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Beginner Mouthpieces... how???

come on Russ this don't seem like you thought you had the patients of a saint.. I don't want to try loads of mouthpieces but as you rightly say I am at the beginning of my journey. TBF I have had a few tenors (7) to and each piece works differently on each sax I buy try them and move it on if I don't like it.. I actually said I only have 4 mouthpieces not Ive only owned 4 why would I:confused2: I realise continuity is key at the beginning but there's so much to assess,vintage or modern horn, metal or hr baffle type, size of mouthpiece opening, matching reed and ligature etc.. its not all about playing for me its about the journey and trying to understand concepts: which is why I asked my initial question on here as I couldn't understand how 2 such differently made mouthpieces could sound the same to my inexperienced ears. I do try to get as much playing in as I can because I understand practice is key..
 
I'd say that if you're a beginner or intermediate player, then it's worth hunting around for mouthpiece that really plays well for you. There's not much point in focusing on the tone too much - In my experience, vastly different mouthpiece designs (that you can actually play) only give a small change in tone. But although the tone doesn't seem to change much, the playability and feel to you as a player can vary vastly.

I had a great experience with syos custom (tenor) and signature (soprano), but I know some people were not so impressed. The big thing for me was that their mouthpieces were so nice to play. For me as a moderate intermediate level player, playability trumps any subtle changes in the tone that a mouthpiece can offer. The tone mostly comes from the player anyway. Playability is where you can really make gains with mouthpiece choice.
Good luck!

Thanks Mark..I'm definitely a beginner and appreciate your comments.. I love both the kanee studio and MF vintage both are easy blowing but so different. its great to be at a place where you can pick up your sax and play.. badly in my case.. I was just wondering whether I could get the qualities of each in one mouthpiece the studio gives me projection but is brighter the MF darker but quieter..Maybe I should just enjoy each for what they give me and look forward to the day where my technique is good enough to get what I want from a piece instead of looking at what it can give me..
 
By the way, while trying different gear, it is important to hear yourself and I must say that the Jazzlab Deflector has been my best investment in a long time.

 
I'm not going to go on Russ but in another 5 years I will probably have found my comfort zone and won't need to experiment.. I started this thread to try to get an understand of how 2 such different syos pieces could sound similar..wide chamber v small chamber baffles part of the fun for me is experimenting and learning.. but point taken... fyi i only have 4 pieces 3 hr both kanees and a metal it takes time at the beginning to find your feet...
Actually you have got it the wrong way round, now is the time to put the work in with practice and stop worrying that you need another mouthpiece, you got 2 Kanee's, a Morgan Fry and a 10mfan Showtime, you probably got better mpc's than some of the pros, put 5 years work in then you might just know what you want and what will work better for you.
Right now you are just chasing your tail.
 
come on Russ this don't seem like you thought you had the patients of a saint.. I don't want to try loads of mouthpieces but as you rightly say I am at the beginning of my journey. TBF I have had a few tenors (7) to and each piece works differently on each sax I buy try them and move it on if I don't like it.. I actually said I only have 4 mouthpieces not Ive only owned 4 why would I:confused2: I realise continuity is key at the beginning but there's so much to assess,vintage or modern horn, metal or hr baffle type, size of mouthpiece opening, matching reed and ligature etc.. its not all about playing for me its about the journey and trying to understand concepts: which is why I asked my initial question on here as I couldn't understand how 2 such differently made mouthpieces could sound the same to my inexperienced ears. I do try to get as much playing in as I can because I understand practice is key..
if what i say comes across as though i am having ago, i apologise... i was just trying to be helpful
 
Maybe I should just enjoy each for what they give me and look forward to the day where my technique is good enough to get what I want from a piece instead of looking at what it can give me..
Exactly ...
 
It sounds to me that @eb424 is having a good time trying out lots of saxophones and mouthpieces. Good for him! This may not be the most efficient way to develop tone and technique quickly, but he knows that. As far as I am concerned, a non-optimally-efficient progression is valid for an amateur as long as one is having fun.

