Today, I am reviewing a new alto saxophone mouthpiece from 10mFan saxophone mouthpieces. This is the Supernova 7 hard rubber alto saxophone mouthpiece. I have already reviewed a number of great 10mFan tenor, alto and soprano saxophone mouthpieces in the past that you can find here.
Whenever Mark Sepinuck, at 10mFan mouthpieces, comes out with a new saxophone mouthpiece model, I am always really excited to try it out because all of his saxophone mouthpieces are so darn good! Mark is always thinking about how he can meet the needs of the sax playing community with new, uniquely designed and original saxophone mouthpieces.
10mFan Supernova Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece
With the Supernova alto saxophone mouthpiece, Mark has created an alto saxophone mouthpiece for those of you who like a high baffled alto mouthpiece with loads of power and brightness without sacrificing tone or body to the sound. The new Supernova alto saxophone mouthpiece is 10mFan’s brightest alto sax mouthpiece as described on the 10mFan website. Mark has 4 categories of alto sax mouthpieces ranging from Category 1 (warmer) to Category 4 (brighter). The Supernova alto saxophone mouthpiece is in Category 4. (I wonder if Mark, living in Florida, was influenced by hurricane season with these mouthpiece category ratings?)
Here’s a description of the Supernova alto saxophone mouthpiece from the 10mFan website:
Category 4: “SUPERNOVA”— THE ABSOLUTE BEST ORIGINAL DESIGN HIGH BAFFLE ALTO MOUTHPIECE IN THE MARKETPLACE!
SUPER powerful higher baffle piece with a roll over at the end, for that Pop, Funk, Sanborn, Smooth Jazz, Rock thing!!!! Boney James, Jaared, and Mikey Rivera—-3 of the best in the world for this style piece, are using this model, and absolutely LOVE it!!!! It’s got all the brights, punch, and power that the power players who want a Category 4 mouthpiece will need, but also TONS OF BODY to the sound!!! CRAZY KILLER ALTISSIMO!!!!!!!!!!!-Mark Sepinuck
The 10mFan Supernova is available in 4 tip openings:
6 – .080
7 – .085
8 – .090
9 – .095
- Special note: I tend to like alto saxophone mouthpieces with a tip opening between .076-.080 but I felt totally comfortable and at home with the Supernova alto mouthpiece at a 7 tip of .085. The higher baffle profile makes the larger tip opening feel more comfortable for me. If you are like me and like a similar range of tip openings on the alto sax, I would suggest going with a slightly larger tip opening for the Supernova mouthpiece as well.
10mFan Supernova Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece
The 10mFan Supernova alto saxophone mouthpiece came in a well packaged box. Inside, amidst the packaging, the Supernova alto mouthpiece was well protected in a clear tube.
The new 10mFan Supernova alto sax mouthpiece has the traditional three rings on the shank that all of the 10mFan saxophone mouthpieces have. It also has “10mFan” and “Supernova” engraved on the top of the mouthpiece. On the bottom corners of the mouthpiece next to the table is engraved “U.S.A.” and “7”. All the 10mFan mouthpieces are made from the finest German bar stock hard rubber.
The mouthpiece looks great and right up to the normal everyday 10mFan standards of excellence. From day one, Mark Sepinuck has been very serious about producing top of the line saxophone mouthpieces of the highest standards. This Supernova alto sax mouthpiece is no exception. The table, rails, tip and baffle area all look perfectly balanced, even and precise.
10mFan Supernova Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece
The 10mFan Supernova alto saxophone mouthpiece is without a doubt a high baffled mouthpiece as you can see in the photos. The high baffle extends about 7/8’s of an inch before rolling over smoothly into a more pronounced descent towards the rear of the mouthpiece chamber. When I compare my 10mFan Showboat alto sax mouthpiece side by side with the 10mFan Supernova mouthpiece, the baffle of the Supernova is a little bit higher and longer than the Showboat alto mouthpiece baffle.
