Reeds Keilworth Jazz mpc, and what reeds to use

[Jellybabybex]

I'm currently playing a Yam YTS275 Tenor with a Keilworth Jazz mpc and a Rovner lig - one of several set ups I tried when buying (hadn't played sax before but I played clarinet and bass clarinet so had a vague idea!) and, obviously the one I liked best - easy to get a noise out of, nice round tone (v loud too... maybe that's why the dog took exception the other day...!), etc.

Having looked around here at what you're all playing, no-one else seems to have a Keilworth mpc - I like mine a lot so won't be changing it, but wondered what anyone thought about them.

Also, when I first got the sax I used Vandoren Traditional reeds (strength 2 - I use relatively soft reeds on clarinet too as it works with my wide opening mpc). Someone suggested I try Studio reeds, (which were on offer from Reeds Direct at £5 for 5 reeds - so cheap I figured it didn't matter if they were rubbish!) but I'm not getting on with them at all. They're giving me a very fuzzy tone, and I can't get the same volume I usually get (e.g. got asked to do an improv at band on Monday and couldn't get the usual projection), so I was wondering what reeds folks would recommend. I don't want to break the bank on reeds, so nothing too fancy. I know it's each to his own etc but just wanted opinions, that's all!

Thanks!

 

[Chris98]

I'm currently playing a Yam YTS275 Tenor with a Keilworth Jazz mpc and a Rovner lig - one of several set ups I tried when buying (hadn't played sax before but I played clarinet and bass clarinet so had a vague idea!) and, obviously the one I liked best - easy to get a noise out of, nice round tone (v loud too... maybe that's why the dog took exception the other day...!), etc.

Having looked around here at what you're all playing, no-one else seems to have a Keilworth mpc - I like mine a lot so won't be changing it, but wondered what anyone thought about them.

Also, when I first got the sax I used Vandoren Traditional reeds (strength 2 - I use relatively soft reeds on clarinet too as it works with my wide opening mpc). Someone suggested I try Studio reeds, (which were on offer from Reeds Direct at £5 for 5 reeds - so cheap I figured it didn't matter if they were rubbish!) but I'm not getting on with them at all. They're giving me a very fuzzy tone, and I can't get the same volume I usually get (e.g. got asked to do an improv at band on Monday and couldn't get the usual projection), so I was wondering what reeds folks would recommend. I don't want to break the bank on reeds, so nothing too fancy. I know it's each to his own etc but just wanted opinions, that's all!

Thanks!

Hi Becci,

Does your Keilworth Jazz mpc look like this:

The reason I ask is that I've never seen a Keilworth mouthpiece to buy so assumed it was just something they packaged with the sax and probably not made by them. I Googled it (not very thoroughly I have to admit) and it was suggested they are made by 'ESM' a German company who I came across when I was looking at Hanson saxes, as I think they were being sold with ESM mpc.

SOTW Thread

As for reeds, I like Vandoren Javas, and before that Rico Royals. I could never get on with Rico Jazz Selects, or my more recent unfaithfulness with Marca Jazz reeds. But it's such a personal thing and I suspect some reeds will work better with some mouthpieces facing curves than others.

Best wishes,

Chris

 

[dooce]

Reeds are indeed such a personal thing - I must have been through all the major brands in the last year trying to find that magic bit of cane, but like Chris, I always come back to the ones that were recommended to me 8 years ago when I upgraded my sax - Vandoren traditional, or Javas.

I have about 6 mouthpieces, although I only play a couple regularly, and they work fine with all of them. None of my mouthpieces are Keilwerth!

There is a tendency to believe that manufacturers mouthpieces are automatically rubbish, but I know from the experience of the mouthpiece packaged with my Cannonball, that's not always the case.

 

[Jellybabybex]

Hi Becci,

Does your Keilworth Jazz mpc look like this:

The reason I ask is that I've never seen a Keilworth mouthpiece to buy so assumed it was just something they packaged with the sax and probably not made by them. I Googled it (not very thoroughly I have to admit) and it was suggested they are made by 'ESM' a German company who I came across when I was looking at Hanson saxes, as I think they were being sold with ESM mpc.

It doesn't look like exactly like that, no, although it is similar. When I get home I will take a pic to post here. I Googled it too, and can't find it either, so wondering what on earth I've got now!

 

[Chris98]

It doesn't look like exactly like that, no, although it is similar. When I get home I will take a pic to post here. I Googled it too, and can't find it either, so wondering what on earth I've got now!

Maybe if your Keilwerth Jazz is a ESM mouthpiece it looks more like this, this seems to be the other design they have with a stepped shank:

At the end of the day it matters little as long as you get the sound you want out of it and it doesn't inhibit your playing in anyway.

 

[c9off]

Maybe if your Keilwerth Jazz is a ESM mouthpiece it looks more like this, this seems to be the other design they have with a stepped shank:

At the end of the day it matters little as long as you get the sound you want out of it and it doesn't inhibit your playing in anyway.

I have a Keilworth tenor piece, doesn't have a stepped shank though.. have since moved on to (many) others, but Chris is quite correct. (otherwise you end up with (many) others - sure I read that somewhere..).

As already mentioned, reed make is what suits you, buy a selection, go with the one(s) you like the best, then in months time do it again & see what you think then!

 

[Jellybabybex]

It does look more like the ECM one. I have posted some pictures of it (slightly blurry - sorry for the rubbish camera!) in my profile as I couldn't work out how to get them on to the topic.

 

[Chris98]

Hi Becci,

Both of the pics were of ESM mouthpieces, the first I took to be their 'Jazz' model and the second the 'Classical'. From the look of your picture I'd say your Keilwerth is a re-badged or custom ordered ESM, but I'm basing that totally on the stepped shank as I don't recall seeing that on anything else. The other thing is that both companies are German.

And your mouthpiece looks to have a step baffle which might explain it's ability to project your sound somewhat

Best wishes,

Chris

 

[kevgermany]

Funny, my sax teacher walked in with a Keilwerth Tone Master Tenor last night, complete with Keilwerth MPC. Super sweet sound, had me entranced. Now I see this discussion.

We got talking about the mouthpieces and he said that as far as we knew Keilwerth didn't make their own, they, like Kohlert and others bought the mouthpieces from a specialist maker - like ESM and he thought it came from there.

Just as a kicker, he tells me he has a Tenor and Bari mark VI as well.....

 

[Jellybabybex]

And your mouthpiece looks to have a step baffle which might explain it's ability to project your sound somewhat

Hi Chris,

Yes, it does have a stepped baffle. When I was buying it I knew nothing about mpcs for sax so went with what sounded best and blew best - interesting to think what I might have got if I had read up on it first! Thanks for your help though.

The first time I went to the youth band that I help/play with, at the end of the first piece the rest of the sax section turned round and said 'I want one like that'! :thankyou: (They are all under 18 though, which I am, um, not!)

I guess it's each to their own, this set up definitely works for me (or at least it will once I've got the reed situ sorted out!) so who cares what label it has on it! :welldone