I have made a lot of GAS-inspired mouthpiece purchases, and during the process I have wasted a lot of time, but I have have learned a lot. In particular it has helped me in trying to find out how I want to sound. I don't kid myself that a new mouthpiece will make me sound like Stan Getz (though I secretly hope it will). And of course the next mouthpiece may be THE ONE. :)
 
Thanks Nigeld... fact is I'm an old man of 54 I'm never going to be a pro player or any good for that matter. I've only been playing 3 years 2 on tenor and have finally got a sax that I can pick up and get a tune out of..I have lessons because I would like to be the best I can be. I have 2 tenors do I need them no but last time 1 went in for a service it was gone 3 months ( complete refurb). I have a metal and 3 hr mpces and at least one of them will go ( prob the 20m fan coz it doesn't work on the beuscher so well). I had a sax budget ( yeah I know I wish) and try a mpce and move it on if I don't like it. It's fun as well I don't want 30 saxes 50 mpces and know it's not healthy..tho I'd still like a zephyr but the conn would have to go..I don't class 2 years as long there's lots of exploring / learning to do. Ill never be a mpce maker but would like to understand the basics otherwise how do i grow as a wannabe saxophonist..i come on here because its a font of knowledge and don't want anyone to think I ignore advice what would be the point..however I do have somewhere a lovely Ben Sherman watch written on the face " more questions than answers" sums me up.. btw keep blowing the kanees are my go to pieces thyre great..
 
Ill never be a mpce maker but would like to understand the basics

Have you read the mouthpiece explanations at Theo Wanne's Web site. (Don't look at the mouthpiece sales pages though! :rolleyes: )

 
Had a flit Clive ma... had to try one though find out the affect of the shark gills....
 
I'm a real beginner, 3 months in and I've just bought a mouthpiece. The boring old Yamaha 4C one that everyone starts with. And I shall be sticking with that as long as possible partly because:
  • it's pitched as a mouthpiece for beginners
  • it's available
  • I have a mortgage. :D

Maybe one day I'll be forking out two-four hundred dollars on a fancy pants one but right now I think my money is better invested in purchasing lessons (and reeds, oh my god, the reeds).

(I say that but I chose my sax primarily because it looked pretty so give me time and I could end up with a gold plated one just because it's shiny!)
 
Hi its not the cost of a mpce but insuring it meets your needs re tip opening etc... I struggled with a 4c on tenor matching a reed was a nightmaare. I'm kind of the opinion that getting your setup and practicing on the one that youre going to play on is important, but looking above i may be wrong... As long as you can pick up your sax and play and enjoy the noise (squeeks and all) that come outof it is half the battle...
 
It's a well-known fact that gold-plated saxophones sound better - deeper and richer. ;)


(Or maybe it's just their owners that are richer. >:))

I read that the 'gold burnished' ones were the best soundwise.

The look is a relative thing! No one sees things the same. :rolleyes:
 
Its now 2 years that you wrote hat, but could you be more specific?
Syos have a great concept. It's all things to all people. Many say they are very pleased with their mouthpiece and I believe them. I didn't go down the custom route with them. I'm not sure about what I really want, so I went for signature models and played the lottery buying halloween soprano pieces... So I currently have 5 Syos, none of them convincing to me. I find them poorly finished, due to the manufacturing process that in my own opinion is far from great. A manual finish is required as far as I can tell, but it's not part of the deal.

It's entirely up to you to give it a try. But I have been rather disappointed.
 
Afternoon and happy bank holiday to one and all. I have been looking at the 2 mouthpieces
  • :yess:

...

I have a kanee tenor sax studio jazz which seems to have a longer table than others such as the 10m showtime i have just bought.. The kanee seems a lot freer blowing its a large chamber with a high baffle KANEE Wind Instruments.. I also have a Morgan Fry Vintage no 7 that plays great but being a relative newbie i like to have the option of going back to hr or abs lol

the beuscher seems to play well with the studio its punchier than the MF but its a bit bright so.. i also have a kanee Florida the table is a lot shorter and there is no baffle but it sounds a bit stuffy on the sax... I thought if i got a large chambered mouthpiece with the same length table just no baffle the dynamics and sound would be the same but darker... looking at the 2 different syos pieces they both sound similar (admittedly its on line) but the build is so different. My point is how... im a plumber and thought that a small chamber mpce would give you brightness as a jet of water out of a hose whilst a large chamber would give you depth but not so much projection. I also need an easy blowing piece and agin thought that a large chamber would be easier lowing but not according to the syos site..... any ideas greatly received... :confused2: :confused2: :yess:
I have an alto and tenor Syos mouthpiece and find them both easy blowing with great volume and tone.
 

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