I love that Mark Sepinuck designed the Supernova alto mouthpiece to have a smooth rollover at the end of the baffle. Many high baffle mouthpiece makers tend to leave the end of the baffle with an edge or hard line. My experience has been that baffles with a smooth rollover instead of an edge have a fatter and smoother tone that I usually prefer when playing a high baffled mouthpiece. Usually the baffles with an edge at the end tend to be more edgy and brittle in tone in my experience.
The chamber of the 10mFan Supernova looks similar in size to the chamber of the 10mFan Showboat alto mouthpiece as I hold them side by side. When I compare the Supernova chamber to a Meyer Connoisseur alto mouthpiece I reviewed a few months ago, the Supernova chamber looks larger in size when compared to the Meyer alto mouthpiece. Of course, the baffle of the Supernova is traveling through the chamber at a higher angle than the Meyer baffle so that higher baffle would take up more volume of the chamber area but the overall look of the chamber is that it is larger than the Meyer.
The side walls of the mouthpiece are straight on each side as they head towards the chamber and then look slightly scooped out as the chamber area begins. The roof of the chamber area below the table is nice and thin.
10mFan Supernova Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece
The 10mFan Supernova was incredibly reed friendly for me. It has a 7 tip opening which is a .085 and I assumed this larger tip opening would require softer reeds but I found that I preferred the same reed strengths on the Supernova mouthpiece as I do with other alto saxophone mouthpieces that have a smaller tip opening of .076-.080. I found that Rigotti Gold 3 light saxophone reeds, Boston Sax Shop 3 reeds and Roberto’s Winds 3 Soft reeds all played really well for me on the Supernova 7 alto saxophone mouthpiece.
One of the best attributes to the 10mFan line of saxophone mouthpieces are the precise facing curves used on these mouthpieces. Mark uses the best mouthpiece craftsman to fine tune every mouthpiece and make sure the facing curves are perfect. A perfectly balanced and even facing curve allows more reeds to play consistently and favorably and that was my experience with the Supernova alto sax mouthpiece.
10mFan Supernova Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece
As you would expect from a mouthpiece with this kind of baffle, the Supernova is a powerhouse of an alto sax mouthpiece. In fact, when I first attempted to record a sound clip, I turned down the gain on my microphone to what I usually set it for with Guardala type tenor mouthpieces (really powerful tenor mouthpieces) and the recording was still in the red most of the time because the mouthpiece was so powerful. I had to try recording again with the gain turned down even more!
I would say that the 10mFan Supernova is without a doubt one of the most powerful alto mouthpieces I have ever played. On my alto mouthpiece volume scale of 1-10, I would rate the Supernova as going up to 13!
A great quality to the 10mFan Supernova alto mouthpiece is that it still allows the player the ability to mold and shape the sound as they play. I have played other high baffled alto mouthpieces that feel like they box you into this one high baffled alto saxophone tone that is next to impossible to get away from. The Supernova alto sax mouthpiece still allows the player the freedom to fatten the tone or darken the tone if needed which I really loved. It also allows the player to go in the other direction of making the tone even brighter and tougher when needed which is really cool.
10mFan Supernova Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece
The altissimo range on the 10mFan Supernova is off the charts in my opinion. If you are a fan of my website, you will probably know that I don’t play much altissimo on the alto saxophone. To be honest, that higher range of the alto sax altissimo notes just seems to irritate what hearing I have left in my one working ear. Because I don’t play much altissimo on the alto sax, I am really out of practice with voicing those notes and any attempts by me usually have less than optimal results on the alto sax. However, on the 10mFan Supernova, I found the altissimo range incredibly easy for me. The altissimo range felt as easy and effortless as it does when playing the tenor sax which I don’t think I have ever experienced on an alto sax mouthpiece before. I was very impressed that the Supernova design could make the alto altissimo range that easy for me to attain. Very impressed!
10mFan Supernova Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece
The 10mFan Supernova alto sax mouthpiece has a powerful, focused tone that can be pretty bright. The first recording I made with it was of “Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder. The Supernova really shines in a pop or smooth jazz setting in my opinion. It has enough brightness and punch to cut through the mix and the brightness of the tone really allows the upper range of the horn to sing and project. It sounds killer with a little bit of reverb added or in a big room with natural reverb in it.
