It looks like December is “Reso” month here at Neffmusic as I have three reproductions of Otto Link Reso Chamber tenor saxophone mouthpieces sitting on my desk to review this month.
I have already reviewed the James Bunte ARC that is a reproduction of an Otto Link Joe Allard Reso Chamber tenor saxophone mouthpiece as well as the GetASax GS RESO 7 tenor saxophone mouthpiece that is a precise replica of a vintage Otto Link Reso Chamber sax mouthpiece.
The GetASax GS RESO comes in two versions and today I will be reviewing the other version which is the GetASax GS RESO FG Special 7* model tenor saxophone mouthpiece, that is a replica of another Otto Link Reso Chamber tenor saxophone mouthpiece that was refaced by the great Freddie Gregory and is only available in the 7* tip opening when ordering from GetASax.com.
GetASax GS RESO FG Special 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece next to the Vintage Otto Link Reso Chamber that Freddie Gregory refaced
The GetASax GS RESO FG Special 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a very precise copy of Brian Curry’s favorite Otto Link Reso Chamber tenor saxophone mouthpiece, which was refaced by the great Freddie Gregory to a perfect 7* tip opening. Brian Curry is the owner of GetASax and has over 750 saxophone mouthpieces in his collection so when he says that this is a replica of one of his favorite saxophone mouthpieces, we should pay attention.
I have never played an original Otto Link Reso Chamber tenor saxophone mouthpiece just because they are so darn expensive ($1500+ dollars) but these new reproductions from GetASax are only $199 which is a great deal for a copy of a world class vintage Otto Link Reso Chamber tenor saxophone mouthpiece!
GetASax GS RESO FG Special 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece next to a Vintage Otto Link Reso Chamber (Case they are sitting on is uneven)
The most notable player that I know that played an Otto Link Reso Chamber tenor mouthpiece for many years was Seamus Blake. If you check out any of his recordings from the 1994-2017 time period, I believe those are all on an Otto Link Reso Chamber tenor sax mouthpiece. In all of these recordings, Seamus has a very distinctive and personal tenor sound. (I believe Seamus Blake plays on a hard rubber Ted Klum tenor sax mouthpiece now and I heard that he switched to the Klum after he dropped his old Reso Chamber mouthpiece on a gig and it broke.) *I was also informed by Brian Curry that Ben Wendell and Joe Lovano also play Otto Link Reso Chamber tenor saxophone mouthpieces.
Here is how Brian Curry describes the GetASax GS RESO FG Special tenor saxophone mouthpiece on his website at GetaSax.com:
“The big idea here is to let you experience the magic of the best mouthpieces I have ever played, for a price that makes them widely accessible for the first time.
This mouthpiece is a very precise copy of my personal Otto Link Reso Chamber tenor mouthpiece, which was faced by the great Freddie Gregory to a perfect 7*. It’s medium dark, but not too dark, with moderate focus, and gets punchy without thinning out when pushed. Balanced and responsive, it’s one of the best all-around tenor mouthpieces I’ve played. Even if you normally play brighter pieces, the GS Reso is worth having in your arsenal. It’s ideal for jazz, beautiful on ballads, and can handle burning bebop tenor lines like a champ. The facing is just right. Subtone is effortless, response is quick. Altissimo pops right out. It’s very free blowing and takes air extremely comfortably. The 7* .105″ tip opening is very comfortable. Newer players can easily manage it with a 2.5 reed. And for pros, it slots right in with a Rigotti 3 light to 3.5 medium. (I like the Rigotti 3 light personally.)
The computer model we developed for the Reso is accurate down to .001” compared to my original Reso Chamber. Each mouthpiece gets carefully hand faced, precisely measured, and tested, so that it really is totally right! Bottom line: You get the equivalent of a $1500+ vintage mouthpiece for only $199. People keep saying we should charge more, but the whole idea from the start has been to make the best mouthpieces widely accessible, not to maximize profits. A lot of people have never played a really good mouthpiece. It’s time to change that.
Using cutting-edge tech, we went through over 50 prototypes so that now every one of these sounds like the original.
