone and Couf Specials are identical to Ebolins - I don't know if the others mentioned here are identical or just similar.

https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?70291-Ebolin-modern-equivalents

post #8

 

[click]

Spoke too soon.

Every place I looked says that Ebolin is out of stock.

I did find some Selmer Goldentones currently available.

Further research may reveal whether these are Ebolin clones.

Regardless, I did have a Goldentone used as a blank and refaced with excellent results.

It certainly looked (chamberwise) and played (sonic and feel aspects) like an Ebolin to me.

However I am in no way an expert.

(The tip opening I found to be claimed for these are .66 or 4M on Meyer scale.

Could be no refacing would be needed for some.

With the OP playing a 7 now, I suppose it would require work.)

 

[click]

https://www.ebay.com/i/264535260807...MIjZua0L2S5wIVSr7ACh0c_wH2EAQYASABEgLQ7fD_BwE

couf special on ebay for $32 or best offer.

 

[Hornlip]

Happen to have a Goldentone tenor piece, looked inside, and it's certainly looks like it's configured in the style of an Ebolin. Honestly the Ebolin / Tonalin are probably the most copied plastic mouthpiece out there, so it's not hard to find cheap equivalents.

I did find some Selmer Goldentones currently available.

Further research may reveal whether these are Ebolin clones.

Regardless, I did have a Goldentone used as a blank and refaced with excellent results.

It certainly looked (chamberwise) and played (sonic and feel aspects) like an Ebolin to me.

However I am in no way an expert.

(The tip opening I found to be claimed for these are .66 or 4M on Meyer scale.

Could be no refacing would be needed for some.

With the OP playing a 7 now, I suppose it would require work.)

 

[click]

Happen to have a Goldentone tenor piece, looked inside, and it's certainly looks like it's configured in the style of an Ebolin. Honestly the Ebolin / Tonalin are probably the most copied plastic mouthpiece out there, so it's not hard to find cheap equivalents.

Well, that is what I was thinking.

If the vintage Brilharts are out of sight, pricewise, then perhaps a refacer could build one from more down to earth materials for half the money.

Of course that would be for a player, not a collector or flipper.

 

[tombg14]

You may want to reach out to Phil Engleman - his pieces are excellent and he just came out with a Brilhart-inspired piece for alto and tenor...plus I believe he offers a trial period.

https://phil-tone.com/

 

[turf3]

Brilhart Ebolins are everywhere for short money. They're the same thing as Tonalin only black instead of white.

 

[lostcircuits]

Brilhart Ebolins are everywhere for short money. They're the same thing as Tonalin only black instead of white.

+1

 

[lydian]

What years are considered vintage? I have a metal one from the 70s.

EDIT: Nevermind. I see the OP isn’t asking about metal models.

 

[turf3]

What years are considered vintage? I have a metal one from the 70s.

EDIT: Nevermind. I see the OP isn't asking about metal models.

What do you mean by "vintage"? Do you just mean "old"? And what is "old"? I consider saxophones and mouthpieces "old" if they're 20 or more years older than I am (so, manufacturing date before 1942). To someone 22 years old, a sax made in 1990 may be "old" and "vintage".

 

[click]

Vintage v. Modern Brilhart

https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?131658-Modern-v-Vintage-Brilhart-Ebolin

https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?208761-Opinions-on-Modern-Brilhart-Ebolin

https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?152393-Brilhart-Ebolin-underrated-undervalued

https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?100930-Brilhart

https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?109405-Modern-Brilhart-Ebolin-MPC

https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?134135-Brilhart-Ebolin-For-Lead-Alto

 

[reeddoubler]

Try a Remle/Beechler Great Neck Original Alto Mouthpiece. They are crafted from vintage tonalin style (cream colored) blanks Arnold Brilhart left his daughter after his death. They are finished by Remle/Beechler and play like vintage Brilhart mouthpieces for a fraction of the price of a genuine original.

 

[Reet McVouty]

There is very little info provided by the OP here. How old is he/she? How much experience does he have? What sort of sound is he after? What is bigger/warmer? If he's looking to sound like David Sanborn a Brilhart is not the answer. His statement "I've never really been one to spend a lot of time on finding the right gear, I just make do with what I've got." leads me to believe he has little to no knowledge what attributes different mouthpieces have that produces a specific sound quality. I play a Brilhart Tonalin #5. It produces a mellow/dark sound and is a free blowing mouthpiece with very little resistance. Again, without any information concerning the sound concept the OP is looking for, all this info is for naught ...

 

[lydian]

What do you mean by "vintage"? Do you just mean "old"? And what is "old"? I consider saxophones and mouthpieces "old" if they're 20 or more years older than I am (so, manufacturing date before 1942). To someone 22 years old, a sax made in 1990 may be "old" and "vintage".

I have the same question.

There is very little info provided by the OP here. How old is he/she? How much experience does he have? What sort of sound is he after? What is bigger/warmer? If he's looking to sound like David Sanborn a Brilhart is not the answer. His statement "I've never really been one to spend a lot of time on finding the right gear, I just make do with what I've got." leads me to believe he has little to no knowledge what attributes different mouthpieces have that produces a specific sound quality. I play a Brilhart Tonalin #5. It produces a mellow/dark sound and is a free blowing mouthpiece with very little resistance. Again, without any information concerning the sound concept the OP is looking for, all this info is for naught ...

I was willing to sell what I thought the OP was looking for, until I went back and read the whole post, hence my question.

The OP said he heard that "vintage" Brilharts were "great". He wants to buy one of the old "great" ones. So the question remains, what point in time divides the great ones from the not great ones?

Best I can tell skimming through click's helpful links is that date is 1967. Is that about right? My Brillhart is newer than that date, but it plays just fine and sounds great. Did I just get lucky, or is all of this vintage business overblown? I've also read that Rico Metalite is identical to a Brilhart, yet my Metalite sounds and feels like crap compared to my Brilhart. It has overtones of fingernails on a chalkboard that my Brilhart does not. What's that about? Are "vintage" Metalites better than new ones too?

 

[Jazz Is All]

What do you mean by "vintage"? Do you just mean "old"? And what is "old"? I consider saxophones and mouthpieces "old" if they're 20 or more years older than I am (so, manufacturing date before 1942). To someone 22 years old, a sax made in 1990 may be "old" and "vintage".

It's not just that it's vintage but that it has some special quality or characteristics about it that make it special or better than the run of the mill saxes/mouthpieces similar to it or of that particular time. That's why ordinary Ebolins aren't considered really top Vintage if they are Carsbad products but are if they were made in Great Neck. You can tell by the serial numbers (the fewer digits the better), and the size of the numbers themselves (large font are Great Neck) as well as the other characteristics of the mouthpiece.

In the Tonalin Ebolin line, the Personaline pieces are more valued as are the Streamline pieces. Both of those are great, as I can attest because I have a vintage Streamline that is fantastic. I lucked into it after first having about 4 ordinary ebolins and learning about how they play. It was great as is but after Theo Wanne opened it up a bit for me and leveled the table it became a true gem. I also have a HR Personaline that I bought from Mark S. and it is an incredible tenor piece. It was opened to .100 by Eric G and it's a keeper for life. I just mention these to show what is possible to find, cause mine are not for sale ever. Taking them to the tomb with me.:mrgreen: