I have to agree with the previous reviewer. I have used several mouthpieces through the years as well. Otto Link Super Tone Master 5* Selmer Classic Metal F Berg Larsen Stainless Steel 90/0M Berg Larsen Ebonite Beechler Diamond Inlay S10S Dukoff Super Power Chamber D10 Vandoren Jumbo Java A45... I have been playing on the ARB Metal 6 for the past 5-years and this mouthpiece is absolutely wonderful! I used it on my vintage Evette Schaeffer and also my silver plated Super Action 80 Series II. Like the previous reviewer stated, the mouthpiece is very tight around the neck and I too had to use extra cork grease so I didn't damage the cork. Once it was on I used my usual Vandoren Traditional no. 3 reeds with the mouthpiece. The tone was a little stuffy and required a lot more effort to playthan I was used too. So I switched to Vabdoren Traditional nio. 2.5 reeds. The tone opened up dramatically and immediately gave me the tone I had always been looking for. Bright and edgy like Nelson Rangell or warm and mellow like Paul Desmond. Like the previous reviewer, I too had issues with my Dukoff D10. It was difficult finding a nice tone when needed...PLUS the material that Dukoff mouthpieces are made of is VERY SOFT! Drop equals bad LOL! The tone of the ARB is very similar to a Dukoff, but the ARB is FAR more versatile. These mouthpieces are essentially...refined Brilhart Level-Aire mouthpieces. In that it is built to be an extension of your saxophone so it plays at its fullest potential. Now in regard to Brilhart Level-Aire mouthpieces, you have to get one that was made in the 60's 70's and 80's. You can't use one of the modern models. Getting back to the review...yeah...these mouthpieces are truly wonderful and perfect! Cheers to Beechler for refining the mouthpiece and creating something truly special!
this will be a breif review. so.. at first glance i was surprised how narrow this mpc is (17mm) at tip width and thought, hmm. but compared to my sop bari metal it wasn't an issue. i'm used to a metal selmer paris and have a dukoff d6 mpc. i put a legere 2 1/2 strength in it while my cane reed was soaking. and used the stock ligature and it blew real easy, not much effort for a .085 tip opening. i was looking for a super bright mpc and this is what i got, but at the same time the low notes came out still kind of dark. not dark like a rubber mpc though. then went thru all the notes and yes the altissmo screams like a banshee much brighter than my dukoff d6, but that is what i was looking for, i got all the other mpc's i need for dark sound. next i tried a rovner v-1rxs ligature and it fit perfect. liked this better for sound. im noticing with this mpc my sax vibrates more than all my other mpc's. the cane reed a jazz select 2m was more effort to play and had a nice sound but still prefered the legere because it had a brighter sound. another thing i would like to point out is the mpc is very narrow at tip thickness making for a tighter embouchure. the shank is narrow and used a lot of grease so as not to damage my cork. the baffle is high with a step off chamber which i prefer over my dukoff's step baffle. i feel it's easier to play. my dukoff made me always feel like i was in a wrestling match to get good sound out of it and just like the dukoff, this arb mpc is loud and will cut through the rest of the band with less effort. this is a stainless steel mpc and will look better than that silverite metal the dukoff is made of and will be much more durable. dont get me wrong, im not knocking the dukoff i just like the arb better and my metal selmer is still my favorite all around mpc.