Tone or Sound 6 vs 8 tip. Can you hear the difference?

[fabriziodalisera]

In this video I made a "not scientific" test.I compared two mouthpieces with different openings and different shapes. Why does this make sense?Is the opening the main factor to the sound? Is it the internal shape of the beak? Is it the saxophonist?

View: https://youtu.be/QkWnkdqYH7Q?si=hVJSVJJahGZe-f3T

 

[wakyct]

Good to see another video from you Fabrizio. To be honest I heard almost no difference between the two MPs. I think it's a good point that less experienced players will experience more of a difference. Less influence from the player means more influence from equipment.

 

[Ivan]

Either no difference

Or

More warmth at 8

But

I probably noticed only when I looked at the video and not when I didn't

 

[thomsax]

You sounds better on the Algola. It's more your voice and, I guess, more how you want to sound. There is less difernce between the mouthpices. But I would like to hear more. Play licks in the altissimo register and play likcks in the low register. Play a soft ballad à la Sil Austin and a more up-tempo song with the high tones and altissimo tones like Jr Walker or Lenny Pickett.

 

[mizmar]

I'm curious, sound to the listener aside, does your relationship with the instrument change? With these pieces or others?

It was my surprise and pleasure to get a real bump in "oneness" with the horn when I tried the Wanne Essential... Coming from quite a limited experience of vanilla mouthpiecery.

Post in thread 'Theo Wanne Essentials' Mouthpieces - Theo Wanne Essentials

 

[fabriziodalisera]

Thanks to everybody for your intersting replies.

@Ivan I here subtle differencies, maybe more in the articulation than timbre. The Algola has a punchier response.
But, as someone wrote me on youtube, I'll do a blindfold test next time.
I think than everyone, including me of course, has a lot of psycological aspects involved while listening, so a blindfold test could be revealing.

@thomsax as I also pointed in the video the more you go to the "extreme ranges", very low and very high (and altissimo too, as you wrote), the more you can feel the difference, not only in sound, but also in response.

@mizmar very interesting point. A particular mouthpiece can give to us a particular feeling that can influence our phrasing too. So, maybe mouthpieces can be not only a "sound generator"...
I had a teacher back in the days that used to say that you can play whatever instrument if you have your neck and mouthpiece.

 

[LostCircuits]

Listening through Sennheiser HD280 Pro headphones, I can clearly hear the difference, I did a blind listen only test (scroll down) and then picked one of the two MPCs => scrolled up to check. Did not have one miss.

The Algola has more punch without forcing it, especially in the upper notes, the Brillhart sounds forced or strained and in the lower notes, the warmth of the Algola is missing from the Brillhart.

But I have a few problems with the methodology, clearly you are more familiar/used to the Algola, the reed you used was probably selected based on matching the Algola, and a different reed may give you more of a spectrum on the Brillhart - or maybe just a different embouchure.

And don't get me wrong, both sound at a quality level that a lot of players would pay at least $1.- to achieve but if I rate it, the Brillhart would be "Very Good" and the Algola would be "Great"

 

[Colin the Bear]

$1.- ? 🤔

 

[Colin the Bear]

Both sound like a tenor saxophone on this phone.

 

[LostCircuits]

$1.- ? 🤔

It's the I bet you a dollar for something that's priceless expression. How about 1 Quid?

 

[Woodpad]

There are some subtle differances, in sound, but not so big that it will move an audience.
From your body language an audience might detect that you are more at ease with the Brilhart.