Mouthpieces Bari/bass mpc

[jeremyjuicewah]

Hi all. In the search for a great big mouthpiece for bari I have come across a couple of mpcs billed as Bass, ok for bari. I don't really believe it.

Are they?
Cheers all
Mike

 

[jonf]

They might play OK on a bari, but I wouldn't try it. If I were looking for a bari mouthpiece I'd buy a bari mouthpice.

 

[jeremyjuicewah]

That is what I think. Trouble is, I cannot find what I want which is a great big chambered old piece with a very big opening. These couple of bass mpcs look the part, but I could not see how a mpc from a bass could be quite right for a mpc from a bari. Maybe my PPT will be the answer, maybe the Dukoff Thomas is loaning me.

Cheers
Mike

 

[aldevis]

That is what I think. Trouble is, I cannot find what I want which is a great big chambered old piece with a very big opening.

My guess is that the PPT will be right.
If not, Pillinger has many old designs available and he can put almost any facing on them (I tried extreme combinations on tenor).
The PPT facing can be a good starting point.
Still I would not recommend any chamber bigger than a Link, because they could end up seriously stuffy.

 

[kevgermany]

There are some modern bass saxes designed for bari mouthpieces. I'm not sure if that's what you've seen. Hang on for the PPT, should be worthwhile.

 

[jeremyjuicewah]

No, these things are anything but modern. Will wait, but you know how it is, a mouthpiece going cheap is pretty well irresistible even if its in two pieces.

 

[thomsax]

I haven't heard that a bassax mouthpiece is playing well on a baritone sax. Maybe it's working? But some bassax players are using baritone reeds on bassax mouthpiece with good results.

It's hard to talk of what's right or wrong. For me a small chamber tenor mouthpiece is ok. That means I play for myself and at home. When I talk to other guys who are pros, and thier sax playing pays thier bills, they says that a tenor mouthpice is not ok on a C-melody.

The Dukoff mpc is on it's way! Mailed it last Monday.

 

[jonf]

That is what I think. Trouble is, I cannot find what I want which is a great big chambered old piece with a very big opening.

I don't think you'll find one, Mike. Most old mouthpieces come with fag paper thin tip openings. Your best bet is probably to get an oldie and get it refaced to suit you.

 

[jeremyjuicewah]

Thanks Thomas, I will mail as soon as it arrives.

Re the tip on the big chamber oldies, this is a thing I have noticed. I may not be able to find one,but I will keep on, or get one and get it refaced. I will try the ones on the way first, but I do fancy one of those old monsters.

 

[thomsax]

Old mouthpieces = bigger bores than modern mouthpieces? I'm not sure about his. If you compare the Dukoff D chamber to an old bari mpc you will find that bore is maybe bigger on the Dukoff? The bore of old saxes are in general smaller compared to modern ones. In the mid 30's most manufactors re-designed thier saxophones to meet the "new" type of music. The mouthpieces were also re-designed. Wider tip openings, shaped bores, baffels .... . Old large mouthpieces on old small bore saxes? small bore mouthpieces on bigger sax bores? To the 30's nearly all mouthpieces had a round chamber with no baffle. Bigger or smaller? I really don't know!
Two soprano mouthpieces. The mouthpiece to the left is an old Selmer (no baffle) and the one to the right is a Dukoff D chamber (high baffle) from the 80's. The chamber is bigger on the Dukoff.

Wider tip openings can be played more "loudly" and they are "brighter" as well. Takes more control to play.
Narrower tip openings needs a little less control and are more "darker/mellow".
Large bores mpc have more "spread" and have a "broad and open" sound. Ensembles.
Small bore mouthpieces gives a more "compact/focused" sound. Solist.
High baffle gives a "brighter and more focus" sound.
Low baffle gives a "darker/mellow and less focused" sound.

There is a Kohlert baritone mouthpiece (from the 30's) for sale here in Sweden.