Saxophones BW Tenor MP setup advice please

Advice needed for MP on BW Tenor…

Did this exercise before, but funds and ‘life stuff’ got in the way of a research and purchase, so here we go again, also lost my info from when I asked last time.

I’m looking to move forward with my playing and have decided that a mouthpiece and lig change may be in order.

I am currently playing with a Yamaha 6C MP, and the original Lig that came with the BW plastic MP (has a tendency to slip on the MP!)

The music I like playing along to is mainly Pink Floyd (Dick Parry and other session musis’), and would love to get that sound (who wouldn’t). It is difficult for me to get to try a whole lot of MP’s as I live in NZ and it is somewhat difficult to find well stocked musical instrument shops anywhere.

I am thinking about a Vandoren Optimum lig, as I like the reviews and the fact that you get three baseplates for different sound/response etc. But which MP?????
Maybe one of PT’s own brand?..... I have written to Edward Pillinger who makes them, as I thought he may be able to advise, but also any of you good folk out there who may be able to add a pennyworth, would be welcome.

I’m a relatively new player, but I would sooner spend on a good setup that I can ‘grow into’ as opposed to swapping and changing up later.


Thanks all…..
 
To deal with the lig first, I think there is little doubt that any decent lig will work well and sound pretty much the same as any other lig. There have been numerous discussions here and that's the consensus. From personal experience I'd say pretty much the same though when I moved from a Rovner Dark to a FL Ultimate I did find it a little easier to get some of the higher register notes which appeared a little crisper - but that might just have been my mind convincing me that my expenditure had after all been worth it! So marginal at best!

I use a JJ DV NY wich I love. Loads on here are impressed by the PPT and I am considering one myself. Personally, I think the only way is to get somewhere where you can trial a whole load and then take a couple home - some places will allow this. Try them for a week of 2 and then finally decide, returning the others. It's a longish process. I don't play rock but others here do and should be able to steer you a little but in the end it'll be up to your ears to decide.
 
Mouthpieces and ligs are such a personal thing, it's often very difficult to advise someone else. What I can do is to explain my setup.

I play Rock 'n' Roll with one band and Rock with another so my setup gives me good grunt. I can scream those solo top notes out without thinking about it, or a I can lull you to sleep (probably cos my playings so boring;}) When I go busking however, I like to play the old time slow ballads and real mellow stuff. I too love the sound of Dick Parry an find that I can achieve a reasonable version of "Shine on you crazy diamond."

What I'm using is a Runyon Quantum 10, with the spoiler inserted (it's a small metal reed that sits inside the chamber of the mouthpiece) and an Eddi Daniels Lig, but I don't use any of the inserts that come with that, and then I alternate between Vandoren 2's and 2.5's depending on how my face feels (whether I've practiced much or not, or how many gigs I've done that week!🙂)))

As others have said, if you can get to a shop and have a play, select a couple and take them home for an extended play then that's a good road to take.

Have fun choosing, and don't forget, when you get to the sax shop, it's a mouthpiece that your after, not a sax!;}
 
I'm sorry to hear that KBB have closed their store in Christchurch - that's the problem with a small population like New Zealand you're never going to have the same selection as in the UK or the US. KBB's store in Auckland is pretty good and recently had a facelift and renovations done (probably why they closed the South Island store).
For my Walstein tenor I have a selection of mouthpieces...Otto Link Supertone Master 7*, Berg Larsen 100/0 metal, Eugene Rousseau Studio Jazz 4 and Meyer 6M. As a part-time tenor player and full-time alto player I tend to favour the Meyer piece for tenor...
When I have purchased mouthpieces in the past I have tended to buy from the US or the UK. I can't be bothered with the expensive bulls**t prices in NZ, especially a number of years ago KBB quoted me NZD900.00 (yes nine hundred dollars!?) for a Brilhart Level Air alto mouthpiece which I eventually purchased from the US for less than NZD200.00.
Good luck looking for a mouthpiece...
Regards,
Greg Strange.
 
Overpriced NZ.......