Finishing:
Each GS Reso gets carefully hand faced and finished before coming to you. This is super important. The magic of a mouthpiece is in the facing. If you buy a generic, mass-produced mouthpiece, chances are the table is not flat and the facing is uneven between the side rails. As a result, the reed vibrates unevenly. It feels stuffy and dead, resistant, and all-around disappointing to play. SO many people have this problem, whether they know it or not. I don’t know how many players I’ve helped to get their first actually good mouthpiece, and all of a sudden playing is fun!
Since we flatten the table, you get an easy reed seal. There are no print lines or marks messing up the facing. It’s smooth and perfect like a boutique mouthpiece. The facing is also finished by hand, which is a BIG plus. I’m really picky about this, so I learned to do it myself so I could be sure these pieces were actually the same as the great facings on the original mouthpieces. Each facing is measured at ten points to make sure that it is even and consistent throughout.
Mouthpiece facings are unforgiving. Small problems can make a big difference in playability. Unlike any other mouthpiece of its kind or anywhere near its price, each one of these GS mouthpieces goes out the door only when it is faced just right. Every one is as good as the best mouthpieces I have played.
I have been collecting mouthpieces seriously for over ten years now, and I have been saving the very best ones over that time. I currently have about 750 pieces, and of those there are about 20 that I think are in that Holy Grail category. Those are the mouthpieces that will be coming out in the GS Mouthpieces line. Keep an eye on this, if you want to put together a collection of the best playing saxophone mouthpieces ever, while keeping costs to a minimum. Each one has a magic of its own, and each one gives you a unique and beautiful tone and response that makes it a joy to play!”-Brian Curry
GetASax GS RESO FG Special 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece next to a vintage Otto Link Reso Chamber Mouthpiece (Case they are sitting on is uneven)
The GetASax GS RESO FG Special tenor saxophone mouthpiece is made of white biocompatible dental resin. This material is brand new to me and I don’t think I have played a mouthpiece made out of this material before. Here is what Brian Curry at GetASax writes about the material.
“GS Mouthpieces are made of a premium biocompatible dental resin, and printed at an especially high resolution. You don’t see messy print lines everywhere, because the print is so high quality! This dental resin is designed to be in your mouth, so it’s ideal for a mouthpiece.” -Brian Curry
GetASax GS RESO FG Special 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece next to a vintage Otto Link Reso Chamber Mouthpiece
This GetASax GS RESO FG Special tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a 7* tip opening which is a .105. The facing curve of the GS RESO FG Special tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a copy of a Freddie Gregory 7* facing curve that Freddie used on the original Otto Link Reso Chamber tenor saxophone mouthpiece that Brian Curry owns. Each facing curve of the GS RESO FG Special mouthpieces is measured at ten points to make sure that each mouthpiece produced is an accurate reproduction of the original Freddie Gregory facing curve.
The GetASax GS RESO FG Special tenor saxophone mouthpiece looks great to the eye. The tip, rails and table look even, flat and well crafted. The tip rail and side rails are nice and thin, and the tip rails shape perfectly matches the shape of the saxophone reeds I used on it.
Since I have already reviewed the GS RESO tenor sax mouthpiece, I wanted to post this description from Brian Curry on the differences between the GetASax “GS RESO” model tenor sax mouthpiece and the “GS RESO FG Special” tenor sax mouthpiece:
These mouthpieces are based on my two favorite Otto Link Reso Chamber tenor saxophone mouthpieces. We started here, because the Reso is one of the tenor sax mouthpieces I know best, so I could easily tell if we had really reproduced the magic of the original or not.
This gets slightly confusing, but the two Reso chamber mouthpieces we scanned are quite different from each other. You can get either model of GS RESO, depending on what you order. It works like this: If you order the copy of my personal Freddie Gregory 7* tenor mouthpiece which is the GS RESO FG Special, then you get the first model that only comes in a 7* tip opening. If you order ANY other tip opening, or even a non-Freddie 7* facing, then you get the second GS RESO model. You can put your preference in the order notes.
