• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Website of Steve Neff

  • BLOG
  • SHOP
  • MY ACCOUNT
  • RAVES
  • CONTACT

Search Neffmusic

You are here: Home / Archives for Steve

Hi! I am Steve Neff

I have been playing and teaching saxophone and jazz improvisation around the New England area for the last 30+ years. I love teaching and anything to do with the saxophone. I hope you find this website helpful in your musical journey. Thanks, Steve

Lamberson 7DD Tenor Mouthpiece

August 13, 2009 by Steve 4 Comments

This is the 7DD model that Fred Lamberson makes out of white acetal. It has a long high baffle like the Guardalas I have played.  This is my brightest  tenor mouthpiece at the moment.  It is very focused and penetrating, cuts right through the mix.   This is the  tenor mouthpiece I play on the […]

Filed Under: Tenor High Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: lamberson 7DD, tenor mouthpiece

Phil Barone New York 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-First Review

August 13, 2009 by Steve 1 Comment

*This is the first mouthpiece I reviewed back in 2006 when I started Neffmusic.com.  This is pretty sad as far as an in-depth review goes.   I had no idea what to write about or say about this mouthpiece.  Who would have guessed that these clips below would turn into a 15+ year passion and hundreds […]

Filed Under: Tenor Medium Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Barone NY, Ed Zentera, mouthpiece, new york, Phil Barone, review, saxophone, tenor mouthpiece, tenor sax

Freddie Gregory Mark IV 7** Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

August 13, 2009 by Steve 5 Comments

Here’s a hard rubber Freddie Gregory Mark IV 7** tenor saxophone mouthpiece. I really miss this tenor sax mouthpiece.  I sold it not too long after I bought it because I thought it was too bright. To be honest, there were quite a few gigs I had during that time that were amazing with this […]

Filed Under: Tenor Medium Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: 7*, freddie gregory, hard rubber, Mark IV, review, sax mouthpiece, tenor saxophone

Freddie Gregory Mark II 7* Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece

August 13, 2009 by Steve 14 Comments

Let me know what you think of this one. This is a Freddie Gregory Mark II 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece. It is made of hard rubber and looks as perfect as you will ever find.  I traded my Freddie Gregory Mark II 8* tenor sax mouthpiece for this mouthpiece. I love this mouthpiece, but at […]

Filed Under: Tenor Low Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: freddie gregory, hard rubber, mark II, review, sax mouthpiece, tenor saxophone

Lamberson J7 Tenor Mouthpiece

August 13, 2009 by Steve 13 Comments

This is a piece I got from the famous Dr. G on SOTW.  I have to say that this piece has mystical properties to it that I don’t understand.  It is made by Fred Lamberson and it has the least baffle of any piece I have ever owned but has a brightness and power to […]

Filed Under: Tenor Low Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Fred Lamberson, Lamberson J7, tenor mouthpiece

Florida/Early Babbitt HR Link 7* Tenor Mouthpiece

August 13, 2009 by Steve 2 Comments

This is a piece I bought about 4 years ago.  I got caught up in the whole “slant” hard rubber link thing and I emailed a guy who had a slant.   He had just sold it but said he had this piece that was as good or better than any slant he had ever played.  […]

Filed Under: Tenor Medium Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: early babbitt, florida link, Jon Van Wie, tenor mouthpiece

Guardala Gold MB II Tenor Mouthpiece

August 13, 2009 by Steve 8 Comments

I received this from WWBW about 3 weeks ago.  This is not a handmade Guardala tenor mouthpiece but one of the CNC made mouthpieces by WWBW.  Yes, I couldn’t resist.  I’ve tried Guardala mouthpieces before and they were always too bright for me.  This one isn’t.  It has a nice balance to it.  On the […]

Filed Under: Tenor High Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Guardala MB, tenor mouthpiece

“Live” Lamberson 7DD Tenor Mouthpiece

August 13, 2009 by Steve 5 Comments

Here’s a “live” clip of my white acetal Lamberson 7DD tenor mouthpiece. This is the same piece that I play on the “Let’s Get it On” video on my website. I’ve always said that Fred Lamberson makes amazing mouthpieces. This 7DD mouthpiece is no exception. It’s on the brighter side of the spectrum but still […]

Filed Under: Live Recordings, Tenor High Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: 7DD acetal, Fred Lamberson, tenor mouthpiece

“Live” Jon Van Wie Otto Link 8

August 13, 2009 by Steve 6 Comments

My Jon Van Wie refaced Super Tone Master Link is the tenor sax mouthpiece that I have played the most over the last 10 years. Jon Van Wie was an incredible mouthpiece refacer (sad to say that he died a number of years ago).  I had the good fortune to have him work on a […]

Filed Under: Live Recordings, Tenor High Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Jon Van Wie, otto link, reface, tenor mouthpiece

