Jazzocrat

The saxophone world just got the kind of announcement that makes players sit up straight. Theo Wanne is now partnering with JJ Babbitt to manufacture Meyer and Otto Link mouthpieces. These are the designs that shaped the sound of jazz itself, and they’re about to be produced with a level of precision they’ve never had before.

What looked at first like a simple collaboration is actually something much bigger. Theo Wanne and JJ Babbitt have entered into a shared‑ownership, hybrid‑manufacturing partnership that fundamentally rethinks how these legendary mouthpieces are made.

How This All Started

The story began quietly. JJ Babbitt approached Theo Wanne to help develop a metal version of their LA mouthpiece. But once the two teams started working together, it became obvious that the potential went far beyond a single model.

The partnership expanded.The manufacturing approach evolved. And suddenly, the most iconic mouthpiece designs in history were on the table.

For decades, metal Otto Links were made using a two‑piece construction method. This process worked but came with limitations in consistency, alignment, and cost. This method is now gone.

Metal Links are now fully machined from solid bar stock, the same approach used for Theo Wanne’s own high‑end pieces. This shift brings major benefits such as:

• Dramatically tighter tolerances

• Perfect symmetry and internal geometry

• Incredible consistency from piece to piece

• Superior long‑term durability

Once machined, the pieces are sent to Elkhart, the historic home of JJ Babbitt, for finishing and polishing. It’s a fusion of modern precision and traditional craftsmanship.

Players have been asking for this level of quality for decades. Now it’s finally happening.

Hard Rubber: The Best of Both Worlds

The hard‑rubber Meyer and Link models aren’t being redesigned; they’re being refined through a hybrid process that combines the strengths of both companies.

Here’s how it works:

• JJ Babbitt continues to produce the original molded hard‑rubber blanks using their historic formulas and tooling.

• Those blanks are then sent to Theo Wanne’s facility, where the facing, baffle, and internal geometry are CNC‑machined to perfection.

This approach preserves everything players love about the classic Meyer and Link feel, the material, the core design, the tonal DNA, while eliminating the variability that has frustrated players in recent decades.

It’s the same design . . . just finally made with 21st‑century precision.

Why This Matters More Than Marketing

The announcement included a pointed line:

“Many others have tried to replicate these legendary designs . . . But there is now no substitute for the real thing.”

That’s not just branding. It’s a statement of intent.

For years, the market has been filled with “Meyer‑style” and “Link‑inspired” pieces, some excellent, some not, but all fundamentally reverse‑engineered approximations.

This partnership changes the landscape.

It means the actual Meyer and Link designs, the molds, the geometry, the lineage, are now paired with the most advanced mouthpiece manufacturing technology in the world.

For the first time in decades, players may be able to buy a new Meyer or Link that truly lives up to the best vintage examples.

A Historic Moment for Saxophone Manufacturing

It’s rare to see a legacy brand open its doors and invite a modern engineering powerhouse inside. It’s even rarer to see that collaboration result in shared ownership and a complete rethinking of manufacturing methods.

This partnership respects the past without being trapped by it. It preserves the designs players love while finally giving them the precision they deserve.

For students, professionals, and collectors alike, this could mark the beginning of a new era, one where “vintage sound” and “modern consistency” are no longer mutually exclusive.