Mouthpieces A couple of basic mouthpiece questions

[Pegwill]

Hi Guys
Just a couple of question that are really basic, but while I'm eagerly waiting for my sax to arrive I've been doing some research but cant seem to find the answers.

I have order a replacement mouth piece (Yamaha 4c) which seems to be the norm and the recommended thing to do for student saxes (Its a Bauhaus - Walstien alto Sax (bronze). My question is does the Yamaha 4c come with a ligature or not?

If not will the BW supplied ligature fit the 4c and be ok?

And perhaps this is really really obvious, but, which way up should the ligature be "screws up" or "screws down"? I've seen photos, I think in both directions and some only show with the mouthpiece cap in place, others pictures show no mouth piece fitted. So how do you know?

Regards
Bill

 

[Stephen Howard]

New mouthpieces don't often come with ligatures - I know the Yamaha basic ones don't...but the BW lig will fit it.

It can be fitted either way up - most people have the screws running across the reed. Try it either way, see what works best for you.

At some point it would be worth upgrading the lig - you won't need anything fancy, just a decent quality plain one. The lig supplied with the horn is ok, it's just a bit cheap.

Regards,

 

[AlistairD]

Bill

I'm no expert, so treat this with some caution!

From memory, my 5c came with a ligature. It was a standard Yamaha ligature and I think there was a hole in the top so that the Yamaha logo could still show on the mouthpiece and the screws were underneat (at the reed side.) Normally any Ebonite/Hard Rubber Tenor ligature will fit, metal mouthpieces are generally smaller.

All my current ligatures have the screws at the top or no screws at all so there is no hard and fast rule but the flat side is the reed side!

 

[Phil Edwards]

I don't know what lig you get with the BW, so Stephens answer is probably the most accurate you've had so far- certainly more so than mine is likely to be - but some metal ligs aren't entirely circular, they have a shaped bit that bulges out slightly on one side that is obviously (obvious when you get to see it anyway) shaped to accept the reed.

Or your's might not be like that...

No help at all really...

But it doesn't really matter too much, bung it on and play!

 

[fishpond]

Both my Yamaha alto 5c and tenor 5c came without ligs and covers.
That was septemberish 2009

 

[Pegwill]

couple of basic questions

Thanks guys for the info. I'll let you know the out in the fullness of time as they say.

Regards

Bill