I'm sorry to hear that KBB have closed their store in Christchurch - that's the problem with a small population like New Zealand you're never going to have the same selection as in the UK or the US. KBB's store in Auckland is pretty good and recently had a facelift and renovations done (probably why they closed the South Island store).
For my Walstein tenor I have a selection of mouthpieces...Otto Link Supertone Master 7*, Berg Larsen 100/0 metal, Eugene Rousseau Studio Jazz 4 and Meyer 6M. As a part-time tenor player and full-time alto player I tend to favour the Meyer piece for tenor...
When I have purchased mouthpieces in the past I have tended to buy from the US or the UK. I can't be bothered with the expensive bulls**t prices in NZ, especially a number of years ago KBB quoted me NZD900.00 (yes nine hundred dollars!?) for a Brilhart Level Air alto mouthpiece which I eventually purchased from the US for less than NZD200.00.
Good luck looking for a mouthpiece...
Regards,
Greg Strange.



Greg
I hear what you are saying about the BS prices in NZ. I have only been here a bit less than four years, and I STILL can’t get over the prices of many things. I try not to complain as I have heard ‘winging pomes’ and ‘go home then’ a few times, so I am careful what I say and who I say it too. I have found that whilst most Kiwis are quick to defend their country and their way of life (I can appreciate that), they are still blinkered when it comes to realising how badly they are ripped off when they purchase ‘stuff’.

Music aside for a moment, I am talking especially about DIY and building materials. The mark up on these products in general is verging on criminal. I have trade accounts all over the place, and I still have to battle to keep the suppliers from ripping me off. One good example is copper plumbing pipe, which has a list retail price of $465 for ONE 5m length of 25mm pipe. The actual price I managed to get it down to after a battle was about $75. The nearest size sold in the UK costs about £21 (approx $35).
A bit different from $465 huh, which is what some unsuspecting Jo would pay the plumber here in NZ when he installs it!!! I still have a copy of an invoice where a trade counter tried to charge me $5,500.00 for ONE drum of 16mm single cable. I managed to get it elsewhere for slightly less than $600. The same stuff in the UK costs about £110.00 or $231.00 and that is off the shelf to anyone!!!

The bit that gets me is that they try it on, and if you dont know better (some folks don't), they will rip you for as much as they can. I find this very deceitful and downright dishonest.

I have heard so many different reasons for this from the suppliers of goods, from ‘low volume sales’ to ‘transport costs, as we are far far away from the rest of the world you know…’….. the latest one was a single burner gas top cooker which we tried to get here. I was offered one ex display (old model) for a mere snip at $1100.00, reduced from $1400.00. I have just ordered the latest model (2 up from the one we looked at, and not even available here) from the UK, and it is £245 (including 17.5% sales tax), which is approx $515. Man are we ripped off or what!!!!!!!!!!!

I will try the MP’s from KBB, and if they supply one I think I would like, if the price is close enough to an overseas one to not make me feel like I’m being mugged, I will buy it. After all, they are willing to let me try them for free, which is a service which I appreciate. Also, it is nice to have stuff available in the same country (although the shop is a one hour journey by jet from here!!!). I try to always buy local, and I hate sending money out of the country when I can help local economy, but a judgement call is in order when it comes to balancing service with overpricing of goods...

sorry for the rant... don't get out enough!;}
 
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I say rant away - nothing like a good rant...

The shop I use in the States is Woodwind & Brasswind web address www.wwbw.com usually I save between NZ100.00 to NZ200.00 on each mouthpiece, and in the case of the Brilhart NZD700.00!
A store closer to you is Music Services in Wellington - they deal with Yamaha and Mauriat saxes and other instruments. All the top Wellington musos like Dan Yeabsley, Warren Maxwell and the people from the Wellington Jazz School go there.
Don't worry about being a Whinging Pom I have a brother-in-law who is English from Hampshire he's been out about 25 years...and lives in Christchurch - he's a doctor of science with the ESR. I spent some time in the UK in the early 1990s it's not a bad place - plenty of good pubs.
 
I have a BW M2 tenor - superb sax. Try a Link STM7* with a Rovner lig and a Rico Royal 3 reed. The link screw ligs never seem to hold the reed firmly enough. Or maybe even a 9 with a much softer reed.
 

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