I found the facing curve and reed combination to really be advantageous as far as manipulating the tone with vibrato and bends. I was actually quite impressed with how easy I could bend notes up and down. Usually, that breaking point between the normal range of the sax and the altissimo range can be a rough transition to play through on the alto sax for me but the Supernova mouthpiece really made that transition smooth and even for me. A couple times in the recordings I play from the normal register into the higher altissimo and the line up is just so smooth and flowing.
10mFan Supernova Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece
The second sound clip is highlighting the altissimo range of the alto sax with the Supernova alto sax mouthpiece. You can hear many of those bends in the lines that I just wrote about in the high notes. I love that bend up to high altissimo C with the vibrato at the end of the sound clip. I added a bit of reverb to the recording because it sounds so good with that reverb added.
In comparison to other high baffle alto saxophone mouthpieces, the Supernova seems to have a fatter and fuller tone to it in my opinion. The tone seems smoother to me and the range of the horn is very even and smooth from note to note.
The intonation was great and very close to perfectly in tune for every note. This was a pleasant surprise as many high baffle alto mouthpieces can mess with the intonation on my Selmer Reference 54 alto saxophone. The Supernova mouthpiece played with great intonation up and down the range of the saxophone.
10mFan Supernova Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece
The last recording of the 10mFan Supernova alto saxophone mouthpiece is a dry recording with no effects on it at all using a warmer Boston Sax Shop reed. I wanted to provide a sound clip with a somewhat darker reed to show what the Supernova would sound like with my standard jazz lines with the darker reed. I think it sounds great on this last clip and I could certainly see someone being able to play some standards with the Supernova if desired. The Boston Sax Shop 3 alto saxophone reed is certainly a darker tone than the Rigotti Gold 3 light alto sax reed used on the other sound clips which is brighter and a bit edgier in tone.
10mFan Supernova Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece
If you like the sound and look of the 10mfan Supernova hard rubber alto saxophone mouthpiece, you can order one of them from Mark Sepinuck at 10mFan.com. I have also included a few videos below of some other sax players playing the Supernova. I think the combination of my sound clips and these videos below will help you make a decision about the 10mFan Supernova alto sax mouthpiece.
I think this is a great alto saxophone mouthpiece choice for those of you who play pop, smooth jazz or fusion and like that brighter, more powerful alto saxophone tone. The Supernova doesn’t box you into one sound or concept but has enough flexibility to it that a player can shape and mold the sound to his or her specific sound concept. I was a huge fan of Mark Russo and the Yellowjackets when I was a teenager and in my opinion, the Supernova alto sax mouthpiece totally nails that type of sound and altissimo register. I love it!
If you have any questions about the Supernova model or any of the other 10mFan mouthpieces, you can also contact Mark Sepinuck through his website. Mark Sepinuck is a treasure trove of information about saxophone mouthpieces so if you end up on the phone with him, don’t be surprised if you end up talking about sax mouthpieces for a couple of hours.
*If you have played or end up playing a 10mFan Supernova alto saxophone mouthpiece or have any other thoughts or comments about this review, I would love to hear what you think in the comment section below this review. Thanks, Steve
*To hear the most detail from these clips it is best to listen to them from a computer with nice audio speakers or headphones rather than from an iPhone or laptop speakers. It makes a world of difference!
10mFan Supernova Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece-Isn’t She Lovely-Rigotti Gold 3 Light Reed-Reverb Added
10mFan Supernova Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece-Altissimo Clip-Rigotti Gold 3 Light Reed-Reverb Added
10mFan Supernova Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece-Random Lines and Melodies-Boston Sax Shop 3 Reed-No Effects
Jaared Playing Pick Up the Pieces on the 10mFan SuperNova Alto Sax Mouthpiece (Check out :39-:54 for some killer altissimo chops…….Jaared nails an altissimo F……..)
