Phil-Tone Solstice alto sax

Phil-Tone Solstice mouthpiece for alto sax

A solstice signals the change in the seasons, just as this mouthpiece marks a departure from the traditional jazz alto setup.  The Solstice harkens to the days of the “West Coast” school of sound, made famous by such greats as Art Pepper, Lee Konitz, and Paul Desmond.  The sounds and styles of these greats inspired the creation of this mouthpiece.  The Solstice has a rich core and a full harmonic palate, while also possessing a lively and lyrical quality.  There have been several modern attempts to approach the West Coast sound but the majority leave the player with a stuffy, dull, and resistant piece. The Solstice plays open, full, and with ease.  Its responsive, ringing, centered tone provides a unique avenue towards expression and opens the door to new possibilities. From flowing bossa novas to the jazz quartet standards to a beautiful, lyrical, emotional ballad…the Solstice does it all.

Played “Straight ahead” The Solstice accepts a strong airstream and projects extremely well.  Its time to step away from the Meyer and its countless clones.  Explore a new level of depth and color with the most versatile alto mouthpiece available at any price.

"There are so many flattering things I could say about this piece.  I'll just say that the most striking aspect to me is its flexibility.  While it's advertised as something with a west coast vibe and several people have commented on how easy it is to go that way and demonstrated it in recordings. I have also heard others play it in a wide variety of sounds/styles.  You don't have to be going for a West Coast vibe at all to be comfortable with this mouthpiece, and it will by no means force you to sound or play like Paul Desmond.  Its core is so strong across all dynamic ranges that it lets you decide.  Needless to say, this piece will be replacing my other mouthpieces. Thank you for your excellent craftsmanship.  It's a rare and valuable thing in this world. "

- Kenley Jung