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Mouthpieces Mouthpiece help, please.

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ptg

Well-Known Member
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Hello!

I have been having a nice conversation with GC in CT but I don't want to wear him out! :)

I have been experimenting with some mouthpieces...Here's the short version:

Playing a Meyer 6M.
Looking for easier high notes without losing too much warmth.
Tried a few but nothing that I really liked.
Thinking of trying a Meyer 7.

Questions:

The Meyer that I have (the one that says "Made in USA") comes in a small, medium or large facing. Can someone please tell me the pros and cons of different facings?

The "New York" Meyer only is offered in an M size (medium facing?) but is almost double the price. Does anyone know what makes this mouthpiece more expensive?

Thank you!!!
 
There are plenty of other members much more knowledgeable about mouthpieces than me but I also have a Meyer 6M that’s medium facing and while I like it the next one I got was a Selmer S80D and it’s probably my favourite mouthpiece. In fact I’ve got one for my alto and one for my soprano. It’s got such clarity of tone. Hitting those high notes is pure joy. Having said that I’m one who usually prefers more of a classical sound mixed with a jazz flair than a purely jazz one.

6E55FBAC-02D6-423C-947D-827726248374.jpeg
 
Thanks very much! So many choices!

Anxious for replies because I'm really excited to try other mouthpieces now. Don't worry though, the beautiful wife will make sure I don's suffer from GAS.
 
Might help if you specify alto, tenor or? Very generally a wider mouthpiece tip for the (otherwise) same mouthpiece won't necessarily give you better/stronger high notes. They tend to be a bit easier with a stiffer reed. The softer reeds make low notes easier. So there's potentially a trade-off. Depending on your stage of embouchure development it may be that your embouchure isn't quite developed enough to hit those high notes easily. That's something none of us can advise you about...over to you and an instructor.
 
Wade Cornell said:
Might help if you specify alto, tenor or? Very generally a wider mouthpiece tip for the (otherwise) same mouthpiece won't necessarily give you better/stronger high notes. They tend to be a bit easier with a stiffer reed. The softer reeds make low notes easier. So there's potentially a trade-off. Depending on your stage of embouchure development it may be that your embouchure isn't quite developed enough to hit those high notes easily. That's something none of us can advise you about...over to you and an instructor.
Click to expand...

Good points all! I am playing an alto with a select jazz 3 filed reed.

Are you familiar on the differences between the Meyer and the Meyer New York? Maybe I will stick with the 6 and see what else is out there. I really do like the sound of my 6, and your points are valid regarding embouchure development, but worse case scenario I am enjoying trying different ones and will keep the one I like the best just to have some fun.
 
Can't help with Meyer alto, but have a Meyer tenor piece. Sorry no help there. Most 6 tips are not closed or particularly open...kind of mid. You could try a very slightly stiffer reed or a different brand. Here's a chart that may help in finding something that's slightly different or harder:
Saxophon-Service / Saxophon- & Klarinetten -Gurte
Reeds are cheaper than mouthpieces!
Best of luck.
 
ptg said:
The "New York" Meyer only is offered in an M size (medium facing?) but is almost double the price. Does anyone know what makes this mouthpiece more expensive?
Click to expand...

1948 MEYER BROS NEW YORK
The most sought after of the Meyer mouthpieces is the Meyer Bros. New York model. These had a fat body and came in a small, medium, and large chamber. The small chambers were very bright, and the large chambers were very dark. Hence most people played on the medium chambers. The large or small chambers are still very good playing mouthpieces though. The finish work on these was excellent. They had very rounded inner side walls and a small rollover baffle at the tip. The Meyer Brothers mouthpieces are also known for having a very good quality hard rubber compound that produces a very rich sound.
Click to expand...

For more Meyer history, view
theowanne.com

Meyer Mouthpieces - Theo Wanne

See more information about vintage Meyers in Theo Wanne's NYBROS video 1916 - Frank J and Edward G Meyer started making saxophone mouthpieces. 1931 - April 28, 1931. Frank and Edward Meyer patented the bite-plate inlay for metal mouthpieces with Otto Link. 1936 - The Meyer Bros Mouthpiece...
theowanne.com theowanne.com
 
A Meyer 6M is a mouthpiece with a Medium chamber and a # 6 tip opening. "Tip onening" is the distance between tip of the reed and the tip of the opening. The facing (length) has less to do with the tip opening. A long facing/curve or a short short/curve can have the same tip opening. A Berg Larsen 115/2 with a SMS or M facing is the same mouthpiece. Just the facing/lenth of the curve that is different.
 
ptg said:
Playing a Meyer 6M.
Looking for easier high notes without losing too much warmth.
Click to expand...

I don't really understand this when you say that you're looking to go larger than a 6. For many jazzers the Meyer 5 (or equivalent) was a classic setup. Without reading all the comments above I'm sure that someone has already said that the "norm" is to go to softer reeds if you go to large tips etc. That's not to say that all variables can't work, indeed, one players setup is often fairly uncomfortable for another, yet they might even sound similar.