Francois Diaz Play Testing the 10mFan Supernova Alto Sax Mouthpiece
Mikey Rivera Play Testing the 10mFan Supernova Alto Sax Mouthpiece
Disclosure: I received the sample mouthpiece reviewed above for free in the hope that I would try it and perhaps review it on my blog. Regardless, I only review sax mouthpieces that I enjoy playing and believe will be good for other saxophone players to try also. Steve
Steve,
I just wanted to truly thank you for your beautiful review of the Supernova alto mouthpiece! You have shown such incredible support for my mouthpiece line since the day they came out. You are a treasure to the saxophone community, and I just wanted to personally thank you for the wonderful support you have shown throughout the years!!!
This is a very special mouthpiece for the players that are looking for that powerhouse alto piece in hard rubber, and yearn for an original design. The mouthpieces are all made from the finest German barstock hard rubber and all of these alto Supernova‘s are hand finished by Brian Powell. Original designs are what I’m all about here. That’s VERY VERY important to me.
Your pictures, your comments, and your sound clips are just wonderful! Big hugs to you! ❤️❤️??
All the best, Mark
http://www.10mfan.com
Yes, it is really a “lovely” mouthpiece!
Giuseppe.
I preordered one of these and now I’m wondering if I got a bad one. Mine had less body than the small chamber shiva I usually play. I also felt it had less color than both the shiva or durga. While the tone wasn’t what I hoped for, I found that it played well, like any hand faced piece should. It responded well and had altissimo comparable to my shiva which is the best altissimo piece I have played. It just didn’t have the energy and depth that I was hoping for.
Jacob, I haven’t tried a Shiva or Durga so can’t comment on that. I’ve never seen a bad 10mFan mouthpiece and the fact that you say it plays well, responded well and has altissimo comparable to your favorite altissimo mouthpiece you have ever played, makes me think the Supernova is a great mouthpiece (at least it sounds like it…..). I found that reeds make a big difference in the tonal colors I got out of the Supernova. Somebody on SOTW asked me how the Supernova would differ from the Drake David Sanborn mouthpiece and I think my response could probably be applied to the Durga and Shiva alto mouthpieces as well (although I have not played those) so here it is:
I generally think of small chambered mouthpieces like the Shiva as having a smaller body of sound than something like the Supernova might have with the larger chamber. The Shiva might be louder because I find smaller chamber to really be cutting but when I think of “body” of sound I usually think of the “fatness” of the tone. Instead of just nailing the Sanborn sound with the Supernova, I feel like it’s fatness can be more moldable to perhaps get a more Warren Hill or Gerald Albright type sound if that’s what the player wants. That’s my impression of the Supernova anyways………
Hey Steve, I guess I should have been more clear. So, my Supernova is EQ’d with a heavy amount of highs and very little middle mids and lows. So mine plays like a super bright piece with the playability of a large chamber (making low notes easy to come out), but mine doesn’t feel fat. When I think “fat,” I think of thick, lush, powerful, and maybe kind of a spread tone. It also has enough lows and mids to give substantial body to the low end. The Shiva has a small chamber and is thus focused, but it has a full sound, nice full spectrum EQ (with plenty of highs, obviously), and the low notes have plenty of body. The Durga, which is also a large chamber like the supernova, has enough lows and mids to get this massive complex tone with a substantial body, especially in the low end. I was hoping the supernova would have the complexity and depth of sound that the shiva and durga have, but instead, I found mine to be kinda one note with heavy highs across the board from low Bb to altissimo. This may just be mine. Your experience at the very least seems to be very different than mine. So yeah, its a great working mouthpiece, but I don’t get from it what I hoped. Again it may just be mine, maybe that’s what they all are like, but I didn’t have the same experience you did. I will say mine is an 8 over your 7, but I would think that would make it warmer and a little darker anyway. I tried different reeds (BSS, Ishimori, Nexus, Green Java, and V16), and I just couldn’t get it to have the body or fatness I expected. I don’t know if these get hand work on the baffle as well as the facing curve, but mine just doesn’t produce the same results you seem to have gotten.
