Mouthpieces Beechler Mouthpieces

[djazzy]

I recently went to a jam session and played with the Monika Herzig trio. I've been going to the jam sessions for the last 2 months and I've been learning a lot. Anyway I asked about good tenor sax mouthpieces. The alto and baritone saxophonist Pete suggested using a Beechler mouthpiece and trying a medium facing. He said he hasn't played tenor sax since high school but he'd still reccom mend trying a Beechler. Are these good mouthpieces for tenor sax? Are they easy blowing?

 

[griff136]

HI Djazzy,

I find that mouhpieces are a very personal thing - how it feels in your mouth etc. How they blow is also down to taste. Your best bet is to go to a decent music shop and try a few out and come to an informed decision based on your likes/dislikes.

Some shops in the UK will let you take 4 or 5 piceces home (as long as you leave your visa details) and get a good weeks trial out of the pieces.

there must be somewhere in Indiana that does smething similar or at least let you try before you buy.

Having said all that I had an Older beechler that played really well.

 

[Pete Thomas]

I agree, you have to try them. It is very personal, e.g. I have never been able to use an Otto Link on tenor, but have had many students who use them and for whom they were definiteley the best mouthpiecec out of many other that were tried out.

Very often you can't tell without trying them for several days - in fact one of my mouthpieces took me a few weeks to really get used to and realise it was the best one.

If you are not yet at the stage in which you feel confident to evaluate a mouthpiece, then unless you are having real problems with your current mouthpiece there is probably no need to change. If its a bad mouthpiece then no harm in getting a real standard such as Yamaha or Vandoren.

 

[griff136]

At 09:38:32 AM 08/05/06, Pete wrote:
I have never been able to use an Otto Link on tenor, but havd had many students who use them and for whom they were definiteley the best mouthpiece out of many other that were tried out.

Spooky I couldnt get on with them either! although the older eonite one was ok.

 

[kymarto]

My experience with a single Beechler alto Bellite mpc was that the quality control sucked--very uneven baffle and facing and thus nastily hard to control. A reface helped considerably, but I still find it hard to control playing softly. Great sound though for standing out--like a buzz saw cutting through tin sheeting. I corresponded with Judy Beechler (a very nice lady) and she assured me that they have gotten their QC act together. Good mpc for loud, not so nice for nuance IME.

I second the notion for getting mpcs to take home on trial if possible. It's easy to be fooled in the shop when you are playing your favorite time-honored licks, something else entirely when you try playing real-world stuff at home or in rehearsal.

Toby