I've ordered so many mouthpieces in the last few years, trying out flagship models from the most popular manufacturers boasting ´advanced` features and technologies etc. hoping that this amazing technology will give me something that I don't already have, and I've returned almost all of them. The two that I kept remain unused in my mouthpiece drawer because, although very good, they just can't match this Dave Guardala for me, especially when playing the altissimo. I have a 30-year-old+ original Dave Guardala (my go-to) and love it. I use this new one as my back up. These MPs are sleek, lightweight, excellently finished, and most importantly they play and sound great! The only two things I've changed are 1) The Ligature, which I've swapped out for a Rovner Dark 2M because I find the DG ligature a tad too sticky, which makes fine reed adjustments too time consuming for me, and 2) I've carefully but generously softened the sharpish leading-edge that slides over the sax's neck-cork... I noted no change in the colour of the metal, so either the plating is very thick, or the MP is not plated at all. Anyway, this new DG MP beats everything else I've tried and it doesn't boast any modern technological features! The last thing to bear in mind is that I am a soloist wanting a crisp, bright, and powerful sound as I prefer to play music that makes audiences want to move and dance.
