Mouthpieces Alto saxophone mouthpiece shootout

Pete Thomas · Nov 3, 2011

See here:

http://tamingthesaxophone.com/saxophone-alto-mouthpiece-comparison.html

More to add soon I hope.

TomMapfumo · Nov 3, 2011

Thanks, Pete!

I preferred C & G FWIW - before looking any of the identities up. I could also tell the cheapest!
Regards
Tom

jonf · Nov 3, 2011

The principal thing I noticed was just how much they all sounded like Pete Thomas. I guessed the Yamaha was a Yamaha, but had no idea about the others. I preferred the sound of the Jody Jazz, although they all sounded nice. Asked beforehand which I thought I'd prefer, I'd have said the RPC, but somehow it didn't sound, to me at least, quite so nice as some of the others. Pete also managed to make the Selmer S80 sound good, whereas when I play one of those I sound like I'm playing under a blanket.

TomMapfumo · Nov 3, 2011

jonf said:
The principal thing I noticed was just how much they all sounded like Pete Thomas. Pete also managed to make the Selmer S80 sound good, whereas when I play one of those I sound like I'm playing under a blanket.

...through a sock or under a blanket - make your mind up, Jon! I think Pete was playing through nylon socks - still had that classic S80 muffled sound - you can just tell...................................................:crying:;}

kevgermany · Nov 3, 2011

Would be me....

How? I just get a message saying flash player needed. I tried installing it, but no joy. Same for IE8 and Firefox....

Chris · Nov 3, 2011

kevgermany said:
Would be me....

How? I just get a message saying flash player needed. I tried installing it, but no joy. Same for IE8 and Firefox....

Nope it wouldn't just be you, no joy with IE9, Firefox and Safari..

jthole · Nov 3, 2011

Not working here either 🙁

Pete Thomas · Nov 3, 2011

It should be working now. Sorry about that, temporary glitch.

Saxade · Nov 4, 2011

I listened to them all first ... picked what I liked (A & D)... I thought they were a little brighter & more under control over the range of the Alto...

baritonesax · Nov 4, 2011

They were pretty much indistinguishable from each other except for the RPC and the S80 - and of those two, the RPC sounded the "roundest."

Gallen · Nov 4, 2011

Pete you sound great on all of 'em!

jthole · Nov 4, 2011

#1: C (turned out to be Otto Link Tone Edge 6*)
#2: G (turned out to be Selmer Soloist Style E)

kevgermany · Nov 5, 2011

I must be going deaf, I couldn't hear the difference. This is worrying.

old git · Nov 8, 2011

What are altos?

Pete Thomas · Nov 9, 2011

I've added four more mouthpieces.

TomMapfumo · Nov 9, 2011

I'll add I to my initial list - some of the mouthpieces don't quite seem to have the depth of sound of others, which I missed. Thanks for that Pete. I'm looking forward to the Soprano Mouthpiece Shootout in the New Year!

Kind regards
Tom

Pete Thomas · Nov 9, 2011

TomMapfumo said:
I'll add I to my initial list - some of the mouthpieces don't quite seem to have the depth of sound of others, which I missed. Thanks for that Pete. I'm looking forward to the Soprano Mouthpiece Shootout in the New Year!

There's unlikely to be a soprano one, I tried a while back. I borrowed half a dozen mouthpieces and I hated them all except my Selmer, that's why I developed the soprano PPT, to get something I liked to play but with more body and warmth than the Selmer.

TomMapfumo · Nov 9, 2011

Fair enough. You'll have to take a trip to Soprano Planet..........................................................:lb::lb::lb:

Pete Thomas · Nov 30, 2011

Just added four more:

Vandoren Java and Jumbo, Rousseau Jazz and a cheapie Hite Premiere.

This was very interesting for me as I used to use a Java (as a former endorser of Vandoren). Oddly I found this (and the jumbo) a bit uncomfortable. The Hite surprised me.

http://tamingthesaxophone.com/saxophone-alto-mouthpiece-comparison.html

TomMapfumo · Nov 30, 2011

Thanks Pete!

I must admit I have begun to lose the ability to tell differences since the first time I heard the shootout. At the same time I could tell the Java and Jumbo Java clearly enough (I have a Java T55 and a Jumbo Java A55). The Java does seem to have a slight thinness to its tone which I recognise on my tenor. The other two sounded ok enough, but a little too mellow for my taste. Can you get hold of a Rico Royal sometime if you have any will-power left?!

Kind regards
Tom