For availability of vintage saxophones and mouthpieces in stock please see the above link: “Vintage Saxophones & Mouthpieces For Sale”. That will show current offerings, sold and on hold offerings, as well as up and coming “in-shop” projects. Please feel free to ask about future offerings. Additionally there are many items that ARE NOT listed on the for sale page that are packed away, not operational yet, or just not fit into the schedule to list. Early inquiry is a good way to beat the crowd to get the special item you have been searching for. Thanks!
Author Archives: Horned Toad
Otto Link Early FL Slant Signature 4* Big sound, shocking!!
This piece is shocking, such great quality. This is an original early slant 4* size, untouched and plays beautifully. What can I say? it is just great, I was totally surprised. I played this with a Lavoz Medium and it just blasts, has a huge complex sound and is a joy to play. This is a great piece any way you look at it, does not need super hard reed, just a wonderful sound and very easy to play! Wow, all I can say!
Otto Link Tone Edge Slant Signature “Marinated” .100 Tenor Blaster
Here we have an Otto Link slant signature tenor mouthpiece, no USA, mid-period FL. This was originally stamped 6*. It had a poorly done reface on it and a small hole drilled for a pickup. The hole has been perfectly filled and the facing baffle and tip restored to optimal and period-authentic specifications.
This has been set up with a late FL/EB style long shelf baffle, and a very springy low curve style facing replicated from a wonderfully playing loud and aggressive 7* original metal no USA Link I recently had here. The result is that this piece plays very powerfully and authoritatively, which you can hear on the video. Though it is not overly bright or in any way shrill it has impressive projection and can handle any amount of air thrown at it and respond with yet more power.
The tip size is .100, maybe .101, but on my tools it shows .100 at the back of the tip rail. The table is flat and excellent and rails, facing tip all level and optimal, just a thrill to play. This is an excellent model period right on the transition between the early FL to the late FL blank design. This one particularly has a very high floor as well which is part of the fun. Great fun player, do not miss!
Otto Link Early FL no USA 7 “Marinated” Universe of Tone!
This here is a very special mouthpiece. It came to me a somewhat worn FL no USA 7 Otto Link. It was obviously a phenomenal player. Some of these, the great ones you can tell they are the special ones because they have been just played so much that the tip rail has no longer any definition, worn right into the baffle. These are the pieces that old time roots players played into the dirt. These folks KNEW when they had a good one.
When I saw the worn baffle on this piece I knew it was one of those; a certain type of Otto Link that plays effortlessly with a complexity and range that most others cannot approach. This type of FL Link is not so easily found. I’ve played a few over the years, a friend of mine has an original 10 that feels as easy as a 7 to play and it is the same model as this with the same kind of dedicated playing wear.
In this case this was so worn it needed a reset. The biteplate had a massive valley worn into it. I’ve replaced that with a new and beautiful hard rubber biteplate. The table, facing, tip, rails, baffle have all been recreated from zero in specifically the authentic style and finish of this model period of Otto Link. There are many people who can reface a mouthpiece, but not too many taking this approach. This piece is a very good example of how good they can be.
I have not bothered to address the outer cosmetic wear on the mouthpiece. If that is more important to you it is not hard to have it done, I have put my efforts into the function of the mouthpiece. In that area it excels with a very complex sound, a lot of warmth and a rare smoothness and definition throughout the range of the horn.
Tip opening is exactly .100 on my tools. It plays with the original character it should have but a LOT easier to play than most originals will. This piece is for the real player, or the one who wants to up their game with a hand crafted prime vintage universe of tone.
Otto Link Florida no USA 7* Original Excellent Tenor
This is an original vintage Florida no USA 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece. As is visible a lot of the original gold plating is still intact with some peeling on the table. The tip, baffle and rails are in excellent condition. This piece plays with a lot of power and fatness. The tip measures at approximately .106 on my tools. Plays very big, not excessively bright and not dark either on a 2.5 reed anyhow. It’s got a lot of clarity and partly owing to that later style no USA baffle that is a bit flatter and longer.
Berg Larsen Slant Signature 90/2 MINT & Super Clear Player
Here, a truly excellent Berg Slant from probably the 1940’s. This piece plays very crisp and bright. Although it is stamped 2 baffle I was not really feeling that with my reed at least. To me it felt very clear and slightly bright, with a lot of presence. It is very easy to play and so precise. There is nothing to dislike about this piece, excellent hard rubber and a lot of color. Tip measures about .088.
Berg Larsen Slant Signature 95, Super Vintage Tone Poetry
Tip measures at .099
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Otto Link FL Double Ring Original 7 Tenor MINT Treasure
I have had this mouthpiece for years, a true MINT FL Double Ring otto Link 7 with factory facing. The tip measures at .098 behind the tip rail for me so this is an accurate factory 7. This mouthpiece is the optimal and desirable facing size, in the right model period that people love, myself included. A beautiful vintage piece of this type of not for the tire kickers or cheapies. I don’t normally even bother to try and sell these, so if you are looking for cheap please do not bother with this one. This is not cheap, it is rare and it also is a player that totally lives up to the reputation.
This piece is fairly bright and buzzy with a lot of clarity on top of a very colorful and warm core. It responds very quickly and feels compact and controllable and centered without sacrificing any frequencies to be that way. The response and sound are also very flexible and lyrical. I don’t want to blather on too much about this one but it is definitely among the best ever and well worth that double ring vintage Link mystique. This is for those who KNOW and are ready. There are very few of these around, ever now.
Otto Link Florida no USA 6* Original Beauty
Here is a very nice playing Otto Link Florida “no USA” 6* Tenor Mouthpiece in fine original condition. Most of the plating is still in nice shape. This has never been worked on and plays like 1961 I think. The sound is fat, colorful with a bit of blasting brightness on top. Tip measures at .097
Otto Link Early Florida 7* Original Rarity
This is a very rare and special offering. An Otto Link no USA FL 7* with serial number, all original, MINT condition with original ligature. If that was not enough, it just happens that this is also one of those rare and shockingly bright FL Links that people search for forever. I have only have a few such things in my time. This mouthpiece plays blastingly bright for a link. I mean Links are not that bright, but this actually borders on just normally bright for any mouthpiece. The tip measures .107 for me.
It is not a mouthpiece for the faint of heart but good lord it rips. It is in perfect condition and you will almost never ever find these looking so beautiful and playing so ferociously. Most Links dont play like this, and almost none look like this and even fewer are around among the serial numbered models, best of the best usually.
