Today, I am reviewing another RS Berkeley Legends Series tenor saxophone mouthpiece that was sent to me by Les Silver at RS Berkeley. RS Berkeley has come up with the revolutionary idea of trying to find mouthpieces that were played and loved by jazz legends (deceased and still living)………and then copying them exactly so that we could try an exact replica of the mouthpiece that one of our musical idols played or in this case………still play. It’s an exciting concept (yet very scary because if we play the exact mouthpiece our hero played and still sound like crap ……….well, let’s just say it’s a wake up call……..)
This new Legends Series mouthpiece was made for one of the living legends on tenor sax today. Chris Potter!! Chris is one of the best tenor sax players on the scene today and I have been a big fan of his for the last 14 years or so. I was really looking forward to trying this mouthpiece!
RS Berkeley Chris Potter Legends Series Tenor Sax Mouthpiece
The exciting thing about this project is that it sounds like Chris Potter brought his favorite tenor mouthpiece to RS Berkeley to have it copied exactly! What’s even cooler is that Chris Potter is still alive! So you know that he must have played it the copies afterwards and approved of them. From the quotes below, it sounds like he liked it even better than the original mouthpiece!
Here is a quote from Chris Potter, a snippet from the RS Berkeley website and a quote from Les Silver on the Chris Potter Legends Series mouthpiece and it’s development:
“I was very pleased the first time I played this mouthpiece and was amazed to find it’s even a little better than the vintage piece it was based on for the sound I’m trying to get. It has a good, clear response in all registers and most importantly, it offers me the flexibility of tone color that thus far I had only been able to find in older mouthpieces. I hope you enjoy playing it as much as I do.” – Chris Potter
Material: Metal, Natural
Tip Opening: .105″
Legends Series mouthpieces are officially licensed mouthpiece reproductions modeled after the originals used by the world’s most iconic musicians. The creation of the Legends Series line begins with and features 3D scanning and post processing services by Konica Minolta’s 3D Scanning Labs, state of the art laboratory. Konica Minolta technicians capture highly precise scan data, capturing the unique characteristics of each original piece, thus matching the exact geometry of the original. Once the scan process is completed, the scan data is paired with highly specialized software to clean, align and create high quality CAD models. From an archival standpoint, Konica Minolta’s 3D scan models of the mouthpieces are exact representations of the original. The formal production process begins once the CAD models arrive in the RS Berkeley shop, where molds are then crafted. Master mouthpiece maker and designer, Jack Onque oversees every element of the process, from design to hand finishing to ensure the highest possible quality and accuracy of each authentic reproduction. Our new revolutionary process allows the reed to seat better on the lay portion of the mouthpiece, providing an air tight bond that enables improved vibration on the rails and tip opening. The process also frees up the chamber, delivering uniformed resonance and maximum projection.
Legends Series mouthpieces are designed and crafted in the United States.
“Here is exactly what happened with Chris. We made him 8 mouthpieces for him to try. He came over to our warehouse in Berkeley Heights, NJ. last August. We put the 8 mouthpieces on a table, and just let Chris try the mouthpieces and see what he thinks. He took each mouthpiece out, put his reed on and played each one. The only thing Chris cared about was how did they sound. The almost impossible happened. Chris loved all 8 mouthpieces. A perfect score. How could this happen. Maybe I was dreaming. Chris picked out two of them, and asked if he could take two of the mouthpieces and play them that night with Pat Metheny. When Chris came on stage I saw he was using the mouthpiece we made for him. After the concert, I went back stage to speak to Chris. Chris said to me “The mouthpiece you made for me sounds better then the original” -Les Silver
RS Berkeley Chris Potter Legends Series Tenor Sax Mouthpiece
The Chris Potter model tenor sax mouthpiece comes in a .105 tip opening. That is the only tip opening offered for it. It is brass with some type of textured finish to it. I’m not sure what they call it but when I hold it in my hand the texture of it reminds me of holding a piece of chalk. One downside to this finish is that it seems to darken and stain quite easily from saliva.
The 3D scanning and creation process used to make this mouthpiece copies every single detail of the original mouthpiece. I noticed a slight indentation in the beak of the mouthpiece and thought maybe someone had played it for a while before I got it. I later found out that that indentation was on Chris Potter’s original mouthpiece and so came through in the copies also…….seems like a strange touch but it is an exact copy so……….
The Chris Potter mouthpiece has nice even side rails and a thin tip rail. It has a rollover baffle that slides down into what I would consider a Florida Link size chamber. The side rails are scooped out and the chamber is smooth with no imperfections or edges. The side of the mouthpiece is engraved with “Chris Potter” in cursive engraving.
RS Berkeley does not reveal what mouthpiece is being duplicated in their advertising but this Chris Potter mouthpiece looks very similar to many Florida Otto Links I have. That would be my guess………..
RS Berkeley Chris Potter Legends Series Tenor Sax Mouthpiece
The Chris Potter Legends series mouthpiece played very well with most reeds I tried on it. I gravitated to a Rico Select Jazz 3S Unfiled reed but I also played it with Rigotti Gold 3 Light and 3 Mediums and it played great with those also. Although the mouthpiece played well from the beginning, I did notice that there was more resistance in this mouthpiece than in my other Otto Links that have been refaced. The facing curve feels much longer than most of my other mouthpieces also. I had no problems with reeds or getting suction using the suction test though.
RS Berkeley Chris Potter Legends Series Tenor Sax Mouthpiece
In this case, the resistance I sensed and felt was a great resistance. To me, it’s like the analogy of waving your hands around in the air as opposed to waving them around when under water. There is resistance under water. You are pushing against something and you see immediate results. You feel the force and consistency of the water and you can easily create movement and waves within that element. Playing with a healthy resistance is similar to that in my mind. The sound can be more easily manipulated and shaped. With the Chris Potter Legends mouthpiece I felt like I could use my air more effectively and efficiently to shape the tone and soundI was producing.
RS Berkeley Chris Potter Legends Series Tenor Sax Mouthpiece
The RS Berkeley Chris Potter plays great! It is similar in sound concept to a some of the great Florida Links I have owned and played. That being being said, I consider this mouthpiece to lean to the darker side of the tone spectrum. One of the things I loved about playing this mouthpiece was that it didn’t get much brighter or edgier when I blew harder. The tone is round, full and rich sounding. The upper end of the horn has a beautiful round tone that doesn’t thin out in my opinion and the low end is rich and fat sounding. I think the longer facing curve also allows me to take in more mouthpiece and get a much bigger sound as I experiment with it.
The other element I hear in the sound is what I would describe has a “hollowness”. I’m not sure how to describe that word or quality but I did a review of a double ring Otto Link in the past that I thought also had that quality in it’s tone. Someone in the comments of that review commented on how they loved the hollow sound that double ring link had and that word sounded like a good description.
RS Berkeley Chris Potter Legends Series Tenor Sax Mouthpiece
The RS Berkeley Chris Potter Legends series tenor saxophone mouthpiece was great to play. If you like the sound of the clip below and the mouthpiece catches your interest then give it a try. You can contact Les Silver at his website at rsberkeley.com or purchase a Chris Potter Legends Series mouthpiece at TenorMadness.com Tell them Steve sent you………….Great work Les and everyone at RS Berkeley!!…….(next you should do Michael Brecker’s Guardala mouthpiece!!)
Let me know what you think in the comments below. Thanks, Steve
RS Berkeley Chris Potter Legends Series Tenor Sax Mouthpiece
PS. For those interested Chris Potter is also playing the RSBerkeley mouthpiece in this performance and video from NYU. (Make sure you listen to Body & Soul at the end also……)
