New Otto Link Florida Babbitt
DescriptionThe GAIA 3 tenor mouthpiece was built to outplay any vintage or new Otto Link style mouthpiece! And WOW does it ever!The GAIA 3 has evolved into work of art and is now the most technically advanced mouthpiece Theo has ever made. Not just the Shark Gill™ baffle, but the entire design is filled with design secrets. It takes the huge, warm and free sound the GAIA 1 or 2 mouthpiece have become famous and iconic for, to a whole new level. It has greatly increased projection, flexibility, and a freedom of expression that really must be experienced.The GAIA is played by Karl Denson touring with the Rolling Stones, by Leon Silva on, and Ian Hendrickson-Smith with Ed Sheeran. Robert Martin, who was Frank Zappa’s saxophonist for 20 years had this to say about the GAIA. Robert Martin“Just – wow!
Florida model Otto Link was made between the early 1950s and the early 1970s, wedged between the early 'Super Tone Master Double Ring' model and the 'Transitional Early Babbitt Super Tone Master' models, thismouthpiece represents the tail end of an era heavily steeped in jazz as mainstream music. May 20, 2019 Re: New Otto Link Florida by JJ Babbitt After reading this whole thread it is clear to me that Babbitt is not an organization with a quality focus. Anyone who has worked in manufacturing knows that the first step to quality is to elminate variation and to understand the sources of variation.
Theo, you nailed The GAIA Tenor Mouthpiece! It has a vast playground of expressive possibilities.
It’s round and warm, yet easy to get the right amount of grit and bite. It has an immediacy of response everywhere on the horn. Every pitch is centered and speaks instantly. Fast runs sound amazingly clean and precise. Theo, how did you do that? Furthermore, i f Dexter Gordon were with us today, I bet he’d be playing a Theo Wanne™ GAIA!” – Robert Martin (Frank Zappa for 20 years)The GAIA 3 lends itself well to a traditional Jazz taste, but due to its amazing flexibility, it is at home in any style of playing.
“The mouthpieces are one of kind. Having tried many types of mouthpieces of the years, Theo Wanne products embody all the great qualities of a great piece; tone, projection and color.” – Dwayne Dugger (Bruno Mars’ Hooligans)“I LOVE both my GAIA 7. tenor mouthpieces.
They are very even from top to bottom, nicely in tune, and get me just the sound I love.” – Lew Del Gatto (Eric Clapton, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Liza Minelli, Buddy Rich, Tony Bennett, Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, Johnny Carson Tonight Show Band)“Just – wow! Theo, you nailed The GAIA Tenor! Everything I loved about the original Gaia is still there, along with a vast new playground of expressive possibilities to explore, thanks to the richer, more complex harmonic content in the tone. The blend between the core of the sound and the “buzz factor,” the upper partials, is beautifully balanced.
It’s still round and warm, and so easy now to get just the right amount of grit and bite if you want it. The other thing I noticed right off the bat is an immediacy in the response everywhere on the horn. Every pitch seems to center and speak instantly, making fast runs sound amazingly clean and precise.
Theo, how did you do that?” – Robert Martin (Frank Zappa for 20 years)“First of all, it’s hard rubber. Hard + Rubber in my book is a winning combination! Secondly, no other mouthpiece can perform consistently in so many varied settings. Whether it be an outdoor festival, intimate club, or hot tub, Theo Wanne delivers. Being undead creates harsh conditions for gear, but this mouthpiece has withstood not only the sweaty funk of three thousand years, but endless amounts of lubrication and ketchup.” – The Flu (Here come the Mummies)“The GAIA is a unique blend of warmth and brilliance all in one mouthpiece. It plays very evenly throughout the entire range of the horn, from top to bottom. The presentation of these mouthpieces is quite outstanding as well, but they don’t just look great, they play great too!