Well, to each his own. This mouthpiece search discussion just shows that we are all different and it is a very personal thing for each of us. The 10mFan Supernova is without a doubt a bright mouthpiece. A big part of me providing sound clips is so people can hear exactly how each piece plays for me because words can only go so far or describe so much. The videos provided by other players also can help people hear how the piece sounds as well so they can make an informed decision.
From reading your comment I think we have different definitions of some of those words and concepts. I think of “fat” when describing tone as totally different thing than thick, lush, powerful or spread. I have played mouthpieces that I would describe as fat in tone that had a more “pure” sound and others that had a more grainy or complex sound. I actually relate the words thick and lush to complexity of tone to a certain extent. Like I hear a complex character in the tone maybe related to the overtones. Same with the word “spread”. That is different than “fat” in my mind because I have played pieces that are “fat” but “focused and concentrated in tone and others that are “fat” but more spread in tone.
I will say that my use of the word “fat” in regard to tone in this review is simply based off my comparison to most of the other high baffled alto sax mouthpieces I have played and reviewed over the years. The majority of these mouthpieces had a very concentrated, almost laserbeam bright focus to the tone. I found the Supernova to have a wider tone than my past experience with those mouthpieces.
Regardless, of all that, I appreciate you coming on and sharing your experience and thoughts with all of us.
I have a Supernova and it is outrageously great; what Steve talks about regarding altissimo and depth of sound is spot on. Usually, alto altissimo doesn’t come as easy as tenor…unless I’m playing the Supernova, because then it’s effortless. But the more important part is the richness and depth of sound.
I’ve played all the big baffle alto pieces out there, all the crazy expensive boutique stuff, and IMO nothing compares to the Supernova. There are layers to the sound, it is 3-dimensional with that core that is missing from all the fancy boutique brands. But it’s still really powerful and resonant and has limitless volume.
The sax world needed an alto mouthpiece just like the Supernova. While everyone else goes for thin and piercing, 10mfan makes a powerhouse piece with all the brightness and edge you could want, but in a package with body, depth, richness, and resonance. All of the 10mfan mouthpieces that I’ve tried have been great, but this one really stands out for me because of what it manages to accomplish.
I’ve tried all the baffle pieces, and the Supernova beats them all IMO. And if a random guy on the internet doesn’t sound convincing, you can check out videos of Boney James playing this piece and he can play whatever the hell he wants. Dude is a legend and plays on the Supernova for a reason.
Kudos to 10mfan on this accomplishment; it’s not easy to make a piece like this and he absolutely knocked it out of the park.
Hi everyone, hope your all well. I think when comparing mouthpieces or even play testing them it is important to verify with different reeds, ligatures etc. Sometimes we just get used to the way a couple of reeds vibrate and respond on a mouthpiece and that clouds our judgement. I’m currently using the Supernova model on alto and it is Awesome. The reeds I use seal very well, the low end responds quickly, the mid and upper registers are very even and “phat”. It is a powerhouse of a mouthpiece, sounding bright and having a lot of volume. The altissimo notes pop out very easily. In comparison with the other mouthpieces mentioned which I also have had a few. They are very similar but play and respond differently. The Supernova is less shrill and a variety of reeds feel great and respond better. There are a lot of mouthpieces out there nowadays, so when comparing it is almost impossible to say one is better than the other. But, with a hand finished facing, mastered craftsmanship and players who are showing us how the mouthpiece works I think it is all about one’s personal choice of which weapon to have in your arsenal. I think this mouthpiece ROCKS!!!! Thank you for the review Steve and best wishes.
https://youtu.be/eBlpvg4zTw8
Hi Mikey, Thanks for visiting and sharing your impressions of the 10mFan Supernova alto saxophone mouthpiece and the video link. I added your video to the bottom of the review so people interested could more easily see it. Steve
Hi Steve
Would you consider selling the 10m Supernova?
I am an avid reader of your reviews you do a great job!
