Mouthpiece Video Update

[john]

Hey guys, just to let you know I am still doing a video on some of the Guardala mp’s
Unfortunately I will be away again this weekend…weird, cause January is always dead
slow except this one where it’s been crazy busy for me.

Anyway, will get something up after I return very early in the week.

rock on
Johnny

[William Cingolani]

Thanks Johnny. I was blowing “A Whiter Shade of Pale” yesterday and today. I couldn’t go from high D to High E. I thought it might be the tip size on the mouthpiece 7* (108) so I switched down to a 7 (101). Blowing a java 2.5.It blew ok. Then I switched to my theo wanna Ambica 7* Tip 105.Blew well with a Java 2.5. So I suppose I needed a new Java 2.5 reed, a stiffer reed to go from the high D to the high E, Lifting the horn neck strap might have helped too. Fare winds Johnny. See ya when ya get back

[Dazza]

Johnny I have been looking at the construction of the DG MBII and notice it has a significant baffle though I am not sure of the exact level. How does this change the sound? Is it correct that a higher baffle will require a larger opening to provide more air and is it also true that a MP with no baffle will be louder than a baffled MP. The picture below of one for sale here shows a pronounced table which is so different than all the MP’s I have ever played. Does a baffle make it easier to play and produced more of a rock sound and the reason why the DG’s have a large tip opening?

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/thurgoona/woodwind-brass/dave-guardala-tenor-saxophone-mouthpiece-mbii/1085103826

[Anonymous]

Rock on Johnny,
Sax out that song,
You can groove in a band,
With any, Rock & Roll gang.

Scream out Altissimo,
Growl with your sound,
You can rock out any music,
And blast us, all to the ground.

Hey Mr Ferreira,
You’re our main man,
We are Rocking & Rolling,
to that, horn in your hand.

c u wen u get back

[john]

Hey thanks guys…
@ William, ya reeds are a major pain, I have been sitting in front of a glass of water and full with about 20 reeds since I’ve been trying out these new mp’s. I’ve really noticed how one reed can be almost perfect on one mp and totally different on another mp that doesn’t seem to be that different.

@ Dazza, that MBII is one of the mp’s I’ll be showing, along with the MBII FATBOY which has just become my favorite!
The high baffle gives you a louder/brighter sound and these will have a larger tip opening cause you can’t get big with a small tip opening no matter what type of baffle it is.
so yes, that’s the combo you need for the rock sound. but hang tough cause you’ll see and hear 4-6 different mp’s showing different tip/baffle etc.

[Michael]

Hey Johnny,
I’ve read your e-mail about your endorsement/these posts; sorry I haven’t had time to respond! I’m working with Wayne on our upcoming duet, have had a few technical difficulties in the way of video/audio for the drumming that hopefully look to be resolved, so we’re hoping to have it up here on your site later in the week.
I gotta say, this is fantastic timing for me Johnny. On our first lesson, new Sax Instructor wanted to know how come I’m not using an MP like a Guardala because after our assessment he said an MP like a Guardala is “what you need”. I explained to him I was using one about 2 years ago that I got from Amazon and as time went along there were things I was noticing about it that I didn’t like. I told him it resonated in a way that was “rough” to my ears. So I took a step and had a custom MP made and used it for the Green Onions, and again I discovered the blank used was a cheap import and it was “rough”. What he told me is that those Guardalas that used to be on Amazon we’re “cheap” imitations and “not even close” to a real Guardala….he asked me why did I think they we’re available on Amazon for so cheap? LOL He says I need “the real deal” but the problem for me has been looking on ebay and what for them, which I started doing, I can’t believe the price for an authentic Guardala!!! All the ones I seen were like $1,800…and some of them costed over $2,200!!! My goodness, my Trevor James SR Tenor costed $2,000 and my Signature Custom Alto cost almost $3,000. My new Instructor played with my Saxophones as he’s heard about Trevor James but never tried one. He loved them both, said the Tenor was “a beast” LOL But then added without the right MP, you’re simply not going get that beast to “come alive”.
So from you’re saying, I can be sure absolutely 100% sure that these Guardalas are in fact the real deal, professionally made, etc.? The lazer-cut model I had from Amazon was the Studio model, it had a big tip opening with a medium sized chamber, not sure if that would be still the way to go. I’m using a Vandoren Jumbo Java on Alto that has a step baffle with a tip opening of .095″…that’s HUGE for alto and it’s awesome 🙂 At first I thought the tip opening may be too big for an Alto Saxophone, but with practice it was perfect and I absolutely love it 🙂 I was going to buy the Jumbo Java for Tenor on Friday, but I’m going to hold off on getting the Jumbo Java for Tenor until I can give this some serious thought on the Guardalas; waiting for your review/insights. I do know when I was using the lazer-cut Studio Guardala before, everyone said I sounded “amazing” but again there were things about what I call that “Amazon Guardala” that, to my ears, that came across as rough, or I guess another way you could put it is “synthetic”. My concern is having such a powerful MP that when it comes to quiet subtones, playing up close and personal in say a restaurant setting, etc.. then it could “scare” people because it’s so loud LOL But at the same time, having that punch, edge, projection, etc. to really “scream” when I need it to. I’m not just thinking about the Altissimo range, I’m thinking about being able to have control of the MP in the entire range of the Sax. If I do buy this, it will be in the month of March, around the middle of the month or so, when I get my Tax return (which is how I bought my Saxophones last year) Would you also recommend that I look at say a Winslow/Saxaas ligature if I’m going to get the Guardala? Not sure what ligature would come with the Guardala if we buy it from you.
Sorry about the long post LOL But I’m just looking at what my new Instructor told me, my previous experience with the lazer-cut Guardala…and the timing too 🙂 So I really do need to give this some serious thought..if I get the Jumbo Java for Tenor, like I was going to, I could be “jumping the gun” when, it’s possible, you are endorsing the MP that I TRUELY need. Look forward to your reviews 🙂