Thanks again Theo!” – Col Loughnan (Frank Sinatra, the Toshiko Tabakin Orchestra, Sammy Davis Jr.)“I have not played a tenor mouthpiece better than the GAIA tenor. I have more freedom and flexibility, and the evenness and clarity in all registers is just amazing! The notes are fluid and just pop out with less effort. I don’t have to concentrate on the mouthpiece. I am thrilled to have a more refined sound that is still ‘me’. The intonation is great and I can play hard and soft as I like. It takes all the air I want to give it.
The GAIA is fabulous! ” – Greg Abate (Rhode Island Hall of Fame)“I have been loving the new GAIA tenor mouthpiece. I’m currently on tour with it, in Bergen Norway now for the festival there, before this in Rome, etc.
(touring with the Philip Glass Ensemble.) The mouthpiece plays fantastically well, with a wide range of tonal colors and expressive possibilities. I can’t wait to start each day and play the horn.” – Andrew Sterman (Philip Glass)“I was scratching my head as to what piece to play for my upcoming events, and then I played the GAIA 3 and well, the Gaia 3 is definitely going on tour with me tomorrow! It played perfectly right from the very first note. A little bit like coming home, really. Once in a while it happens. It´s simply a great piece, congratulations!
A leap forward from my point of view”. – Jan Garbarek.(Keith Jarrett, George Russell, Grammy Nominee, 31 Internationally Acclaimed Albums)“Ever since I started playing on my Gaia, I’ve felt a very significant gain in control and resonance through my instrument in a way I’ve never felt with any other mouthpiece.
I don’t feel like I need to go out and buy another piece after a few months and that is very comforting! Every time I pick up my horn, I feel so happy to be playing my Theo Wanne mouthpiece. “ – Ryan Stigmon (Stig)“I honestly believe there are no better mouthpieces available.” – Andreas Pompe“The Gaia is so much more than a Florida link.” – Chris West“The GAIA 7. is killing, and is now my main mouthpiece!
Just Beautiful!!! It’s really dark and jazzy with edge, and it’s totally even over the whole horn.
Also, almost all my reed’s work on it! No more bad reeds!” – Tony Lakatos“The sound of the GAIA is everything I ever dreamed of. The playability is perfect! It reminds me on one of the really good Florida Links, which have this “Dexter-thing” – A lot of core, fat, and dark sounding. When I push it, I can play funky too; a very versatile piece. The GAIA projects very good, the sound-quality is great in all registers and with all dynamics.
This is the thing!!! The GAIA is my personal choice, and will be what I play and record on from now on.” – Joerg Kaufmann“The GAIA is everything I have looked for in a piece.
I have played on an early Babbitt Link for 30 years and the GAIA responds with less effort, the tone is more refined and clean, it has more punch and edge, and the intonation is more locked in and accurate than my Link. When I really lean on this piece, it really does bark! The altissimo, wow, much less effort! The notes up there really pop out with minimal effort. Theo’s attention to detail is phenomenal! Everything is absolutely perfect and symmetrical. All the machining on the inside is flawless.
New Otto Link Florida Babbitt Springs
For me, it’s well worth the money and I am a poor full time musician, not a doctor or lawyer.” – Alastair“You haven’t scored a home run with the New AMBIKA and GAIA you’ve hit a grand slam! I am totally blown away by them. Both the new AMBIKA and the GAIA seriously kick!
It’s time I start selling off my quit large collection of mouthpieces. The GAIA is like having the response of a Morgan, with the beef of a link.” – Doug Moffet“The GAIA is the best mouthpiece I’ve ever played. I played it on the show tonight, and it feels great, sounds awesome and is super fat sound in the palm keys! It is just a tad darker than my AMMA; I love it!
Front of the house guys noticed right away!! Thanks again and if you guys are ever in Vegas, come see Zumanity!! I’ll be playing a GAIA!!” – Jean-F“The Gaia is finally here! And it is so very sweet and Dexterish!:) Thanks!” – Shuki“I just bought one of yours GAIA – I could not resist because it was just such an excellent Player. Please stop creating/developing more MPC – it is getting too expensive for me!!! – No, just kidding – great job, I am waiting for the next one!” – Johann“The Gaia 7. is an amazing mouthpiece, and I’ve just about tried everything out there I’ve now been playing it day and night!!!
