Mouthpieces RPC Tenor mouthpiece

[Saxlicker]

I was ill advised when I started playing sax (self taught and balls out approach) and became hooked on playing solely metal mouthpieces. It didn't occur to me that hard rubber/ebonite mouthpieces would ever do anything for me after I tried one, only one! it was quiet and stuffy. All my influences played metal pieces.

Game set and match....metal was all I considered EVER!

As I began to play less and less alto, favouring Tenor, I actually prefered my Alto yam 5C to a couple of metal pieces I had. Conceding that there may be a rubber piece out there for me I tried a few and I eventually bought a Vandoren Java A45......NICE VERY NICE!

A few years later (like last year!) having tracked a growing RPC reputation and listening to Pete's clips I bought one for alto.
I could not believe it, especially when I put the A45 back on for comparison!!! The RPC made it sound ...well...duff!!!!

So, maybe there is something for me on tenor after all? For my line of gigs I am a guardala freak (studio, MBII)

Now Pete, I know you sold your studio in favour of an RPC.

Opinions on an RPC cutting it for me? (I have xmas money :whistle: ) Anyone?

 

[Pete Thomas]

If you didn't like the RPC on alto there's a fair chance it won't be right on tenor. However when I got my tenor RPC I liked it straightaway. Whe I got the alto it took quite a while to like it (and I was previously using an A45 or Selmer soloist).

I think choice of mouthpiece is so personal (more than the saxophone), so I can only really say what works for me and not recommend anything unconditionally. If you can afford to get a mouthpiece, and can wait, if you don't like tyhe RPC you'll be able to sell it easily anyway.

 

[Saxlicker]

Saxlicker wrote:
The RPC made it sound ...well...duff!!!!

Pete,
I didn't write that very clearly...
The RPC made the vandoren sound inferior.

 

[Pete Thomas]

Aha, I thought you meant it made your saxophone sound duff.

 

[Jules]

Pete, would I be right in thinknig that RPCs are the same kind of 'feel' as old Berg Larsen Duckbills? big toned but with a lot of potential for getting really aggressive and ..er.. rock & roll with 'em?

 

[Pete Thomas]

You can certainly get rock & roll, but the interesting compared to many Bergs is that an RPC can give you a lot more versatility for warmer and smoother stuff.

 

[Jules]

Cheers for that. Hm... interesting...

 

[Bobby G]

Interesting indeed. Are these RPC's a kind of 'do anything' mouthpiece? I like the idea of something that will go from smooth and warm to rock'n'roll.

Cheers, Bob

 

[Pete Thomas]

Bobby G wrote:
Interesting indeed. Are these RPC's a kind of 'do anything' mouthpiece? I like the idea of something that will go from smooth and warm to rock'n'roll.

That's what I find

You'll get a lot of other opinions if you do a search for RPC on SOTW.

 

[Saxlicker]

Bobby G wrote:
Interesting indeed. Are these RPC's a kind of 'do anything' mouthpiece? Cheers, Bob

I'd vouch for that on my alto piece.

If we take the typical scale of mouthpieces from
Dark - medium - bright. I think most would like a medium piece that can get excellent results in either extreme...dark or bright and ...er....strangely ignore the medium!!!! :whistle:

In reality, medium pieces I have come across (with my skill) don't tend to either end that well ...so I have always gone for something brighter (due to the style and conditions I play in (Loud) and worked harder on the more mellow sound. I'm sure some people need to do it the other way around.
BUT...the RPC is the closest thing I have been able to find that is close to being down the middle yet performs well at both extremes.
And just for the record the bias it has is towards being inherently bright rather than dark.
On a quieter scale, my Java A45 followed the same trait but was maybe a little closer to neutral had an incredable warmth. But its a big compensation in power compared to the RPC. The RPC is also huge.

 

[Rogerb]

Which models do you have, Pete & Saxlicker.. the rollover or high-baffle?

 

[Saxlicker]

Roll over .90" red letter

 

[Pete Thomas]

My tenor is 125 rollover,alto is 90.

 

[Saxlicker]

I loved my alto 90R piece immediately...

I thought I liked the tenor 115B that I got,
Then I decided it wouldn't become my main piece,
Then it got better,
then better,
and better!
After 20 years amateur playing on metal tenor pieces, only the phsychological barrier is holding back the 115B from taking over.
Its a BIG FAT Rockin and Rollin, mellow ballad playing, punchy, smooth, edgy, warm, bright, dark monster!
OK you get the picture...its versatile with un-nerving aplomb

What have I tried before getting here?
Berg Larson metal (don't remember the details) borrowed for 2 months
Otto Link STM Florida 7 given to me, felt stuffy kept as back up for D8 (too inexperienced to tell at the time) gave it back after years..oh well!
Dukoff D8 (never controlled the bottom end) approx 3 years
Guy Hawkins metal 10(short on character) approx 3 years
Hand made silver Guardala Studio (I still have this piece and love it but I'm in a trap of preserving it) from '98 onward
The mouthpieces below were all to search for back up for it.
otto link tonemaster 9 Metal (still have it for mellow moments) '02 onward.
Lebayle7* metal jazz (to close for me)
SRT fusion 115 (wouldn't mic up how I heard it accoustically)
Lawton 7*B metal (solid performer..just not quite me also should have been too close . It was unaltered but fet bigger)
LT guardala cresent (too close again)
LT Guardala studio (Good...I almost quit the search)
Then out came the
LT Guardala MBII (A...HA!!! now we're gettng somewhere, its a keeper!)
Modern otto link STM & STM NY (I may customise an STM if I can pick one up cheap)
Selmer usa 4004 (buzzy, bright and boring)
Barone precison craft contemporary(its a keeper)

My name is saxlicker..i'm a mouthpieceholic
The RPC has put me back on the wagon :whistle:

 

[Linky Lee]

That's quite a selction of mouthpieces you've gone through there.
I guess one thing you can say about it is that you'll of slowly worked out what it is in a mouthpiece that you like... hopefully.

I too am tempted by the RPC mouthpieces, though I have no money at all at the moment.
I'm not a mouthpiecaholic like you though, I only have the one for tenor and I like it! STM 6*
My mouthpiece search is ever continuous on alto though, but I haven't stuck to one alto yet. I need to get the Martin sorted and the Hanson fine tuned before I can make up my mind which one I'm going to use as my main alto.

I'm pretty sure the Martin likes the Otto link mouthpiece a lot though. Very smoky and mellow.