[William Cingolani]

Hi Johnny, I’ve been looking at the Guardala mouthpieces. Most of the Guardala tip openings are a bit too large for me except the Guardala Crescent. The Crescent has a tip opening 106. The mp I like or I think I would like is the Nadir Fusion with a tip opening 7* (108). The description give for the Fusion is a blending of the Studio & MB & MBH.https://nadirsaxwind.com/shop/nadir/n-i-fusion/ Would the Nadir Fusion be one of the mouthpieces included in your list and what do you think about Nadir’s fusion? The main reason I’m interested in the Crescent and the Fusion is because the tip openings are in my range and the Fusion is a blend of the Studio and the MB and the MBH

[john]

@ Michael, I remember about those Guardala’s on Amazon and we have a couple discussions here about that…I told you they were the only ones I knew of that were available but I couldn’t recommend them because I never tried them and so couldn’t compare them, to my originals.
More recently when a few others asked me about getting one I got curious and suspicious when no Guardalas showed up at all on Amazon.
So I went to Sandro’s shop (Masullo Music) and he told me there was a guy Nadir from Germany who bought the name and designs for Dave Guardala’s stuff. This is the guy who’s link I put in the email I sent out last week and this is the guy who is making Guardala’s exact designs. I have 2 from him and they totally compare with my originals…except they look way better. And so for you guys that want one this is good news cause you don’t need to buy a used original for around $2000.

Regarding the reeds… as I’ve said before, my perfect set up has been the Guardala with the Vandoren Java cut (green box), this is what Dave himself told me was what Michael Brecker used on his Guardala. As I blow through all these mp’s lately I wonder if there may be something better out there for me now…just because there are many more reeds out there than the time I was actively searching. There are brands you guys are talking about that I haven’t tried yet so I’ll be experimenting with reeds a bit more now.

@ William, I don’t like the Crescent because it’s smaller baffle and narrower tip opening…this will give you a darker sound.
so if you want the louder rock sound that I also go for then yes, I think the Fusion is the one because it’s modeled after the MBI, MBII, and the Studio which is also on the bright side. Although I haven’t tried it yet it sure sounds like it would be one I’d like as well, based strictly on what he’s modeled it after.

[Michael]

I remember I used the Java Greens in 2.5 with the Amazon Guardala and that was the best reed I was able to pair up with it. Towards the end of using it, I started using Rigotti Gold Reeds that our member Jake had been talking to me about. For me, I was able to get a slightly better sound with the Rigotti Reeds and I’ve been using them ever since. I would say they’re reeds you definately wanna check out Johnny, other members have commented that they’re very happy with them too. I believe Jake is still using them. They come in different strengths from soft, to medium to hard. If you’re using the Java Greens in size 3, then you would probably want to try the Rigotti Reeds in the same size. I was recently forced to get Vandoren ZZ Reeds for my Alto because wwbw.com didn’t have any more Rigotti Reeds in stock…they didn’t have any more Java Greens in stock either, kind of frustrating. I looked on Amazon and same things, no Rigotti Reeds or Java Greens. Wayne who I’m doing the Video collab. with had some Rigotti Reeds and is sending me some…he’s a real life saver! The ZZ reeds were good with the Alto Jumbo Java, but they lack the ‘warmth, depth’ that Rigotti Reeds give me. Especially for a song like Hall and Oates “I can’t Go For that” on Alto which I almost have done, I need that warmth/depth. I’m just working on some Improvisation near the end of the song after the 2nd solo where they sing “ab lib” and I’m done with this song, pretty happy with the way it turned out 🙂 I’m starting to get that “buzzing” sound members have been asking about (listen to the solo Sax lines of I Can’t Go For that), and I can get it much better with the Rigotti Reeds over the ZZ Reeds. Synthetic Reeds have never appealed to me. I listened to players who use Synthetic Reeds v.s. Cane Reeds, and it seems you get a much better sound/projection of that sound with Cane Reeds over Synthetic Reeds.

[William Cingolani]

Thanks Johnny
So I think the Fusion mouthpiece for tenor with tip opening 7 (108) by Nadir will be the on I choose. By comparison I’ve had a jumbo java T-95 and a jumbo java T-75 since 1997. The T-95 has a tip opening of 116. Lots of squeaks with the T-95. The T-75 has a tip opening of 104 and is easy to blowing no squeaks. So I think the Nadir Fusion *7 with a tip opening of 108 will be easy to blow. So I’m looking forward to adding the Nadir Fusion *7 mouthpiece for tenor to my arsenal Thanks again Johnny.

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