It just plays about any reed; it’s super reed friendly. Stick a log on it and it sounds good!!!” – Yves B“Waouh, it’s exactly the sound I want: fat and husky but with core. I can blow without thinking about my sound because I know it is already just what I want”. – Oliver R“The Theo Wanne GAIA mouthpiece really is the best mouthpiece I have ever tried. End of story!
It is supposed to be a much better replica of a classic Florida Otto Link andIT IS! Man, it sounds really great and is totally worth the money (which is not little). THANK YOU!” – Maurizio Giammarco“The Gaia 8 blew me away, I don’t see how anything else could be better!” – David Horniblow“The GAIA is a masterpiece! It is a very versatile mouthpiece with that vintage vibe. I can get big full sound out of it and this is the best mouthpiece I’ve ever played.” – Anatoliy (Tolly) Vyacheslavov“The GAIA is so great, that I dont want to stop playing.It feels that i will play this for the rest of my life.Thank you so much for it.” – D bastian“The GAIA is all I was hoping for and more! Easy blowing, dark but with enough edge, just like I wanted it.
New Otto Link Florida Babbitt Springs
It blew away my old now-feeling-stuffy Tone Master I’ve been playing. I couldn’t be happier with it:)” – Carlos“I find it hard to describe what this piece has done for my sound. After exhaustive trials with countless mouthpieces, I found the GAIA. I initially had no expectations of keeping the GAIA based on the price, but I was curious to see if the price was justifiable. One word describes what I found: ABSOLUTELY!
The design and craftsmanship are absolutely un-matched. Rails are even, the table is completely flat, the baffle is smooth and beautifully crafted. This is what comes when you get a top quality piece.
Second, the sound. Oh.the sound.
Big, fat, round tone. But it does not stop there.
What has amazed me the most with this piece is the versatility. I can go from playing “‘Round Midnight” in a mellow sub-tone sound to wailing out the horn lines of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstitious” with just a bit more air.
The mouthpiece is very free-blowing. The response with this piece is just as huge as the sound. My “Ah Ha!” moment as I call it came when I started noticing that my inflections and my “feeling” of the music almost felt like it was sub-consciously transmitted through the mouthpiece and into the horn. I have always played the same way, but have never had a piece react so perfectly to my style.
In closing, I will admit that this just might be the fit for my playing style, but I will strongly recommend that any serious player, or anyone working on becoming a regular performer, give this or any of the Theo Wanne pieces a try. I did just for the heck of it, and now will spend the rest of my playing life using this mouthpiece.”“My Gaia has a 7. tip opening and a lot of edge. The Gaia is perfect for ballads, blues, love songs, Jazz and Rock and Roll.
It’s easy blowing from low B flat to high F sharp. So what do I think about it, I like it and I also like the ligature. I also have a Durga tip opening 8. So it’s a toss up, which mouthpiece will I blow. I usually blow the Gaia for a while then I blow the Durga for a while. And I have a Shiva on order, tip opening 8.” – William C“I love my GAIA, Mr.
It’s truly the most perfect mouthpiece I’ve ever played.” – Michael Feher“I just wanted to thank you for the utterly incredible mouthpiece that I’m playing on these days—a GAIA metal. I have nothing but positive things to say about its engineering, ergonomics, playability, versatility, and most importantly, tone. Thank you for making an incredible product that got me to make the switch.
I actually ditched a refaced Link because it wasn’t nearly as consistent as the GAIA. Thank you for all that you do! The GAIA plays like a dream!” – Mike Feher“The Gaia is amazing! And it is so very sweet and Dexterish!:) Thanks!” – Shuki“Huge chamber, barely any baffle, altissimo for days.
Love this piece!” – Dean Mongerio“Finally just tried my new GAIA. What a f’n KILLER!!” – Bryan V“Today I play on all my horns on Gaia Mouthpieces, thank you all for making this happen. It is a great help for my performance not to struggle with the mouthpiece! Excellent work! It’s like converting my feelings into sound.