“Live” Lamberson J7 Tenor Mouthpiece

August 13, 2009 by Steve 10 Comments

This is an old clip i just found on my computer.  It’s one of those loud dance sets and the singer is making noise through most of the solo but you can get an idea of how the Lamberson J7 sounds through a mic in this type of setting. The cool thing about this clip […]

Filed Under: Live Recordings, Tenor Low Baffle Reviews, Tenor Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: Lamberson J7, tenor mouthpiece

Greg Wier GW 7M Alto Mouthpiece

August 13, 2009 by Steve 16 Comments

This is a great alto mouthpiece that I bought from Greg Wier.  I’ve seen all of his mouthpieces on ebay for quite some time now and have wondered how they are. I trialed one of his tenor mouthpieces awhile ago and was very impressed with it.  This alto mouthpiece is terrific also.  It’s got that […]

Filed Under: Alto Medium Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: alto mouthpiece, greg wier

Phil-Tone Aurora .078 Alto Mouthpiece

August 13, 2009 by Steve 4 Comments

I received my Phil-Tone Aurora alto mouthpiece from Philip Engleman.  Phil is known as Sigmund451 on SOTW (that’s Sax on the Web).  I was impressed with the mouthpiece just like I was with his tenor piece.  I just slapped a reed on it and it played great.  It has some nice volume to it and […]

Filed Under: Alto Medium Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: alto mouthpiece, aurora, Phil-tone, Phillip Engleman

Early Babbit Alto Mouthpiece 7

August 13, 2009 by Steve 2 Comments

This is the Freddie Gregory refaced HR link that I recorded on another clip. It played great but to be honest…..it was way to picky with reeds.  It would take me forever to find a good reed.  I sent it to Brian and had him work on it and set the tip at .080 which […]

Filed Under: Alto Low Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: alto mouthpiece, Brian Powell, Early Babbit

Vandoren V16 A5M Alto Mouthpiece

August 13, 2009 by Steve 18 Comments

This is a Vandoren V16 A5M that I bought from Dave Valdez in Portland. Dave had Brian Powell reface the mouthpiece to a .080 and put a very long facing curve on it (23mm) that matched a Slant Link that has been Dave’s main piece forever.  The reason I bought this piece was because I […]

Filed Under: Alto Low Baffle Reviews, Alto Mouthpiece Reviews Tagged With: alto mouthiece, dave valdez, vandoren V16

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 47
  • Page 48
  • Page 49
  • Page 50
  • Page 51
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 53
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Steve Neff

Cart

Subscribe to the Neffmusic Newsletter for the latest reviews and best deals delivered straight to your inbox every month. Join now and you will also receive my 40 Ultimate Michael Brecker Licks free!

Select list(s) to subscribe to


Thanks for joining!


NEFFMUSIC PRINTED BOOKS

Testimonials

Thank you so much for the great job you are doing to help further our jazz studies. Though I make my living as a repairer of musical instruments I am a student of jazz and have been fortunate enough to be involved with a big band and a combo for the last several years. As my children began to leave “the nest” I had decided to dedicate the next half of my life to a more serious study of the sax but I didn’t know exactly how I would go about doing this until a friend of mine turned me onto your si… Read more
Jon

Hello Steve,

I just want to say thank you so much for your unbelievable work, it is just mind opening, thanks for sharing it.

Wolfgang from Berlin

Wolfgang from Berlin
By the way, BIG COMPLIMENTS to you, Steve! Not only are you a great player, you are also a great teacher! I, too, am a woodwinds player/teacher. I have new inspiration to play and teach because of you. The concepts and “thinking” is similar to what I already learned in College, but hearing you explain and PLAY the concepts REALLY MAKES THE DIFFERENCE! Also, your written patterns are more interesting than other books I have seen! Keep up the good work. I will be recommending your sit… Read more
I will be recommending your site to others!

Never really had lessons before just kinda worked things out on my own. Was in a rut but your lessons are really helpful in opening melodic possibilities. Ur an awesome resource to the saxophone community. Thanks for sharing. 

Anthony
Steve really changed my way of practicing: I got a whole lot of new ideas for my playing the tenor.  His lessons are really helpful, give a lot stuff to practice and give clear answers to complicated stuff.  Steve has a lot of humor and I wish I had laughed so much in my former days with the horn.  All topics, from Blues to Approach note are dealt with clearness that wet ones appetite to play and practice that great ideas.
Uwe
Steve- I joined your site this month and have downloaded 4 lessons and also purchased your new book and video on diatonic patterns. I just want to say I am very pleased with your approach and teaching techniques. I am getting back into playing after laying off for some time. The information you offer on your site is of great value and I am enjoying being a member. Thank you for what you are doing for the saxophone community.
Tony

Hello Steve,

I have not received my alto yet but have already gone through 14 lessons. I love your approach, style, knowledge and competence. I now regret so much to have stayed away from playing the sax for the past 45-50 years…(I am 65).  But It is never too late to get back to your first love. After 23 years in compuer sciences and 22 years in finances…I am now back to music for the rest of my life.