What are the differences? The Freddie-faced 7* Reso is shorter and smaller around, and the other one is a beautiful original 5 tip that is significantly longer and also a little thicker around. We modeled ALL of the other tip openings using the longer, original 5 tip Reso as the starting point. Why? Because it’s a more typical Reso Chamber, it’s a normal length, and it has a nice baffle. My personal Freddie Reso is shorter, darker, and has less baffle. Plus it’s better to model the tip openings using the 5 tip. You could get one or both. They sound different from each other, the longer GS RESO being a bit brighter (but still dark) because of having more baffle. Also, if you find yourself pulling your mouthpiece out on the cork, you will want the longer GS RESO model, as it is significantly longer, and lets you pull out more.-Brian Curry
The baffle of the GetASax GS RESO FG Special tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a low rollover baffle. It is a short baffle and looks to be about 1/8 of an inch before it rolls over and descends down at an angle into the large chamber. The floor of the baffle during the decent has a side to side curve to it.
Brian Curry describes the GS RESO FG Special tenor sax mouthpiece as having less baffle than the GS RESO tenor sax mouthpiece and I could see that when comparing the two mouthpieces side by side. The GS RESO FG Special has less of a rollover to the baffle and the baffle rollover is a little shorter than the GS RESO mouthpiece baffle.
Besides the difference in baffles between the GS RESO tenor sax mouthpiece and the GS RESO FG Special tenor sax mouthpiece ,there are also some other differences worth noting between the two mouthpieces:
- The GS RESO FG Special tenor sax mouthpiece has a shorter rollover baffle and the angle of the baffle looks a little lower than the GS RESO tenor sax mouthpiece.
- The GS RESO FG Special tenor sax mouthpiece has a wider window than the GS RESO tenor sax mouthpiece.
- The GS RESO FG Special tenor sax mouthpiece has thinner side rails and a thinner tip rail than the GS RESO tenor sax mouthpiece.
- The GS RESO FG Special tenor sax mouthpiece has a thinner roof to the chamber than the GS RESO tenor sax mouthpiece.
- The GS RESO FG Special tenor sax mouthpiece is shorter in length by about an 1/8 of an inch and is slightly thinner than the GS RESO tenor sax mouthpiece.
The baffle ends at the mouthpiece chamber where it looks like the bottom of the chamber floor is scooped out to be a little lower than the bore. The opening to the mouthpiece chamber looks to be a large sized chamber that is similar in size to a typical hard rubber Otto Link sized chamber and looks to be the same size as the GS RESO tenor mouthpiece I have already reviewed. The roof of the mouthpiece chamber under the table is thinner than the GS RESO mouthpiece roof thickness.
The sidewalls are scooped out from where they start near the tip all the way to the chamber where they expand out to round out the mouthpiece chamber. I typically like scooped out sidewalls because they seem to go hand in hand with a fatter more round tenor saxophone tone in my opinion.
GetASax GS RESO FG Special 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece next to a vintage Otto Link Reso Chamber Mouthpiece
The diameter and beak profile of the GetASax GS RESO FG Special tenor sax mouthpiece is very close to the diameter and beak profile of a typical hard rubber Otto Link tenor saxophone mouthpiece. All of my ligatures that fit comfortably on hard rubber Otto Link tenor saxophone mouthpieces fit on the GS RESO FG Special tenor sax mouthpiece perfectly.
The diameter of the GS RESO FG Special tenor sax mouthpiece is little thinner than the GS RESO mouthpiece that I have already reviewed but the same ligatures fit on both mouthpieces. The GS RESO FG Special tenor sax mouthpiece is also about an 1/8 of an inch shorter than the GS RESO model tenor mouthpiece.
The weight and consistency of the dental resin feels more substantial than the weight of other materials like Delrin mouthpieces I have reviewed in the past. As I hold the GS RESO FG Special tenor sax mouthpiece in my hand, the weight feels similar to a hard rubber saxophone mouthpiece. You can see in the photo below that the weight of the original and reproduction are pretty darn close!
Weight of a GetASax GS RESO FG Special 7* Model next to an Original Otto Link Reso Chamber-now that is close!
