support Tutorials CDs PPT mouthpieces

Ligatures Anyone tried 3D printed custom mouthpieces?

Received mine. Not spend much time yet trying... But so far so good and the week-end should allow further experiment!

13154


So I have a bit more colorful fruits on the tree!
 
I think SYOS call this Coral Neon. Not quite orange, not quite red. Somewhere in between. I don't have any trouble lining up the reed :)

First impressions: The table is long enough to allow the entire length of the reed to fit along it. The ligature holds it firmly, and the cap is like the Silverstein Omnicap. The material feels rough like the outside of a Rico Metalite. There are some ridges inside the large chamber and no smooth surfaces.

I'll review the sound once I can get to a studio, probably next weekend. It's the James Arben model in an 8*, and looks like a high rollover baffle. I'm looking forward to playing it.

I had to go look at the order, mine is deep magenta. I agree I like the ligature. In fact I ordered two others in bright colors to use with black mouthpieces, thew work great.

We're all anxious to hear about what you think of the sound and playability.

OK, I spent a good two hours practising today. The new mouthpiece fitted onto my saxophone neck without any sanding of the cork or PTFE tape required, so I'd say the bore diameter is pretty standard. When moving it on the cork the ligature would turn, so I'll probably be using a different ligature with this. A Rovner Star Series for hard rubber tenor mouthpieces fitted nicely. I went through my sampler pack of D'Addario and Vandoren reeds and settled on a Vandoren Java Green number 3. The tips of all of the reeds matched the curve on the tip of the mouthpiece.

I warmed up with by playing overtones of the low B flat and have no complaints there. By pushing the mouthpiece further onto the cork and lipping down I was able to get the low, middle and top B in tune without embouchure adjustments, so I am happy with the tuning too.

With the SYOS mouthpiece I was looking for more brightness than the Jody Jazz DVNY that I normally play. I was after something lively but with the ability to sub-tone and ease back when required. The SYOS delivered this. Thinking of the sound in terms of bass, middle and treble, I initially thought that it had a bit more "middle" than I'd normally go for, but I was soon able to to give it my own voice.

I loaded iReal Pro with Stanley Turrentine's "Sugar" and played an extended solo, using the full range of the saxophone including into the altissimo. This mouthpiece effortlessly delivered what I asked of it, and I forgot it was brand new. I tried the same thing with the DVNY and found it much more mellow. The SYOS James Arben is giving me a sound much closer to what I'm looking for. I find it easier to darken a bright mouthpiece than to brighten a dark one, so I think the SYOS will be my main mouthpiece now. Especially with the day-glow colour it would suit a function band well.
 
I finally got round to recording a little snippet as promised - haven't played tenor for a couple of weeks, bit rusty but I forgot how fun this mouthpiece is. This is just noodling around, tried to do some loud bits and quiet bits. I went for the Scott Paddock model, it's loud and bright but as I get more comfortable on it, it gets easier to play more quietly - once I get more used to it, I might attempt to do the ballad of the month on it as a personal challenge!.
 
Practice session sounds great!
I loaded iReal Pro with Stanley Turrentine's "Sugar" and played an extended solo

There's a free backing track for Sugar on YouTube (a few, in fact) that sounds better than iRealPro's (IMO):
youtube.com/watch?v=E6CoBcuYkU0
 
I’m interested by those mouthpieces like many other players here and elsewhere.

But on all recordings I’ve listened to, saxes are sounding really bright to my ears, lacking some warmth and lushness too. Am I the only one to hear that?

Isn’t there a collective hype thing in all of this?

Of course, I need to try those mouthpieces to validate or not those impressions.
 
The only fair way to tell is to try one, but you can't try a custom, only buy one and have it adjusted if it isn't what you wanted. They indicate "dark" and "bright" levels on the custom pieces, but I don't know what that means. Only a trip to Paris will completely answer that question :)
 
Of course, I need to try those mouthpieces to validate or not those impressions.

Given the infinite possibilities, a visit to their shop is in order...

Best way to hear for yourself if they have what you are looking for.

I'm sure I will pay a visit one day. I need to see more of those even if my first impression was not great. I still think the concept is excellent.
 
@saxyjt thanks, that was informative!!

What I find interesting is that they claim not being sax players, and their marketing mostly gravitate around the idea that their stuff is superior to anything else.
 
@saxyjt thanks, that was informative!!

What I find interesting is that they claim not being sax players, and their marketing mostly gravitate around the idea that their stuff is superior to anything else.

It's kind of like buying cars to non drivers! :w00t:

Or having a vegetarian butcher... :doh:
 
@saxyjt thanks, that was informative!!

What I find interesting is that they claim not being sax players, and their marketing mostly gravitate around the idea that their stuff is superior to anything else.
I've seen them in person, and they have advisers they seem very familiar with and that can play
Pauline wrote several informed articles.

While I don't like the feel of their pieces, they seem to know what they talk about
It's kind of like buying cars to non drivers! :w00t:

Or having a vegetarian butcher... :doh:
(I think it is some joke; shop lasted the space of one morning)
IMG_20190619_110113341_HDR.jpg




While this is real (vegan cheese)

IMG_20190815_111206787_HDR.jpg
 
@aldevis what do you not like in the way you feel their mpcs?
Hard to describe.
Probably I am used to some direct feedback from the mouthpiece/reed in my mouth, that wasn't there.
Or maybe the feel of plastic...

But I did not try it long enough to make a reliable judgment
 
on the subject of ligatures, I messaged SYOS a few weeks ago and they told me that a standard 2 screw metal lig for an ebonite mouthpiece would fit their alto mouthpieces - I didn't ask about tenor since that's not an instrument I'll ever play again, but I assume they're also a fairly standard size

when they're back from their holidays I might badger them about Direct Metal Laser Sintering and whether they've considered doing metal mouthpieces using this process
 
@aldevis yes that can take some time to make a true opinion on something. I play a Lebayle LRII 8* MPC on my tenor since three years, I love it but only realize since a few months that altissimo is hard to play at times, especially with Legere Signature after a while, making this MPC unreliable for live situations especially (never had really true difficulty with that register before on other MPC). So I’m searching slowly for something else, as I don’t like to change my sax gear at all.
 
@aldevis yes that can take some time to make a true opinion on something. I play a Lebayle LRII 8* MPC on my tenor since three years, I love it but only realize since a few months that altissimo is hard to play at times, especially with Legere Signature after a while, making this MPC unreliable for live situations especially (never had really true difficulty with that register before on other MPC). So I’m searching slowly for something else, as I don’t like to change my sax gear at all.
In France you may have some good choice, including our very Phil Tone.
And London is a short flight away, with some shops and Pillinger nearby
Whereabout in France are you based?
 
Back
Top Bottom