Greg Black Kenny Rampton

tkdstevie1 · New Member Joined: 31 May 2021 Posts: 3

Hey everyone!

Was wondering if any has had the chance to try the new Kenny Rampton signature model from Greg Black and what their thoughts on it are.

nowave · Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2021 3:53 pm Post subject:

I picked one of these up from Josh Landress right after they came out. It's an interesting piece - not the commercial piece I expected it to be, but a real all-rounder. The cup is V-shaped and a bit deeper than, say, a 3C. Diameter is around a 3, and the rim feels fairly narrow to me and with the high point toward the outside.

All this stuff is really subjective, but the sound seems very rich and easy to color. Very mellow when you want, but I also used it in a commercial application and it can cut through just fine.

I'm using something else right now as I'm not sure if I like the rim. Might sell it or put my own rim on it, but like all of Greg's stuff it's a quality piece.

Goby · Heavyweight Member Joined: 11 Jun 2017 Posts: 648

I also have one of these pieces. Overall it's quite nice. The cup is V-shaped and slightly deeper than a C, but it feels like the top part of the cup is a little more narrow than a standard, bowl-shaped C cup. Ease of play averages out between the cup and backbore, and it plays about as easy as a 3C. The rim is comfortable with no noticeable quirks (to my chops that is). I feel like the sound leans towards the commercial side. It has more highs in the sound and isn't as "symphonic" in timbre. It's probably perfect for section parts in a big band and combo playing, which is what Kenny primarily does. You could definitely use it as an "all-around" piece. They're coming out with a lead model in the near future from what I've heard.

Master Jabroni · Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2021 10:24 am Post subject:

LexFrenchMusic · Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2021 12:56 pm Post subject:

thanks for the feedback y’all. i’ve been thinking about picking one of these up as i usually play a monette B6S1 (non-prana) which is pretty similar in terms of cup diameter and depth, but which can be a little taxing on more commercial gigs. i’ve recently starting playing with a more funk-fusion oriented band and the monette kills me on long sets because there’s so much mass to get moving... have either of you guys used it in this kind of context and/or have used a b6s1 and could comment on how comparable it is? would love to hear your thoughts!

it’s probably worth mentioning that i play GR mouthpieces for lead but they’re slightly too small for this particular gig... i also bought a new prana B6S1 XLT thinking that might be an option but that throat is huge, and i cannot for the life of me get the compression i need...
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JPHB · Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2021 9:58 am Post subject:

I play the GB KR sig MP, and it's phenomenal to me - super comfortable rim, perfect cup size (for my chops) - but most of all, flexibility and quality in/of sound . . . it does it all. I would highly recommend it, especially if you want something close to a 3C, but with so much more in terms of fullness and richness of sound. (FYI - I play this MP with a Yamaha 8335LA - and that's my setup for the foreseeable future).