I found that the Freddie Gregory facing curve of the GetASax GS RESO FG Special 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece seemed to prefer a slightly harder reed than the GS RESO 7 tenor mouthpiece did. On the GS RESO 7 review I used a Robertos 2 1/2 hard saxophone reed that I found perfect for that mouthpiece but those reeds all felt too soft on the GS RESO FG Special 7* tenor sax mouthpiece. My favorite saxophone reeds on this mouthpiece were a Robertos 3 soft saxophone reed and a Rigotti Gold 3 1/2 Light reed which are both harder than the saxophone reed I used on the GS RESO 7 mouthpiece review.
This surprised me because I thought the 7* tip opening of the FG Special mouthpiece would need a slightly softer reed than the 7 tip opening GS RESO tenor sax mouthpiece. I can only assume that maybe the Freddie Gregory facing curve on the GS FG Special tenor sax mouthpiece is more efficient for some reason.
GetASax GS RESO FG Special 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece next to a vintage Otto Link Reso Chamber Mouthpiece refaced by Freddie Gregory
The GetASax GS RESO FG Special tenor saxophone mouthpiece had a warm balanced tenor saxophone tone that I found to be sightly darker than the GS RESO tenor sax mouthpiece I have already reviewed. It is honestly hard to make a direct comparison between both GS RESO mouthpieces because I used a harder reed (Roberto’s 3 Soft) and an even harder reed (Rigotti Gold 3 1/2 Light) on the GS RESO FG Special tenor saxophone mouthpiece. I’m not sure if the differences in tone I noticed were due to the mouthpiece differences or the reed differences.
The tone is thick, round and warm in my opinion. Although I would describe it as having a darker tone, it does have some sparkle and brightness to make the tone more vibrant. I found the Roberto 3 Soft saxophone reeds to give a tone that seemed to be more round, with soft edges to the tone. The harder Rigotti Gold 3 1/2 Light saxophone reed seemed to have more of a defined perimeter around the tone. I also felt like the harder reed had a bit more overtones and texture to the tone as well as a bit more edge than the Roberto’s saxophone reeds.
GetASax GS RESO FG Special 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece next to a vintage Otto Link Reso Chamber Mouthpiece
The low notes on the GS RESO FG Special saxophone mouthpiece were full, thick and robust with a tone that was rich and beautiful. The tone down low seemed more pillowy and round with the softer Roberto’s 3 soft saxophone reed and more complex and rich with the harder Rigotti Gold 3 1/2 Light saxophone reed.
The high notes were full and round but the edges of the tone didn’t seem as round as the earlier reviewed GS RESO tenor mouthpiece. That mouthpiece played incredibly well with a softer Roberto’s 2 1/2 hard tenor sax reed so I think a lot of the softer, rounder quality of the tone might be attributed to the effect of that softer saxophone reed as well.
GetASax GS RESO FG Special 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece next to a vintage Otto Link Reso Chamber Mouthpiece
The intonation on the GetASax GS RESO FG Special tenor saxophone mouthpiece was very good and the GS RESO FG Special sax mouthpiece was a great match for my Selmer Super Balanced Action tenor saxophone (from the 50’s). I would imagine the GS RESO FG Special tenor sax mouthpiece would be a great match for any vintage tenor saxophone like a Selmer or Conn since it is a reproduction of a vintage tenor saxophone mouthpiece.
The evenness and smoothness of notes throughout the range of the saxophone was nice when playing fast lines. The character and warm tone seemed to blend well as I played faster lines throughout the low, mid and high range of the saxophone. I think you can hear this smoothness in the fast technical lines I play on the sound clips below.
The altissimo register of the saxophone was easy to produce on the GetASax GS RESO FG Special tenor saxophone mouthpiece and the notes were easy to control and manipulate.
Like the GS RESO tenor sax mouthpiece review, The GS RESO FG Special mouthpiece had a good amount of power when pushed. I would say the volume was about 7 when pushed on my 1-10 volume scale. It did get a little brighter in tone when pushed but the brightness seemed more like a midrange brightness rather than a high end brightness if I were to relate it to the effects of EQ on a sound. Even at the mouthpiece’s top volume, I felt like the GS RESO FG Special still retains a darker warmth to the tone. I think you can hear this clearly in the sound clips below.