Doing some research on the net, I found this:

http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?1… Read more

Claude

I want to thank you for your “Ultimate II-V-I Primer”  which has sent me off on a much better path to improvisation.  The primer and the four bound books I have will keep me busy for a long time.  I like your lessons for two reasons.  The lessons work and THEY ARE FUN.  Thanks again.

Robert

Robert

Steve, just a note to say thanks.

I’ve been playing a long time, but your material, laid out in such a thoughtful way, helps me to understand concepts in a new and deeper way.

You are a true gift to the jazz community.

60 lessons and going strong,

Kevin Ledbetter

Kevin Ledbetter
I have been a member of Neffmusic for more than a year now and have enjoyed every minute of it! I have not only been going thru the Dominant Bebop Scale lessons and book (OUTSTANDING!) but the mouthpiece reviews, solo clips and transcriptions are very interesting. Steve approach to beginning and intermediate improv have given me many new pathways to teach my high school jazz ensemble students. Congratulations Steve, great product!
Craig
It is so refreshing to have a great player, who can provide lessons and examples in a manner which is understandable to most any enthusiastic saxophonist who is ready to improve. not just the, do this, do that, memorize this, memorize that… while all that is absolutely necessary, you go on to give reasons and examples to explain and validate why you have to do all of these things, the benefits, if you will… that is the key for me, you tell, explain, demonstrate, explain some more, you give perso… Read more
Cedric
Hi Steve, I have been shedding your materials for quite a while now and I love them! They are extremely well organized and presented and there are tons of ’em! I really appreciate your methodical approach and find myself referring students to your resources often.  Thanks so much!  
Kenyon Carter

Love your lessons!  I have been using your lesson packages for many months now, and am learning a lot.  It is so perfect for me with a very busy adult schedule and difficulty in taking jazz/improv music lessons from reputable instructors who live and hour or more away from me.

Lenore
I have NEVER seen material like yours.  Amazing!!
Jerry
Hey Steve, I’m a 22-year-old from Australia. I thought it would be worth saying. You’re an absolute legend. I can’t thank you enough. You have helped me rekindle my love for the saxophone and music as a whole. All the best for the future, your work doesn’t go unnoticed. PS. I am loving your devastating minor lines pdf.
Sapph
Your lessons on playing the blues is so clear . I have been through many books on blues playing and not one of them explains as clear as your lessons . Most of them say “Play the same blues scale over all three chords of a 12 bar blues ” Its very misleading .     Thanks
Martin
Thank you for the wealth of helpful lessons you’ve provided over the years.  I truly feel as though it has improved my playing more than the 4 years I spent at Berklee… and that’s not a slight on the school as I loved my experience there.
John
John
I’ve been a member of Steve’s site for about six months now and the difference it has made to my playing is immeasurable. The (many) benefits of this membership are that you can have lessons at time convenient to you, they work out A LOT cheaper than face-to-face lessons with a teacher of the same calibre and you can replay them ad infinitum. I don’t know how many times have I had lessons in the past where I’ve ended up covering the same concepts when really a ‘replay’ of the last lesson would h… Read more
Nick
I just joined Neff Music last month. I can’t tell you how excited I’ve been to be able to pick back up on lessons. I’ve been in a rut and you got me out! I’ve especially appreciated the Lesson Path section. It was so clear I knew exactly where to jump in and start. Many many thanks!
Karin
Just a brief note to compliment you on your teaching skills and in particular for the honesty of your lessons.  I am a returning alto sax player in my 50’s and I was looking for a no nonsense, straight to the point kind of guidance. I had intended to email you with a few questions regarding the use of the bis key but then I noticed that there was a lesson on that specific topic and after viewing it,  all my questions were answered. I once took a group lesson with a well known professional sax … Read more
Patrick
I am enjoying your style of teaching, and you’ve done a great job with the videos….good sound quality and well constructed lessons.  Balances the more guitaristic material found on the majority of guitar based programs.  Jazz vocab is what I’m all about at this point in the journey.   I especially dig the fact that you’ve studied with Bergonzi…helps me see his voluminous output in a more  bite sized way.
Milton
Hi Steve, I can’t express just how much I appreciate your teaching. My playing has improved so much over the past year since I have been studying and practicing with your lessons. It is possible to teach an old dog new tricks, these lessons are proof! Thanks, Michael Byington
Michael Byington
Thank you for all the educational information you provide.  I am a classically trained musician.  Professionally, I am a 4th and 5th grade band teacher.  I have played piano and sax for many years, but now I am starting to gig out more. I have always improvised by ear in the past. I have gotten by with my strong sense of pitch, rhythm and melodic contour. However, I want to go deeper. I want to play with a greater variety of melodic and rhythmic ideas to pull from.  I have studied to gain a … Read more
Ray

