Mouthpieces New Mouthpiece Woes

[U CAN CALL ME AL]

A GAS attack, fuelled by a want to be brighter saw me buy a new Tenor mouthpiece. Having previously had a Bullet Berg Larsen which I liked the sound of but got rid of as it played so sharp it had to be pulled so far off the crook it wobbled and almost fell off, I decided to try a new metal one from Berg Lasen head office in Belgium on my Cheapo Chinese busking horn and after much deliberation I purchased a 105 2 SMS. On receipt it looked ok except for the stamp on the shaft which was very poorly defined, could it be a Chinese copy, should I return it? It plays very well very easy blowing not overly bright, I like the sound, sits nicely on the crook.
There is always a but. I posted on another forum where it was pointed out intonation problems C# 2 D2, I hadn't really listened closely to the take but have to admit there were problems on the recording. To cut a long story short I have since spent a lot of time listening with a tuner recording etc swapping reeds etc etc. Main problem, seems to be I am not taking enough of the new mouthpiece into my mouth and need to use a softer reed in comparison to my previous trouble free 7* metal Super Tonemaster Otto Link.
I now have to decide whether to persevere and adapt or go back to my old faithful. This Easter I have a residential workshop to attend with a lot of playing and jamming which will help make up my mind. Maybe I should have let sleeping dogs lie. Advice please, own experiences comments recording below, admitedly after very little practice with said mouthpiece. Al

AUTUMN BOSSA​

 

[jonf]

OK, to start with, if it came from Berg it won't be a cheap fake. I've had several Bergs and on some the stamping of the model number has been crude to say the least. I would also suggest you lock the tuner away for a while and just play the thing, listening to the tuning. Your ears are what counts, and it's really easy to get obsessed with a tuner showing you're a touch out of tune. There was a thread on here recently in which a poster was complaining that he was 8 per cent or so out of tune. Big deal, that's how saxes are, no sax ever made has been perfectly in tune, we play around the inhernat imperfections of the thing.

Lots of people say you can't match this sax with that mouthpiece, but I tend to just go with whatever I think is OK (key example - on SOTW there are lots of people who will absolutely go into a frothing rage at the thought of playing a big baffle, small chamber modern mouthpiece on a vintage Conn or Buescher, but I've done precisely that with no problems). If it plays well and you like the sound I'd suggest sticking with it at least for a while. Personally I've never had any specific intonation problems with Bergs on any notes, let alone those two specific ones. I'd say just play it for a while to get used to it before thinking about giving up on it.

 

[U CAN CALL ME AL]

@jonf thanks for your reply the nice thing about this forum is that there is so much reassuring common sense.
Below is a pic of the Berg and he Link with an identical paper slip placed just to where the reed contacts the rails. The facing on the Berg is a good 2.5 -3mm longer than the Link, probably the reason why I will need more in the gob or a harder reed or perhaps both. Al

 

[jonf]

That is quite a difference in facing length, isn't it? I'd try changing the reed first, rather than adjusting your embouchure.

 

[jbtsax]

That is a clever way to compare facing lengths. The lengths of the mouthpieces are quite different as well.

 

[U CAN CALL ME AL]

@jbtsax This isn't original I read some time ago but where I can't remember. Apparently this is approximately the neutral position of the lower lip when playing whatever that may be.
As to the disparity in length, the theory goes that the MP forms the top end ot the cone formed by the instrument, therefore a large chamber as in the Link will necessarily be shorter in length than a high baffled mouthpiece,the Berg.
That's the theory, I think, anyway I'm quite happy to be corrected.
Al

 

[Colin the Bear]

Don't just try different strength reeds. Try different cuts, makers, filed and unfiled. You're looking for something to match you and the mouthpiece. What works on one for you, probably won't work as well on the other.

 

[U CAN CALL ME AL]

Thanks @Colin the Bear I too think reed choice will have a big bearing on the way it plays. So far Red & green Java, Vandoren Blue, Rico Orange and Royal, Fibracel all either 2.5 / 3. The winner so far and I kid you not is one that's been lying around for a good 4/5 yrs forgotten in the back of the drawer no 2 Flying Goose!!!! I'm not sure how much time will have altered its characteristics but I've just ordered a couple of boxes 2 & 2.5 on Fleabay to see. Al