Killer Metal Jody Jazz Tenor Sax Mouthpieces – Play Test & Review

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I’ve been playing on these metal Jody Jazz tenor sax mouthpieces since January and I need your help. Today, I’m going to review and play test four outstanding metal mouthpieces from Jody Jazz. Then, I want to hear what you all think!

Why do I review all of these mouthpieces?

Well first of all… It’s fun. I am a saxophone nerd and have always loved trying new stuff and comparing gear.

At first it was a bit tricky playing unfamiliar mouthpieces. But over time things got easier. After about a year of switching mouthpieces almost every day there was an unintended consequence. It has actually helped me improve my sound and control on the saxophone overall.

This is not because I have a lot of mouthpieces… Buying more mouthpieces doesn’t make you sound better. It’s because I’m practicing and playing on these mouthpieces a lot and getting out of my comfort zone all the time. This helps me learn more about my embouchure, use of air, reed choices, and sound. By changing mouthpieces daily I’m increasing my own flexibility and capacity to adapt.

So while the conventional wisdom has always been stick with one mouthpiece at a time to develop your sound and control… This experience has taught me that perhaps switching things up on a regular basis can actually help you improve your embouchure and control even more. That’s been my experience anyway… For most developing players it’s still a good idea to find something solid you like and stick with it for a while.

Ok enough blah blah, let’s talk about the mouthpieces we are going to hear.

Jody Jazz Tenor Sax Mouthpieces

I’ve got the 4 metal Jody Jazz tenor sax mouthpieces in order of darkest to brightest… Starting with the DV NY, the DV Chicago, the DV, and the Super Jet.

I’m going to play the first 8 bars of the ballad My Foolish Heart on each of these starting with the DV NY.

Jody Jazz DV NY Tenor Sax Mouthpiece

Jody Jazz Tenor Sax Mouthpiece - DV NY
DV NY

This mouthpiece is the darkest of the 4. However, I wouldn’t characterize it as a “dark” mouthpiece necessarily because it has a nice sizzle and edge to the sound. It also has power but can play beautiful subtone very easily. It is more spread than the other mouthpieces but still retains a very solid core. Yes, the way I talk about it, I make it sound like it’s the perfect mouthpiece. It might be for me.

You’ll notice it has the double window on the table like all the Jody Jazz DV mouthpieces and that it has a straight low baffle

It has straight side walls that open up to a large some what fluted chamber. The rails and tip are very thin and precise. Every reed I put on this mouthpiece seems to make a very nice connection.

It also has beautiful gold plating with no bite plate.

In the beginning, I told you I needed your help and that’s because I’m torn between the DV NY and the DV Chicago that I’m about to play for you. So please listen in the video above and then let me know in the comments which one you prefer and why.

Here’s another test of me playing something that goes into the higher register. It comes from the Chad LB book 20 Meloldic Cell Etudes. If you’re looking for some advanced practice material I highly recommend checking out some of the pdf packages at jazzlessonvideos.com Use the coupon code BETTERSAX to save $5 on any purchase over there.

The DV NY sells for $595.

Jody Jazz DV Chicago Tenor Sax Mouthpiece

DV Chicago

Now on to the DV Chicago.

I’ve been playing both the DV NY and DV Chicago on all my gigs this summer (there haven’t been very many) but for me that’s the ultimate test of a mouthpiece. It’s one thing to mess around at home with something, but when you take it on stage, things get serious. That’s when stuff you didn’t notice in the practice room can appear. Like can I project enough with this mouthpiece when playing with a loud band at an outdoor concert? Or can I maintain control with this mouthpiece at a very soft volume when playing acoustic cocktail jazz?

Both performed great for me on gigs and I used them in the loud and soft situations I mentioned. They were both fun to play, and I like the sound I get with each of them. So I’m just curious what you guys think. Let me know in the comments.

Once again we have the double window table, the very thin and precise side walls and tip.

The obvious difference is that this one is in a beautiful silver plating but when you look inside, you see this very unique baffle design. I’ve never seen this before. It’s like the fluted chamber of the DV NY has been extended almost all the way to the tip of the mouthpiece.

