Jody Jazz HR*
The Jody Jazz HR* 7 is killing on alto. This is my first time playing it and I dig it a lot. A more in depth review and comparison with other Jody Jazz alto mouthpieces on the way.
“The HR* is a hard rubber saxophone mouthpiece aimed at professionals and students looking for a traditional versatile mouthpiece. High quality control standards, a beautiful warm sound and a nice free blowing feel make these new mouthpieces amazing players. We feel that this mouthpiece may be the best hard rubber alto saxophone mouthpiece on the market. We use only genuine, authentic Hard Rubber so the HR* Series has the look, feel and sound of the vintage hard rubber sax mouthpieces that have always been the most highly sought after. The mouthpieces are faced on a special facing machine and then meticulously hand finished and play tested.”
Jody Jazz Website – HR* Mouthpieces
The video below was recorded using the Rode NT1-A condenser mic. No eq here just the mic with a little reverb and gentle compression.
We don’t have to spend a lot to get a good sound. So what do you think? Let me know in the comments below!
Also, I’m playing on a Gonzalez Reeds 3.5 reed on my Yanagisawa a991.
The tune is Benny Golson’s “Whisper Not.”
Want more mini mouthpiece reviews? Check out the “Drake Studio Mouthpiece – Mini Mouthpiece Review.”
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7 thoughts on “Jody Jazz HR* 7 – Alto Sax Mouthpiece Play Test”
I am a beginner. I moved from a Yamaha 4c to an JJ HR* 6 a year ago. It took me a fair time to get used to the much wider tip opening, but as I got used to it I found the JJ free blowing and expressive. First time round I paired it with the Rico Hemke reed on a YAS25 horn and the result was a great sweet yet moody sound. Now I use one with an Eastar and Legere plastic reed and the sound is not as sweet, and slightly brighter than I’d like. But I have tried going back to a Yamaha (5C this time) and there’s no contest as to which is easier to play. The JJ rocks.
The Jody Jazz HR* is an exceptional mouthpiece for the price and has become my top recommendation for people upgrading from a student mouthpiece. I especially love it on alto.
Jay – I love your sound on that setup. I just completed a mouthpiece trial (tenor); I was playing a Selmer Super Session H; I’m in a sax quartet so I have to play classical and jazz with the same setup and some of the classical pieces were requiring too much effort. I trialed the Jody Jazz HR and HR dark 5* and 6* (Jody’s suggestions) and settled on the HR 6*; much easier to play, better control of intonation and dynamics, if anything the sound is slightly brighter. I had to switch from Rigotti 2.5 strong to 3 light reeds.
I’ll be doing an in depth review of the Jody Jazz mouthpieces very soon, but the HR* is an extremely versatile mouthpiece, and perhaps the best value available. It is easy to play and play in tune. Great for beginners but also pros. The sound is warm and dark but can also be edgy with some brightness.
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I got a HR* 7 and a power ring with it, come with RICO plastic cover reed 2.5, the sound is great wide and dark, but a little hard to play altissimo. Jay, should I switch to 3.0 or 3.5? what is the best combination?
The best combination is the one that gets you the best results. I say try different things and stick with what works best for you.