Mouthpieces It's new mouthpiece time!

[Ballymenaboy]

Just got Rovner platinums for alto abd tenor...very pleased with these..reed rock solid..no movement

 

[Dale.]

Very nice
Dale

 

[Ballymenaboy]

I am playing a, Syos(7) mpc on both alto and tenor abd have found them to be free blowing with good tone and great volume(when needed) ..using Legere American cut reeds (2) and now using Rovner Platinum Ligature...this works for me in home recording,playing big band and playing with a very loud blues band..it takes a while to get to where you want to be and generally damages the finances but no pain no gain is sometimes the adage.

 

[olds_cool63]

What's shakin', everybody? Sorry...I've been a bit busy. I settled on the D'Addario Rico Graftonite Alto Sax Moutpiece (B5) for now. Haven't played it much yet, but first impressions are it's a bit different. Not as "bright" as the no name mouthpiece with the no name reeds that came with my sax. Once I pump some volume into it, sounds much better. Also, I got the Bravo Synthetic Alto Reeds (2.5), for now. Just wanted to try something (since I'm not even sure synthetics were around 4.5 decades ago). Reeds will take some getting used to. In my haste, I forgot to get a new ligature. Oh, well...back to scAmazon!

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[Digger2054]

I've recently bought my first Graftonite mouthpiece for my tenor. Similar experience to you, very middle of the road.

I'm curious to try a different tip and baffle to see what the difference that makes. They're cheap enough to experiment without breaking the bank.

 

[olds_cool63]

I've recently bought my first Graftonite mouthpiece for my tenor. Similar experience to you, very middle of the road.

I'm curious to try a different tip and baffle to see what the difference that makes. They're cheap enough to experiment without breaking the bank.

Exactly! I've only been exposed to "school mouthpieces", so this is all new for me.I may go with a Yamaha mpc at some point. Once I work my way "back up" to a tenor sax, I will definitely start with a Yamaha mouthpiece and take it from there.

 

[thomsax]

I bought a Rico Metalite M7 and a Rovner Dark/Std. It's like going back to late 70's for me. I know some players that are on Rico Metalite on bari and they sounds ok. I play LaVoz M/MS reeds and I prepare reeds as well. I have the pins down on the Rovner Standard ligature. I have a better feeling with pins down. I also had to sand down the cork because the bore on my metal mouthpiece is nearly 2 mm bigger. So I'm so I can't alternate between Metalite and my other bari mouthpiece without a new neck cork. Easy for me to replace but I.D. of the bore is info I think a buyer should get. Ok, if I buy in a shop it would be easy to mesure or just bring the neck with me. I bought the mouthpiece and ligature from a big company in Germany.

 

[lydian]

My condolences, both for the mouthpiece and the reeds. When you eventually come to your senses, just get a Meyer and a box of Ricos.

 

[thomsax]

Thanks, Lydian. Words like chainsaw, bright (sharp), plastic, mass produced, stiff, machine made .... calls me to action. Can it be so bad? I can always go back to my "Low Rider". I talked to a friend that rests his Otto Link metal and now on a Metalite. Sax Gordon is also on a Metalite bari. Here is a video with Scott Shetler playing a Metalite. I like it.

View: https://youtu.be/lMgTZMspyQ8

 

[lydian]

A metalite bari is tolerable. I have one. Not my favorite, but not in the trash heap. A metalite tenor or alto is not. Nails on a chalkboard. OP has an alto, sadly.

 

[Colin the Bear]

I use a metalite on clarinet. M11. Sweet and sonorous, a very controllable, easy blow with a reserve french cut 3.

I've heard a classical tenor player use one and it sounded like a cello.

The chainsaw reputation of the metalite is down to the player.

Having said that the M5 I tried on baritone sounded like a lawnmower with a broken exhaust.

 

[Saxlicker]

Just attaching a new reed to my metalite (seriously no offence everybody)

 

[jools28]

I'm still trying to decide on a new mouthpiece for my Yas-62 and honestly it's more confusing than buying the actual sax...the agony of choice! I'm also wondering about the reeds (currently using 3 or 3.5 Vandorens) and thinking I should just go synthetic so I don't keep wondering if the reed is any good or not and wasting them. Someone make these decisions for me plzzz

 

[LesterOld]

Nothing wrong with cane reeds, but they are naturally inconsistent and don't last long.

Unfortunately in my experience with Legere, synthetics differ wildly between reeds. Two American Cut 2.5 reeds can be completely different strengths (much more so than 2 Rigottis). On top of that, your synthetic reed just gets weaker and weaker until you finally replace it to find your embouchure is also weak. Not so with cane since you swap more often.

Just my 2 cents

 

[Colin the Bear]

I abandoned Vandoren blue a while back due to inconsistency, and after much trial and error I settled on Rico Reserve French filed.
I find them very consistent with acceptable playability and long lasting. Something to do with the inter nodal cane.

I had to come down from a 3 to a 2.5 when the packaging changed to D'addario.

They are well worth a try if you're fed up with Vandoren.

I'm sticking with Vandoren blue on baritone. They seem to be the only ones to actually fit my S80 mouthpiece.

 

[Saxlicker]

I'm still trying to decide on a new mouthpiece for my Yas-62 and honestly it's more confusing than buying the actual sax...the agony of choice! I'm also wondering about the reeds (currently using 3 or 3.5 Vandorens) and thinking I should just go synthetic so I don't keep wondering if the reed is any good or not and wasting them. Someone make these decisions for me plzzz

Sorry if you already know this....
Roughly, that tells me that what you have tried seems to work but provides no magic?
Which in turn says the 62 takes most things well and that should be the case.