I am enjoying your style of teaching, and you’ve done a great job with the videos….good sound quality and well constructed lessons.  Balances the more guitaristic material found on the majority of guitar based programs.  Jazz vocab is what I’m all about at this point in the journey.  I especially dig the fact that you’ve studied with Bergonzi…helps me see his voluminous output in a more bite sized way.

Milton

Featured Video Lessons

  • Mastering the Dominant Pentatonic Sound over a Blues (Digital PDF Book) Mastering the Dominant Pentatonic Sound over a Blues (Digital PDF Book)
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $19.99 Original price was: $19.99.$14.99Current price is: $14.99.
  • The Secret to Modern Outside Jazz Lines Lesson-Minor The Secret to Modern Outside Jazz Lines Lesson-Minor $9.99
  • Creating Modern II-V-I Lines with Simple Pentatonics Lesson Creating Modern II-V-I Lines with Simple Pentatonics Lesson
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $9.99
  • The Best Embouchure for Tone, Intonation and Endurance Lesson The Best Embouchure for Tone, Intonation and Endurance Lesson
    Rated 4.91 out of 5
    $9.99
  • The Secret to Altissimo (no one has ever told you about before) Lesson The Secret to Altissimo (no one has ever told you about before) Lesson
    Rated 4.75 out of 5
    $9.99

Now over 600 video and audio lessons to choose from!

Free Lessons

  • Free Lesson on The New Ultimate II-V-I Primer-Major Keys
  • Free Video Lesson on Mastering Altered Pentatonics
  • Free Video Lesson on Mastering the Blues Scale Volume 1 & 2
  • Free Video Lesson on Mastering the Dominant Bebop Scale and Language Book 1 & 2
  • Free Video Lesson on Approach Note Velocity Book

Recent reviews

  • Practicing Double-Time Licks Lesson Practicing Double-Time Licks Lesson
    Rated 5 out of 5
    by Az Samad
  • Bebop Scale-Altered Scale II-V-I Practice Lesson Bebop Scale-Altered Scale II-V-I Practice Lesson by Noah
  • Mastering the Dominant Pentatonic Sound over a Blues (Digital PDF Book) Mastering the Dominant Pentatonic Sound over a Blues (Digital PDF Book) by Andy
  • Mastering the Dominant Pentatonic Sound over a Blues (Digital PDF Book) Mastering the Dominant Pentatonic Sound over a Blues (Digital PDF Book)
    Rated 5 out of 5
    by Russ
  • Creating Modern II-V-I Lines with Simple Pentatonics Lesson Creating Modern II-V-I Lines with Simple Pentatonics Lesson
    Rated 5 out of 5
    by Timothy

Footer

Recent Comments

  • Steve on Les Becs d’Autan MB1 Pilgrimage Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review
  • Johnny Hedlund on Les Becs d’Autan MB1 Pilgrimage Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review
  • Bart on Theo Wanne Brahma Gold Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review
  • Ron S Golec on Theo Wanne Slant 2 Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review
  • Dominique on Sakshama Branford Marsalis Model Delrin Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece Review

Top rated products

  • Mastering the Major Bebop Scale & Sound (Digital PDF Book) Mastering the Major Bebop Scale & Sound (Digital PDF Book)
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $14.99
  • Tune of the Week-Softly as a Morning Sunrise Lesson Tune of the Week-Softly as a Morning Sunrise Lesson
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $9.99
  • The Style of Dexter Gordon-Lady Bird Lesson 1 The Style of Dexter Gordon-Lady Bird Lesson 1
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $9.99
  • Tune of the Week-Days of Wine and Roses Lesson Tune of the Week-Days of Wine and Roses Lesson
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $9.99
  • Tune of the Week-Invitation Tune of the Week-Invitation
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $9.99

Product tags

alto sax alto saxophone approach notes audio lesson bebop scale beginner beginner saxophone blues blues licks blues patterns blues scale blues scales diminished scale dominant chords ear training fundamentals II-V-I improvisation jazz improvisation jazz lines jazz patterns jazz sax jazz saxophone jazz standard jazz standards licks Mastering the Blues Scale Michael Brecker modern improv modern improvisation online lesson patterns playing outside practice habits reading music sax basics sax lessons saxophone scales smooth jazz steve neff tenor sax tenor saxophone video lesson video lessons
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • SUPPORT

Neffmusic © 2005–2025