Thank you, Theo!” – Kostas Kirkizotis“At first I wasn’t sure about my new HR Gaia2 tenor MP. It is so different from my otto link. It is much louder, brighter, but more importantly for me, far more responsive. It was like climbing into a porsche after driving a VW beetle! As you can imagine. After driving a few laps around the track and getting it under control, I can’t imagine driving anything else! This machine is a work of art in action.
Thank you theo for making my racing dreams come true!” – Joe Nickerson“I’m blessed to have been playing professionally for over 40 years (studio, shows, jazz). I was playing a custom Lawton 10. on my tenor for over 30 years. Last year, I wanted to go in a different direction with my sound. A friend recommended that I try your mouthpiecesand I’m soooo glad he did! I purchased a Gaia metal tenor 9.
What a sound! It’s so comfortable, the response is amazing, and the soundbig and old school!
Exactly what I was looking for.” – Russ Scotti“I tried this mouthpiece after a lot of prodding from a friend. I wasn’t looking for a new tenor mouthpiece and I was happy with what was my mouthpiece for the last 10 years. So I figured that the trial was a waste of everyone’s time. After about six notes, I realized how wrong I was and that hasn’t changed in the past month.
This is an exceptional mouthpiece. The tone is clearer, notes are more responsive in all registers and even my intonation between registers has become more consistent. I can’t believe how much of a difference this has made, try it. The price is worth it, because I’ll be playing this mouthpiece for at least the next ten years.” – Keith O’Rourke“I was playing on a Jody Jazz NY 8 tenor mouthpiece for about 2 years. I decided to get a new mouthpiece when I couldn’t find reeds hard enough to satisfy my resistance need.
I spent the money on this mouthpiece and got it to find out that I hated it! But, I didn’t lose hope, and after 4 days and a full reed strength drop from a Vandoren V16 4 to a ZZ 3, this mouthpiece plays like no other. I should mention that I got a 9 Gaia, hence the reed drop.
This mouthpiece is incredible and has so many colors to it! Very versatile and easy to control. It is a more advanced mouthpiece, in which I mean you have to know what you want to sound like before you get this. It will take your natural tonal core and expand it! So put the work in before you get one of these! Although pricey, this is the best mouthpiece I have ever played on!” – Jacob“All I can say is WOWOWOWOW! HOLY COW this is an amazing mpc!!!
Did an hour of reed trialing and this thing plays amazing on every reed option I tried. This is now my 3rd piece from you (Bari Durga 3 & Alto NY Bros 2 as well) and love them all.” – John Eaton“Your Gaia 3 Metal Tenor MPCit is without question the most full sounding, full bodied responsive MPC I have ever blown.
It makes everything on the Horn so much easier to playyou can just concentrate on playing without the equipment getting in your way. After many years of trying to find a Florida Link style mouthpiece but with more Oomphhere it is. I can’t praise it enough, the sound in my head is now coming out my Horn.” – Deke. “The GAIA is everything I have ever looked for in a piece. I have played on an Early Babbitt Link for 30 years and the GAIA responds with less effort, the tone is more refined and clean, it has more punch and edge, and the intonation is more locked in and accurate than my Link. When I really lean on this piece, it really does bark!
The altissimo, wow, much less effort! The notes up there really pop out with minimal effort. Theo’s attention to detail is phenomenal! Everything is absolutely perfect and symmetrical. All the machining on the inside is flawless. For me, it’s well worth the money and I am a poor full time musician, not a doctor or lawyer.” -Alastair Ingram “I have some classic pieces, including a gold 1990 hand made Guardala Studio Model, and the Theo Wanne Gaia is the “Master Piece” of them all. Nothing I’ve ever played matches Theo’s pieces, in terms of ease and enjoyment of playability from top to bottom, intonation, rich, complex tone, extreme accuracy and consistency in the manufacturing process, finish, superior built-in ligature – you name it, Theo is the best.
If you question the price, it’s simple – you get what you pay for. If you want the performance of a Ferrari, it will cost more than an economy car.
