Dave Guardala Super King Tenor SP

I earn my living performing for the majority in party environments where I am required to mingle among the audience who are often very loud. In this environment I want a crisp, bright, and powerful sound. I've ordered so many mouthpieces in the last few years, trying out models from the most prominent manufacturers, only to find fresh appreciation for my 30+ year-old original Dave Guardala (my go-to). I keep this new Super King as my back up because I still prefer my old original. These mouthpieces are sleek, excellently finished, and most importantly mine plays and sounds great in my opinion, with clarity and liveliness from low to high, plenty of punch for percussive playing, and yet with the ability to back-off nicely for ballads when needed. The only two things I've changed are 1) The Ligature, which I've swapped out for a Rovner Dark 2M because I find the DG ligature a tad too sticky, which makes fine reed adjustments too time consuming for me, and 2) I've carefully softened the sharpish leading-edge that slides over the sax's neck-cork... I noted no change in the colour of the metal. All in all I can happily recommend this mouthpiece to those looking to cut through the ambient sound at busy venues.

The Dave Guardala Super King Tenor SP has a powerful, full-bodied sound with plenty of projection and richness. It has a big, commanding tone that really stands out, especially in a live setting.

My only point to note is that the actual playing feel of the tip opening seems slightly larger than the stated opening size. It takes a little more air and control than I initially expected, but once you get used to it, the extra openness really contributes to its powerful sound and projection.

Overall, I’m very happy with the mouthpiece. It delivers a big, rich, and powerful sound that works especially well for players looking for a strong, projecting tenor tone.