Product Review: Selmer Jazz Tribute 7*

By / Product Reviews / , , ,

Introduction

Selmer has released a number of notable products in recent years; including the Supreme and Signature alto and tenor saxophones, the Jazz Flow alto mouthpiece, and a reintroduction of its premium cane reeds. Today, I’m taking a closer look at one of Selmer’s newest offerings: the Jazz Tribute metal tenor saxophone mouthpiece. At first glance, I assumed it was simply a reissue of Selmer’s vintage metal tenor pieces—it isn’t.

Many thanks to Christophe Grezes, product manager for mouthpieces and reeds at Henri Selmer Paris for sending me a Jazz Tribute in a 7* tip opening. I’ll be reviewing the Jazz Tribute based on its tone, response, intonation, build quality, and overall performance.

Background

Selmer designed the Jazz Tribute to honor “the legends who shaped the golden era of jazz,” aiming for a rich, balanced sound across the full range of the horn with an emphasis on ease of play and control for jazz and modern styles. The mouthpiece is CNC-machined from high-quality brass, with 3D optical measurement used to maintain consistency from piece to piece, and finished in gold plating for durability and aesthetics. Each mouthpiece includes an exclusive ligature reminiscent of the classic Selmer 404 and a Selmer metal cap.

The Selmer Jazz Tribute mouthpiece is available in three openings with a table length of 36 mm (1.42 in.):

  • 7* (2.67 mm / 0.105 in.)
  • 8 (2.80 mm / 0.110 in.)
  • 8* (2.92 mm / 0.115 in.)

Review

Tone

While playing the Jazz Tribute, I found the sound leans to the darker side though you can play brighter with experimenting with different reed choices and air support. This is a welcome change as many modern metal tenor mouthpieces seem to play on the brighter side. I found the Jazz Tribute produced a focused and clear core rather than a spread and overall buzzy edge.

Response

The Jazz Tribute responded evenly from low Bb into the altissimo register with a consistent feel across the entire range of the horn. It projected well when pushed yet there was a level of resistance that many players I think will appreciate for control and focus.

Intonation

The Jazz Tribute took very little time to adjust to. My main mouthpiece is a refaced Slant Link and in general I prefer hard rubber to metal, but the Jazz Tribute’s shape felt comfortable unlike some other metal pieces that are quite slim and narrow. Intonation was solid throughout the low, middle, and high registers while playing through my overtone and long tone exercises. The Jazz Tribute was easy to control at a wide range of dynamics making it an enjoyable mouthpiece to play and to easily switch to as needed.

Quality

To the best of my knowledge the Jazz Tribute is fully CNC-made. The 7* I received had consistent plating with no nicks, dings, or irregularities on the table or rails. You can see the machine work at the tip and into the chamber. There’s a slight rollover baffle near the tip—not a clamshell design—and the chamber is large (bigger than a traditional Otto Link Super Tone Master, though not the same “large” as a Vandoren V16 large chamber).

One surprise was reed matching. I tried Boston Sax Shop, Rigotti, Ishimori, BetterSax, and D’Addario Select Jazz reeds, among others. For me, the BetterSax 2.5 worked best compared with my usual D’Addario Select Jazz 3S unfiled. Steve Neff’s review noted similar quirks with new vs. slightly used reeds. The likely reason is the facing curve—about 29–30 mm—which is longer than most metal tenor mouthpieces. That doesn’t mean a broken-in reed can’t work, but I had better luck with new reeds.

The included metal cap fits the Jazz Tribute well. The matching ligature recalls the old silver-plated Selmer 404, but a bit rounder, wider, and slightly slanted—appropriate to the Jazz Tribute’s geometry. Compared with the current Otto Link ligature, Selmer’s design is easier to adjust, though it’s intended specifically for this mouthpiece rather than general use across other metal pieces.

Final Thoughts

The Selmer Jazz Tribute is a strong addition to Selmer’s tenor mouthpiece lineup. It doesn’t feel like an attempt to recreate a vintage Otto Link or one of Selmer’s own classics; it has its own voice. Priced with ligature and cap at $579.99 (Sweetwater), it sits among options like the Vandoren V16 metal, Ted Klum FocusTone Precision, JodyJazz DV NY, and Otto Link New Vintage/Florida models.

Although I still gravitate toward my Slant Link and generally prefer hard rubber, I was pleasantly surprised by how the Jazz Tribute played. With its longer facing and larger chamber, the 7* feels like the right opening for me; the 8 and 8* would likely require more air to achieve what I want.

I’d love to try a few other 7*s to compare consistency from piece to piece in the future. Many thanks again to Christophe Grezes and the team at Henri Selmer Paris for the opportunity to test and review this mouthpiece.

Sound Clips:

 

Equipment:

  • Tenor: Lupifaro Platinum Tenor
  • Reeds: BetterSax Jazz Cut 2.5
  • Ligature: Selmer two-screw 404 (current model)

Additional Reviews & Helpful Links

Henri Selmer Paris website