Playing the saxophone Ringing the changes

[Nick Wyver]

My usual gigging set up for tenor is Keilwerth Shadow, PPT 9* and Jazz Select 2M.

Tomorrow it will be Selmer MkVII, Francois Louis T 285 SP and Legere Signature 2.5.

Just for the hell of it.

Does anyone else just change set ups for no particular reason?

 

[skeller047]

I changed tenors because the one I was playing needed some minor work, and I was too lazy to do it. Now that I’ve been playing the other horn for over a year, it too needs some work…. sigh.

Mouthpieces are another story. I don’t much like changing them, but have done so often lately, chasing the holy grail. I think I won’t change much anymore, having found a new tenor piece that I really like, but the last year has seen 4 different pieces in regular use.

And what effect will that have on my reed stash? My new piece, a Wanne-Babbitt collaboration Link STM LA in 7*, seems to like Rico 3, the current ones, especially the newer “organic” ones. Since I was pretty settled on Rigotti and BSS, I have a lot of those waiting in the wings for their turn. But my new Link LA 7* prefers Rico 3.0.

The mouthpiece with my other tenor is a Phil-Tone Tribute 7*. I played it exclusively for 8 or 9 years. I’ll have to see how it compares when I switch back to that horn. But I suspect the new Link will come over with me. Maybe I’ll have to buy another one…

 

[Colin the Bear]

No.

 

[Veggie Dave]

Does anyone else just change set ups for no particular reason?

No. I can't think of anything scarier to do before a show.

Yes, I'm a coward.

 

[Wade Cornell]

Continually switching. Depends on what's being recorded, the genre, volume required, and feel. No switching in a live gig except for different voices. I usually take a tenor and sopranino. The instruments chosen for live depends on whether it's outdoor with no amplification in which case I need a loud horn and mouthpiece compared to indoor and a small venue. Changing voices, instruments, mouthpieces, etc. means I'm used to adjusting to the gear continually and I think (hope?) that gives me a lot of flexibility. Hopefully I'm just making the volume and timbre appropriate in doing so. I also switch gear when practicing so that there are no "surprises" with all the mouthpieces and reeds at ready as well as the horns. Using synthetic reeds for all except sopranino means that switching doesn't require any gap time, except when trying to pick up a sopranino with a dry reed... ouch!

 

[Woodpad]

Only for acoustics, number of horns and genre.

 

[Nick Wyver]

My usual gigging set up for tenor is Keilwerth Shadow, PPT 9* and Jazz Select 2M.

Tomorrow it will be Selmer MkVII, Francois Louis T 285 SP and Legere Signature 2.5.

Just for the hell of it.

Does anyone else just change set ups for no particular reason?

It was fine. I haven’t played a synthetic reed at a gig for about 15 years. I still prefer the sound of my usual set up but it still sounded like a tenor being given some stick and, of course, nobody else noticed.
I’ve ordered a Legere American cut for the baritone. It’ll be interesting to see how that fares.

 

[AlonW]

Well, no, because it's easier to focus on the music when your setup is familiar. I use the same sax, mouthpiece, ligature, and type of reed every time, and I only need and own 1 sax, 1 mouthpiece and 1 ligature.

 

[Grumps]

Well, no, because it's easier to focus on the music when your setup is familiar. I use the same sax, mouthpiece, ligature, and type of reed every time, and I only need and own 1 sax, 1 mouthpiece and 1 ligature.

This is important. Though I have more than one horn, each has its own setup that hasn't changed in years upon years upon years now. I don't have to worry about anything with my horn other than what I put into it. I think folks can get addicted to equipment changes as part of the hunt; but actually, it just keeps them in it.

 

[JSL]

I occasionally switch from my Mark VI tenor (the horn I play most of the time) to the Buescher 156 Aristocrat tenor when I feel like it. Both horns are great. Even though I favor the VI for its feel and "punch", the Buescher has something special in its tone quality that I also enjoy. But I always go back to the VI. No problem making the adjustment from one horn to the other, though.

As to reeds I never change anymore. I'm sticking with Rigotti Gold. Prior to that I used V16 reeds, but once I tried Rigotti, that was it. I also experimented with Legere Signature and that only lasted for a couple of gigs. Just not nearly enough 'tonal flexibility' in the Legere compared to a good cane reed.