The important thing is to make sure that you're not starting to use jaw pressure as the primary technique for getting higher notes as it is closing up the reed against the tip. This will give a smaller sound. If this part of your technique is developed - the air support, speed of airstream, all-round embouchure/facial muscles development and voicing (throat shape and tongue position) - then the equipment you use doesn't matter as long as it sounds right. The guy in the video has a great Be Bop sound, but many players - including me - can play all the altissimo with pretty soft reeds. At the end of it all, if it sounds great and you can get around the instrument then it's right.
 
Not trying to rain on anybody's parade or preferences, but I have found modern Meyers to be mostly pretty poor. The sound is still Meyer, but usually the intonation and quality of the scale is uneven, compared to better, older Meyers.

If you can get a good vintage Meyer, on a horn that is pretty accurate for you, I think you'll notice this when you play it next to a modern Meyer, though of course there is variation between both older Meyers and newer ones.

Also: random and unsolicited advice regarding vintage Meyers, in case you should ever find one that has that magical, spooky outer envelope that great old Meyers have (the outer edges of the sound are special, nothing like modern, on good vintage NY Bros Meyers). Whatever you do, if you get a vintage Meyer whose sound really appeals to you, but it has weak high notes, or something you can ultimately overcome, DO NOT get it refaced. Learn to live with the shortcomings and overcome them. I had a really magical NY Bros 5M, once, that had a sound on vintage King that was everything you hope to find in that combination. I had it refaced by someone in whom I have total faith, and when the piece came back he fixed everything I told him was wrong with it, but the magic was gone.
 
Nikki said:
My Meyer mouthpiece is about 30 years old. Would that be considered an old one?
Click to expand...

Getting there. Others will know more about this than me. When you're in the neighborhood of the Babbitt takeover, when the Otto Link rubber pieces went so downhill (with the scooped out baffled in the HR pieces, etc.) that's kind of an area of mostly ignorance for me. There is probably good stuff on Theo Wanne's site about this. As many will remember, his "mouthpiece museum" was a kind of bible/manual for learning about vintage pieces back in the day -- the most influential mouthpiece site on the web, I think. If it's still accessible, it likely still is.

A lot could be said based on good photos of the facing, though, if you care to post some.
 
just saxes said:
Getting there. Others will know more about this than me. When you're in the neighborhood of the Babbitt takeover, when the Otto Link rubber pieces went so downhill (with the scooped out baffled in the HR pieces, etc.) that's kind of an area of mostly ignorance for me. There is probably good stuff on Theo Wanne's site about this. As many will remember, his "mouthpiece museum" was a kind of bible/manual for learning about vintage pieces back in the day -- the most influential mouthpiece site on the web, I think. If it's still accessible, it likely still is.

A lot could be said based on good photos of the facing, though, if you care to post some.
Click to expand...
That’s impressive. I’m fascinated that I’m so into this topic

Mouthpieces
Meyer
theowanne.com

Meyer Mouthpieces - Theo Wanne

See more information about vintage Meyers in Theo Wanne's NYBROS video 1916 - Frank J and Edward G Meyer started making saxophone mouthpieces. 1931 - April 28, 1931. Frank and Edward Meyer patented the bite-plate inlay for metal mouthpieces with Otto Link. 1936 - The Meyer Bros Mouthpiece...
theowanne.com theowanne.com

www.syos.co

Meyer mouthpiece review: what are the best alternatives?

Shape Your Own Sound
www.syos.co www.syos.co

New NY Meyer Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Compared to Vintage NY Meyer Alto Sax Mouthpiece Review

New NY Meyer Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Compared to Vintage NY Meyer Alto Sax Mouthpiece Review
www.neffmusic.com www.neffmusic.com

I never thought I’d be so into saxophone mouthpieces.
Seriously interesting stuff. I’m going to read up on this. Mine is definitely not a New York one. Holy smokes. I just saw the price of them and my jaw dropped. I paid about $200 to $300 for mine and it was well worth it
A7427F07-91E5-499C-88C0-89503850008B.jpeg
 
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Having played a few modern Meyers, I am very happy with the ones I have tried.

My most recent acquisition is in the mail though. It is a Matt Marantz NY Legacy piece for alto. Based on a 1960s Meyer NY. Excited to try it.
 
I am trying a Jody Jazz 7 and someone said I should step down from a 3 to a 2-1/2 since I am playing a 6. Wow, some difference! Very much a modern tone, though. That's why I am tempted to try the Meyer 7M. Thanks for all of the info! Cool stuff!
 
B Flat said:
The small, medium and large on Meyer pieces refers to chambers not facings.
Two very different things.
Click to expand...

Very confused...I was told by one person that there is not much of a difference between the Meyer 6L and the Meyer 7S.

Can you please explain?

Thanks very much!
 

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