FocusTone Tonamax HR Tenor

The only problem I have with this Tonamax HR is that the facing table is wider than the reed. On my Florida model it it narrower, so it is easier for me to position the reed on the mouthpiece. When I tried Arnie Krakowsky's Tonamax the table was the same size as my Florida model. I'm playing Woodstone reeds.

First off, I'd like to apologize to Ted and his team for taking so long to write a review. Truth is, the Tonamax HR Tenor is so amazing I couldn't pull myself away from the horn. The mouthpiece creates the sound identity that i've been searching for for quite some time. A beautiful warm and spread sound with a nice (but not strident) edge when pushed. The playability and response is out of this world! I purchased the Florida model as well which is just as amazing too, but the Tonamax HR is my sound now. My only regret is sleeping on Ted's mouthpieces for so long. Think it's time to send my trusty old Florida no usa link to Ted and see what kind of magic he can work on it. Thank you TK!

Great Mouthpiece, beautiful round wam tone, great projection. I hightly recommend it!

Great sound, Very comfortable playing, very responding.

This mouthpiece provides everything one would want in sound production, ease of playing, articulation, and intonation. It is versatile in all playing conditions and very accepting of different reeds and strength. I have four of Ted’s pieces with this one giving me the most flexibility in various settings. Once again, Ted has created a masterpiece and I look forward to playing it in the future!! Thank you

The Tonamax HR 7 Tenor has ended my search for mouthpieces. The tone is deep, dark, and lush. It can be as edgy as you want with all the projection you need. Absolute blast to play and well worth the money!

Beautifully crafted mouthpiece. It has warmth/resonance and focus all in one. Easily one of the best mouthpieces I have played!

I waited a while to share this because I really wanted to get a real feel for the mouthpiece.

What I really like is that it feels very familiar (like an old friend), with characteristics of several of my favorite old mouthpieces - but better. Compared to my prior pieces, the tone is considerably warmer and more even through the whole range. Altissimo is easier to nail. If I want to, this mouthpiece can play classical... but it's just as well suited for the jazz work I enjoy.

My tendency is to play a more closed mouthpiece than most people. Ted nailed the specified tip opening and it's very free blowing.

It's the same across multiple reed brands (cane and artificial)., with different ligatures, on a number of different horns, both vintage and modern.

I admit to being a mouthpiece collector and have a bunch of pieces that I use for various settings.

This piece is right up at the top.

Thanks, Ted !!

Excellent breadth of tone and wide scope for harmonic colouration! Intonation is excellent!

Rich sound with a nice sparkle, fat down the bottom and sings up top. Beautifully responsive, notes just pop out over the full range, it's got magic powers here, it'll make you go wow.

The Tonamax 8 in black hard rubber arrived the other day and became an instant hit in the shed. Brought it to work the same night, and confirmed its qualities, including a warm, «wet» and full core, lots of projection, medium resistance, strong intonation and great stability. It competes with a few other nice pieces in my collection, including an early 70’s Otto Link Tone Edge .085" and a Wood Stone Traditional Jazz 7M .081" (another excellent, lower resistance take on the modernized Meyer Bros sound and feel). I also have a Brilhart Ebolin Great Neck .082" which is downright wonderful for me, so I’ll definitely be spending some extra time figuring out the use for all of these... It’s safe to say they’re all in the same ballpark - I know what I like by now! I have no problem saying the Tonamax is an excellent lead alto piece, great for horn section and for blending in general. Rich in overtones, and by all means fat. It also packs that extra punch for soaring over a loud band, which is part of why I got it in the first place. Not one to resort to high baffle mouthpieces for extra projection or power, I enjoy the result I get with this! Oh, and the subtones are really saturated and nice. All in all, a real player. I use Roberto’s 4S reeds on it, and an EchoBrass Brilhart 3-band reproduction ligature. My horn is a new Rampone & Cazzani R1 Jazz. Thanks again for another stellar product!