I grew up with Rob Martin, he said he used to play with you.
Thanks,
Steve Tully
Hi Steve, Unfortunately I can’t help you with the 10Fan Supernova but hopefully you can get your hands on one to try. Yeah, I played in a band with Rob for about 7 years. Great guy! Take care!
hey Steve, recently found your site…wow! thanks for your dedication. how would you compare/rate the Supernova next to the Drake Contemporary VRCA piece?
Thanks.
Kevin, Unfortunately, The Drake Vintage Resin Contemporary alto mouthpiece review was a little more than 12 years ago and I don’t remember anything about that mouthpiece because it has been so long. You will have to try to judge the differences by listening to the sound clips, looking at the photos and reading the reviews. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help. Steve
Steve,
How does this mpc compare to the Rift mpc?
Jay, The Phil-Tone Rift has a fatter tone and although it is bright and powerful, it is not as bright and powerful as the 10mFan Supernova.
Hi Steve, I don’t know if you have tried the jody jazz jet, how would you compare it to this mouthpiece? I really like the Jody Jet but perhaps the sound is a little closed and nasal to me, I want to find something as powerful as the Jet but with more body.
Hi Vicente, No, I have never tried a Jody Jazz Jet. I communicated with Jody Espina a few times over the years about reviewing his mouthpieces to which he always seem excited but he never sent anything to me to review unfortunately.
Love your altissimo on this mouthpiece. I was lucky to have a Claude Lakey mouthpiece (with the 4 chamber which was the larger chamber) that was customized by Theo Wanne back in the 90’s. I gave that mouthpiece away to a very talented student thinking I could get another mouthpiece like it, but I was wrong. This Supernova mouthpiece reminds me so much of my old Claude Lakey, so I ordered one today. Mark Sepinuck called me to make sure I knew what I was getting. He wanted to make sure I knew it was not a jazz mouthpiece. I have some Gaia 4 mouthpieces that I love for jazz, but I definitely want this powerful and beautiful sounding mouthpiece. I also shared with Mark S. my new method for breaking in saxophone reeds. After doing about 30 one-minute sessions to break in reeds, I’ve been playing (in rotation) the same reeds for over 6 months and they are playing like new. I play soprano, alto, tenor, and bari and I’m doing this break-in method for all my reeds. I will look on your blog and see if you have a section for info on reeds. If you do, I will post my method there. I modified a method that Eugene Marquis described in his YouTube video, titled: “What Robert Marcellus Taught Me About Reeds”. I think I am having even better success with my modifications because I have a better percentage of good reeds. I’m getting at least 8 out of ten good reeds from a box of 10 with a little reed balancing with my reed geek. One of my modifications to his method is that I start soaking the reeds longer (before playing them) as I get through more breaking-in sessions. I actually started practicing more because of these breaking-in sessions for all my saxes. I realized I could practice new and old ideas during these one-minute breaking-in sessions for each reed. I will look now to see if you have a section on reeds, and I will try to share my methods with you. I realize some saxophonists don’t understand us cane guys, but that’s okay. I understand that the synthetic reeds work for some people.
Hey Neff, would you be so kind as to make a comment or two comparing this Supernova and the SYOS Spark alto? I think the volumes were kind of low with the spark, and I’m trying to determine which one you thought had more edge and volume and you liked overall. Thanks!
This is an easy question to answer. The SYOS is a great playing mouthpiece but I was most impressed with the 10mFan Supernova alto mouthpiece. I think it is my favorite high baffle alto sax mouthpiece I have played all these years. Definitely has the edge and volume when needed that is for sure. To top it off, months after my review of it, a track started playing while I was driving my car of solo alto sax and I thought it was the beginning of a tune. The alto sounded great to me and I wondered who the player was. I picked up my iPhone to see and it was my Supernova sound clip!!! I thought it sounded killer and that cemented the fact of how good that mouthpiece is in my mind.
LOL, that’s because you are fantastic! Thanks so much for that fast answer. We appreciate you, Steve.