GetASax GS RESO FG Special 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece next to a vintage Otto Link Reso Chamber Mouthpiece
On the sound clips below, I try to give a good range and variety of saxophone sounds and textures so that you can hear the GetASax GS RESO FG Special tenor saxophone mouthpiece perform in different styles with two different saxophone reeds.
I recorded one sound clip with a Roberto’s 3 Soft tenor saxophone reed and another sound clip with a harder Rigotti Gold 3 1/2 Light tenor saxophone reed. The Rigotti Gold saxophone reed was a harder reed than I usually play on a 7* tenor saxophone mouthpieces but it played easily and I know that those of you that like harder reeds might like this sound clip more.
As has been my habit lately, I have added some slight reverb to both clips for those of you who like to check out the sax recordings with reverb added also. I try not to put a lot of reverb on the clip, but just enough to thicken the sound a little bit. The reason I think reverb is good to add to the clips is that you can get an idea of how the sax mouthpiece might sound in a room with natural reverb like a garage or in a recording studio with some effects added.
GetASax GS RESO FG Special 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece next to a vintage Otto Link Reso Chamber Mouthpiece (Case they are sitting on is uneven)
In my opinion, the GetASax GS RESO FG Special tenor saxophone mouthpiece is a great tenor sax mouthpiece for those of you looking for a mouthpiece with a tone that leans to the round warmer side of the tenor saxophone tone spectrum. It is a great hard rubber jazz mouthpiece that would be incredible for straight ahead jazz playing. It’s lush full tone is also incredible for ballads as I try to demonstrate a bit in the sound clips below.
If you are interested in the GS RESO FG Special tenor saxophone mouthpiece you can purchase one from Brian Curry at GetaSax.com. Just click on this link and choose the “7* FG Special” in the “choose option” drop down menu next to Facing/Model. *Special Note: Brian just let me know that they will also be offering an exact copy of the original JA (Joe Allard) 5 Otto Link Reso Chamber for you guys that are always complaining that you can’t find tenor mouthpieces in smaller tip openings! Yeah!!
Brian has said he has about 750 saxophone mouthpieces in his collection and that he would put 20 of those mouthpieces in the “holy grail” category. He is hoping to release reproductions of many of these “holy grail” saxophone mouthpieces in the near future which I am very excited about! Stay tuned…….
If you try a GetASax GS RESO FG Special tenor saxophone mouthpiece or have any thoughts, comments or questions on this review, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below. Thanks, Steve
Clip 1-GetASax GS RESO FG Special 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Roberto’s 3 Soft Reed-No Effects Added
Clip 1-GetASax GS RESO FG Special 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Roberto’s 3 Soft Reed-Reverb Added
Clip 2-GetASax GS RESO FG Special 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Rigotti Gold 3 1/2 Light Reed-No Effects Added
Clip 2-GetASax GS RESO FG Special 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Rigotti Gold 3 1/2 Light Reed-Reverb Added
Very nice!!
Steve,
I was glad you reviewed this piece. I bought one a few months back, and was very curious as to what you thought. I’d like to make a few observations.
First, I have nothing but positive things to say about it. It’s exactly as advertised. To my ears, it sounds exactly like a Reso. It fills a nice niche in between a couple of my other pieces, and has some characteristics none of them have.
Mine is a 7*. I was surprised at how easy and in tune it plays. And the tone is beautiful. There’s a lot of character throughout the range. And the finish work is really good. Although it’s 3D printed like the SYOS, the facing work is hand finished, and you can tell. It’s a piece you don’t want to stop playing once you start.
I would say it’s a somewhat mellow piece in terms of brightness. I’ve tried it on several types of gigs, and I would say it’s not my first choice for louder non-jazz gigs. It doesn’t have a lot of edge, or extra volume boost you can access when you need it. But I would say the sound is edgy enough for medium volume, and acoustic music. However, I know there are guys that use the reso in loud situations, so maybe it’s an acquired skill with this one.
The material is very odd. It feels different from any other mouthpiece I’ve felt. It’s made from dental material, so it’s just weird feeling. Not really when you play, but when you hold it. It has a pronounced grain to it…but not on the table or face. For lack of a better description, it feels very organic, and almost alive when you touch it.