Therefore, there its down to choosing the material/profile that you prefer. Metal or rubber generally obviously and then playing with baffles and a medium tip.
Maybe get control sorted first with the tip opening trying just either see of medium. so you can feel the sweet spot for you.
Now your sound comes in with some makes basically giving you low, medium and high baffles in their own terminology.
Some are just what they are (no further choice) and some then give a choice of chambers and facings too.

In rubber I would try a standard Meyer 6M Medium chamber as starting point which is a medium open tip, medium chamber and medium facing.
From there the logical steps are try a 5 & 7M Medium chamber. Then add the small Chamber for a side by side comparison. Not done yet I would get the equivalent D'addario select jazz tip opening and try that against it.
Thats 2 good bench marks without diving straight in to the more expensive end. Now you can start to play around with what ever else in sight takes your fancy be it £150 or £500. I wouldn't know what metal pieces to start with but the process for me would be the same.
If you are in it for the long haul and you are resilient to GAS then medium, medium, medium, medium, medium,
oh....... and medium that plays well with hours of practise put in is quite well reputed to be the right one.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DIjr9_2kB8&t=222s

 

[thomsax]

I'm still trying to decide on a new mouthpiece for my Yas-62 and honestly it's more confusing than buying the actual sax...the agony of choice! I'm also wondering about the reeds (currently using 3 or 3.5 Vandorens) and thinking I should just go synthetic so I don't keep wondering if the reed is any good or not and wasting them. Someone make these decisions for me plzzz

What's the reason that you want a new mouthpiece for your YAS-62? What are you searching for?

I try to have a look at the original mouthpiece that came along with sax when it was new. The mouthpiece is a part of your saxophone.

A modern and well known sax/brand like YAS-62 it's easy to find out what type of mouthpiece the YAS-62 was designed for. And most techs can do a factory set-up as well.

I use to play Martin Committee saxes. Older saxes can be overhauled, re-padded .... many times over the years. Who can be sure how it was factory set-up? Often the original mouthpieces are gone? I often hear that old Committees works best with a "big and round chamber mouthpiece without baffle". When I take a look at the original mouthpiece, it has not a big and round chamber. The best mouthpiece for my Committee 1938 tenor is a small, high baffle and bullet chamber. An unknown CZ and old piece as well. Brings out the character of a Committee in a good way. But many players wants their Committees to be "tuned down" to a more contemporary and "middle-of-road" sax. Then a Yamaha sax is better choice.

To change mouthpiece, maybe a wider tip opening and bigger chamber as well, you probably must open up the keys. Or if you go the other way you may increase the key heights?

I talked to a friend about this. He was a Rock & Roll saxophonist and play with lots of volume, we can call it "loud", and was not pleased how his Yamaha YTS-61 played with a Dukoff D8. "- I wanted a louder tone/sound, so I took it to my tech and he opened up the keys several mm, so it sang better. But I lost some key action". So every changes we do on a sax is a compromise.

 

[thomsax]

I've heard a classical tenor player use one and it sounded like a cello.

I know a player that played a Dukoff D8 in a classical saxophone quartet. He started to study classical saxophone before he took the step over to Rock & Roll Saxophone. He sounds good.

Having said that the M5 I tried on baritone sounded like a lawnmower with a broken exhaust.

After what I heard your best "distance" is the alto saxophone. If someone called me and wanted me to play "a lawnmower with a broken exhaust" bari, I would be glad. I have not reached the reputation to be a fine sax player. I'm just playing for fun.

 

[jools28]

I abandoned Vandoren blue a while back due to inconsistency, and after much trial and error I settled on Rico Reserve French filed.
I find them very consistent with acceptable playability and long lasting. Something to do with the inter nodal cane.

I had to come down from a 3 to a 2.5 when the packaging changed to D'addario.

They are well worth a try if you're fed up with Vandoren.

I'm sticking with Vandoren blue on baritone. They seem to be the only ones to actually fit my S80 mouthpiece.

I don't know why but I haven't even tried Rico's yet! Maybe I'll pick up a box of them next time. Vandoren seems to get good reviews when I go to order them online, but Rico is right up there as well.

I got the sax sounding more like I want it to now, making sure I don't skip my warm-ups helps. I just feel like maybe I waste reeds a lot still, and lets face it a box of reeds is not cheap! Time for another recording to check my progress, fingers crossed I'm not in for a horrible shock!

@Saxlicker thank you for the advice, I need to do mouthpiece research again. I gave it some time to develop my playing again after a long break so guess I'm ready now. I'm more into rock and pop playing so anything that's jazz-oriented would be the only thing to avoid really I guess? Otherwise it's just an upgrade to a bigger tip I need if I remember correctly from last time I read about mpcs. Don't wanna get too technical because that'll probably just go over my head...

@thomsax I'm just under the impression that most upgrade from the mouthpiece that comes with the YAS-62, so I guess I'm just going by that. I'm finally at a place I'm pretty happy with my sound, but I can now afford a more expensive mouthpiece and it's just which one to go with. I suppose the obvious answer would be "I want to sound like everyone I like on youtube" but I'm sure it's not advised to pick the same mouthpiece they use and expect to sound half as good!

 

[Ivan]

Unfortunately in my experience with Legere, synthetics differ wildly between reeds. Two American Cut 2.5 reeds can be completely different strengths (much more so than 2 Rigottis). On top of that, your synthetic reed just gets weaker and weaker until you finally replace it to find your embouchure is also weak. Not so with cane since you swap more often.

Other opinions may differ