Theo builds Ferraris, and the performance is unmatched. ALL Theo’s pieces play magnificently, it’s just a matter of whether I want to drive a black Ferrari or a red one today.” – Robert Martin (Frank Zappa for 20 Years)“I find it hard to describe what this piece has done for my sound. After exhaustive trials with countless mouthpieces, I had settled on two; a Guardala MBII and a modern Otto Link Metal 7.
I have enjoyed both of these pieces, and recently the Link in particular since I was starting to move into more jazz work. I really wanted to re-define my sound, and though the Link was pointing me in the right direction, I still felt something was missing. So I began my exhaustive search once again. This last order included a Theo Wanne Metal GAIA 7. I initially had no expectations of keeping this piece based on the price, but I was curious to see if the price was justifiable. One word describes what I found: ABSOLUTELY! Yes, it is expensive, and I would say that this is a piece for someone who really gigs on a regular basis.
If this is you, I would recommend to at least try it, or any of the other Theo pieces. First, the design and craftsmanship is absolutely un-matched. Rails are even, the table is completely flat, the baffle is smooth and beautifully crafted. This is what comes when you get a top quality hand-finished piece. Second, the sound. Oh.the sound. Big, fat, round tone.
But it does not stop there. What has amazed me the most with this piece is the versatility. I can go from playing “‘Round Midnight” in a mellow sub-tone sound to wailing out the horn lines of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstitious” with just a bit more air.
The mouthpiece is very free-blowing, especially compared to the Link. The response with this piece is just as huge as the sound.
My “Ah Ha!” moment as I call it came when I started noticing that my inflections and my “feeling” of the music almost felt like it was sub-consciously transmitted through the mouthpiece and into the horn. I have always played the same way, but have never had a piece react so perfectly to my style. In closing, I will admit that this just might be the fit for my playing style, but I will strongly recommend that any serious player, or anyone working on becoming a regular performer, give this or any of the Theo Wanne pieces a try. I did just for the heck of it, and now will spend the rest of my playing life using this mouthpiece.
My Setup: Yamaha YTS-875EX Custom, Theo Wanne 7., Rico Select Jazz Unfiled 3S/3M – Ron (WWBW Review)“I was blown away. It sounds thick and full in the low, middle, and high registers. It is really dark sounding and is the best jazz piece I’ve ever played on.
You can alter your sound to your liking (dark or edgy). I play on an 8 tip opening and it is extremely free-blowing.
If you are wondering on whether to size up when you are contemplating purchasing, go for it. You won’t be sorry.” – Brady Sisk (WWBW Review)The sound of the GAIA is everything I ever dreamed of. The playability is perfect! It reminds me on one of the really good Florida Links, which have this “Dexter-thing”! A lot of core, fat, and dark sounding. When I push it, I can play funky too; a very versatile piece. The GAIA projects very good, the sound-quality is great in all registers and with all dynamics.
This is the thing!!! The GAIA is my personal choice, and will be what I play and record on from now on.” –.
Hi all,I decided to record 'Just Friends' (the current TOTM on the other forum) on all my five 70's metal Otto Link Early Babbitt mouthpieces and (as a reference) my 50's Florida no USA 10. (my main mouthpiece). Took a fast backing (200 bmp in F concert) and mixed one chorus of each individiual mouthpiece take into a new mixed take with six solo chorusses (total length 5:15 minutes).The used mouthpieces are an EB 8 (refaced from a 7) and four never refaced EB's with tip size 8., 10, 10. and 12. The head is played on two EB's (16 bars each), after that 6 solo chorusses of 32 bars (at 0:44, 1:22, 2:00, 2:38, 3:17 and 3:56). The closing theme (at 4:33) is also played on two EB's (16 bars each).