This grain does exist inside of the collar. It’s very grabby on the cork. I actually tore up a cork with it in about 2 weeks, but it was damaged anyway. Since then, I’ve been careful to make sure I use cork grease on the new cork, and it’s fine. You just have to be a little careful.
For the price, I would highly recommend it especially considering Resos are really expensive and not many people are making this style piece.
I also read somewhere that he’s developing a piece that’s a copy of a different model , and I’ll be anxious to try the tone when it’s available.
Thanks for the detailed review Lincoln. I appreciate you taking the time to detail your thoughts and observations and know they will be valuable to all those that read them. Steve
If I understand what Lincoln writes about the inside of the collar (I’m not American), that is:
“… This grain does exist inside of the collar. It’s very grabby on the cork. I actually tore up a cork with it in about 2 weeks, but it was damaged anyway. Since then, I’ve been careful to make sure I use cork grease on the new cork, and it’s fine. You just have to be a little careful … “,
if it is ascertained that this is not an isolated case, I imagine that Mr. Brian will also smooth the inside of the collar in the future and will thank Lincoln for reporting the possible problem.
Giuseppe.
I did not have any issues like this with the bore of the 4 Getasax mouthpieces I have tried out so far so I don’t think this is an ongoing issue that I am aware of.
Steve, this one compared to the standard version seems just a bit more focused. Not sure which one I like better, could live with either one.
Kevin, I would say that is a good description. I felt like it was slightly more focused than the the GS RESO even though it was a little darker. The GS RESO was a little more spread in tone but a little brighter I think……..
Nice tone, but the attack is odd. Rubbery sounding to my old ears. Rather old –
fashioned sound but acceptable. Scale seems true but that is the horn talking!
This might be great for some guys gigs, but not mine. Give me Harold Land,
George Coleman, Eric Alexander and Pete Christlieb for starters!
I have a shoe box filled with many very fine mouthpieces, all gathered in our oh so familiar quest for the holy grail, but most of them collect dust as I tend to stick to my Early Babbit STM tenor sax mouthpiece. So by now I wasn’t really looking to expand the collection. However, your review, pure curiosity (having never played a Reso Chamber) and the acceptable pricing of the mouthpiece, I decided to give it a chance. Simple order, no fuss and within a week it arrived nicely packaged in the Netherlands.
It’s too early to say, but I consider it comes very close to what I expect my ideal rubber mouthpiece should sound like. I’m very impressed by the work of Get a Sax. The mouthpiece sounds even over the whole register, and everything is vibrating heavily: my 1954 SBA tenor saxophone, my body, the room, the windows….it’s really great and I’m having great fun.
I’m still testing it with various reeds, but so far the Java 2.5 reed is very nice with great depth, and also, surprisingly, the Legere American Cut reed really gives it a lot of punch and spread as well as a little more brightness.
What I also noticed, like most Otto Link mouthpieces, it doesn’t immediately reveal all it’s magic. The more effort you put in, the better it gets. It’s one of the great things I like about the vintage Link mouthpieces, they allow you to develop your personal sound with the mouthpiece if you put some effort into them. I have many mouthpieces that deliver a great sound, but the sound is delivered by the mouthpiece, not the player. Anyway, great stuff by Get a Sax! Thank you for the very helpful review, Steve, as so many of your reviews are.
I have had the GetASax GS Reso FG for a couple of weeks. It is very good and getting better as I figure out the reed match and just try things with it. This was a really good investment.
Hi Steve,
How do you feel the GS Resos compare to the BSS R-Series?
How similar/different are they?
The GS Reso’s and the BSS R-Series are in the same category of sound in my mind. They are very similar in that they are both darker and warmer in tone. Any differences between them really have to be experienced by the person testing them out. As I think back to when I reviewed both of these I can’t think of any big differences that stick out to me.
Thanks for the review. I have one issue with your reviews, though…they all sound excellent. I mean, Steve, you have one of the best tones I’ve heard and could make me want to buy the crappiest mouthpiece on the planet. Do us all a big favor, play like the rest of us mortals (kidding)!