The side walls are scooped out a little bit more than the DV NY and the baffle rolls over into a large chamber.

The result for me is a bit more power, edge and spread to the sound while still maintaining total control.

I think if you’re looking for something that can get you that Texas tenor sound that’s a bit brash and in your face yet can also play beautiful ballads the DV Chicago is worth checking out. Take a look at both in the video and let me know which one you prefer!!

The DV Chicago sells for $650

Jody Jazz Classic Original DV Tenor Sax Mouthpiece

Classic DV

Moving on to the classic original DV.

For the ballad play-test I used a softer 2.5 reed which felt better on the ballad.

The Jody Jazz DV is a more contemporary sounding mouthpiece for me. I find that the sound is less spread, and has more core to it than the DV NY and DV Chicago.

The main difference here being the raised step baffle that drops into the chamber with this bullet shape.

It’s got straight side walls all the way, same meticulous rails and tip, 24k gold plating and a bite plate.

This is really a great all around do anything mouthpiece in my opinion. You can be at ease in contemporary playing situations as well as traditional jazz settings.

It provides tons of power, projection and control at all volume levels over the full range of the saxophone.

It definitely sits on the brighter end of the spectrum so if you play pop, rock, smooth jazz, funk but also play traditional jazz, this is a great choice.

The Jody Jazz DV sells for $595

Jody Jazz SuperJet Tenor Sax Mouthpiece

Jody Jazz SuperJet

The brightest of the four metal mouthpieces from Jody Jazz is the Super Jet. This one is designed specifically for contemporary players who want the maximum power and projection without sacrificing a beautiful tone.

You can play ballads on these too.

This mouthpiece wants to play loud, but the sound has a fattness and roundness to it despite all that power and projection.

Once again, I did use a softer reed for that test as that felt more comfortable. This style mouthpiece is the furthest outside of my personal comfort zone as I normally go for a more traditional jazz sound. But if I was in a situation where I really needed to be able to cut through the mix this is the mouthpiece I would grab as well as my ear plugs because it is significantly louder than the others.

The design different from the DV series mouthpieces. There is no secondary window, but I like how the name Superjet is engraved on the table. It’s got a matte silver plating which looks cool and is gonna tarnish in a way that makes it look kind of vintage to me which I like.

It has a steep step baffle that drops down once a bit before the chamber and then drops down again into a smaller chamber with a bullet shape similar to the DV. Straight side walls thin tip and rail that are all immaculate.

I could get used to playing this mouthpiece, but it doesn’t fit the style of gigs I normally do, and practicing on it might make me go deaf. I use earplugs with any mouthpiece but I might have to double up with this one. It is so loud.

I know that for a lot of contemporary style players out there though, this is exactly the right mouthpiece to get the job done.

The Jody Jazz Super Jet sells for $395

Final Thoughts on the Jody Jazz Tenor Sax Mouthpieces

If you are playing on any of these metal Jody Jazz tenor sax mouthpieces, please let us know in the comments your thoughts and experiences with them.

Thanks to Jody Jazz for providing these mouthpiece so I could make this video, I’ve got another one coming soon where we’re going to look at their Hard Rubber tenor sax mouthpieces. So stay tuned!

Don’t play tenor? Check out my review of the Jody Jazz Alto Sax mouthpieces in the “Dark to Bright Alto Sax Tone – Jody Jazz Mouthpieces.”

Also be sure to follow BetterSax on Facebook, InstagramLinkedIn, and YouTube to stay up to date with us for news, giveaways, and other saxophone tips and tricks.

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2 Comments

Keith says:

I liked the sound you were getting from the DV Chicago! Now I was listening on an iPad which may not reproduce the tones accurately but there was something about your sound the Chicago did that I liked. Thanks for the comparisons very helpful. Keith Kendal.

Keith Kendal says:

I preferred the tonal quality you had with the DV Chicago the difference was subtle but appealed to me!

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