All mouthpieces are played with the same La Voz medium reed and Selmer SBA tenor.- 'Just Friends' (five EB's - one Florida no USA - La Voz medium):Who can spot the Florida and identify the correct sequence of the different EB tip sizes in this mixed take?And which sound do you prefer (if you hear any differences)?Enjoy. Re: Otto Link MPC compare - five 70's vintage Early Babbitt's vs one 50's Florida nomaybe it's just me, but i hear you fighting the mpc / tip opening on the first improv solo, and on the final melody chorus.Some nice sounding stuff in the middle, very Paul-Gonsalves.No chorus stands out as being a 'Florida' or must-have mouthpiece, to my ears, ymmv.Plus. 10.
and 12 seem pretty extreme tip openings for tenor links. I didnt even know they made a 12.I played an old 8 STM for 15 years+, (on Selmer SBA, Mk6s, Conn NWIIs ). I'm now winding back down in size, 5 thou at a time.-A. Maybe it's just me, but i hear you fighting the mpc / tip opening on the first improv solo, and on the final melody chorus.Some nice sounding stuff in the middle, very Paul-Gonsalves.No chorus stands out as being a 'Florida' or must-have mouthpiece, to my ears, ymmv.Plus. 10. and 12 seem pretty extreme tip openings for tenor links. I didnt even know they made a 12.I played an old 8 STM for 15 years+, (on Selmer SBA, Mk6s, Conn NWIIs ).
I'm now winding back down in size, 5 thou at a time.-A. Andy, thanks for having a listen, your comments are appreciated.I normally play an Otto Link 10. Florida mouthpiece, but have all kind of tip openings in my collection (from 4. to 12). Adapting in reed strength is the trick to play them with the most comfortable feel. In this compare I played all mpc's (with tips from 8 to12) on the same reed, which was actually a bit too soft for the smallest tip (8) and too hard for the biggest tip (a 12, which was made as a custom order by Otto Link as requested by the previous owner, Otto Link's normally don't go higher then tip 10.).
The first mouthpiece from which you found I was fighthing the mpc was actually the 8 tip, which is a bit too small for me to control very well with the used reed strength.That are some nice horns you have. A Link 5 can sound very good too, but my sweet spot is between 8.
and 10. The bigger tips don't close down in taking in all the air I want to put in and give me more volume compared to smaller tip mouthpieces. I often need the volume playing as first tenor and main soloist in a loud big band (mostly without using a mic).Thanks again for your comments.
Thanks Nick.You have a good ear (and know my playing from the other forum). The Florida was indeed played in the last solo chorus (starting around 3:56), but not at other places in this mixed take.You're also right about the reed remark: it was actually a bit too hard for the bigger tip EB's (10. and 12), making them sound darker then they will with a softer reed. Funny was that the Florida 10. played full strength with the same reed, but that's probably because the (old) reed was completely shaped and accustomed to this mouthpiece (my main mouthpiece). Re: Otto Link MPC compare - five 70's vintage Early Babbitt's vs one 50's Florida noI think i was trying to say that I might find it difficult to jump between an 8, a 10 and a 12 on the same recording session, you're a braver man than I am. It takes me a while to adjust to different pieces to the point that I'm comfortable on them, and i try to match 'feel' or 'resistance' across soprano / alto and tenor (and clarinet).I can't actually remember what age my own old link mpc is,I remember trying to follow that OttoLink dating chart, and getting lost;-)So here's me on otto link 8, Selmer SBA tenor, from a live show recording a few years - for comparison, i guess,- let the flames begin;-P.
Re: Otto Link MPC compare - five 70's vintage Early Babbitt's vs one 50's Florida noAndy, thanks for your additional post and the clip. Only a very short sax part in the clip (would have liked to hear more of you), but I loved what I heard (very good Link/Selmer sound). Fully agree on your remark about how great that combination can be (almost all my tenor hero's played on Link's).Also fully agree that you have to give a mouthpiece/reed combination proper time to get used too. When I play outdoors I always play the same mpc (Florida no USA 10., or sometimes a 9 when my reed is to stiff for the 10.).
The other mpc's only get some attention when making home recordings (not often, about 1 or 2 times a month). I also give them less then 5 minutes playing time and record most of the time only one take. Not enough for getting the highest quality, but I unfortunately don't have much more time for the sax in this phase of my life (but still enjoy every minute I can play).