Mouthpieces Selmer s80 - wider openings E+

[Mack]

I have finally moved away from using either my Vandoren V5 S35 or my Beechler 7S (great though they are) on my soprano because I am just playing classical nowadays, and need the more reliable intonation which I get from my Selmer s80 E. The trouble is I miss the richer tone I got from the other mouthpieces, and so I wonder what difference a wider S80 might make - say an F. I never hear of anyone playing a wide tip S80, as most people would simply move to a Link 6 or similar. Has anyone played a Selmer S80 F or similar?Most classical players seem to play a C* or similar. Would an F opening offer a controlled classical sound but with a bit more richness, or would it just be like playing a Yani/Link/Jody Jazz 6 or whatever?

Any other suggestions welcome.

 

[rhysonsax]

Although I am not a classical player, I do like and aim at a sweet and rich sound on soprano. I was playing S80 C* on my Rampone & Cazzani and enjoying how they worked together. I thought it would open up the sound a bit to have a wider tip opening, so bought a used S80 in a G tip opening. Very similar sound for me, but harder to control.

I tried several other soprano pieces and have now settled on the new-ish Selmer Concept piece. Although this only comes in a narrow tip opening (0.041") it has a nice rich sound and is flexible. I now think that the dimension of the tip is much less important than the design of the various elements (chamber, throat, baffle, facing etc.) and how they work together.

thesaxophonistmag

Rhys

 

[kevgermany]

I played quite a few sop pieces. Didn't think the S80 was good on it, preferred the soloist. However PPT does it for me and I've almost nothing else now for Sop except a Yani. Sold the rest, or it was a passaround piece. PPT works well for classical.

 

[jonf]

I had an S80 F for sop at one point. It was just as dull as the narrower S80 tip openings.

 

[Andrew Sanders]

I think @Colin the Bear uses a wide sop S80 might be a g.

 

[nigeld]

A wider S-80 tip didn't do anything for me. I play a PPT, and it feels like a fairly classical sound to me.

 

[Colin the Bear]

Never tried a PPT. I'm using an S80 F on sop. The length of facing curve gets longer around an E, which makes them very playable. I have no idea what a classical sound is. I've been using the same S80 C* on baritone since I bought it, I like easy. If it's easy I can forget about it and concentrate on the music.

Reeds make a big difference. A gonzalez RC 2 on Sop S80F is very punchy. A Royal or Hemke FC 5 on the Bari S80 C* works fine. Very easy to blow

I'm of the opinion, it's what you play, not what you play it on. I've heard classical and jazz played on the same piano.

 

[Ivan]

May I venture to recommend the excellent mouthpieces made by Dr Pillinger?

My experience is that he will provide a mouthpiece you can trust to play well

 

[Colin the Bear]

A different piece recommended by each and every player. We all have a different physiognomy so...that's about right.

 

[Ne0Wolf7]

I'm of the opinion, it's what you play, not what you play it on. I've heard classical and jazz played on the same piano.

Oooh, I like that explanation

 

[Nick Wyver]

I've heard classical and jazz played on the same piano.

However, trying to play classical stuff on tenor on a Dukoff is going to end in stern looks from your fellow players and trying to get enough volume for rock out of an S80 C* is going to end in frustration.

 

[Nick Wyver]

I've got an S80 E that I used to use for classical on sop but now I prefer a Vandoren Optimum SL4 refaced by by Sop Planet (obtained from the nice Mr Roach) with Vandoren blue box 3 reeds. For other stuff I use mostly a PPT 7 or a Yanagisawa metal 9.

 

[Colin the Bear]

Both Bari and sop S80's have prodigious amounts of volume for me. I have no desire to play classical.

 

[Nick Wyver]

Both Bari and sop S80's have prodigious amounts of volume for me. I have no desire to play classical.

Or rock, I suppose.

 

[Targa]

I've heard classical and jazz played on the same piano.

If it was at the same time that would be interesting.

 

[kevgermany]

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[Mack]

I posted my question after 3 days of seemingly unproductive practice, including long tones, with the new mouthpiece. The tone was thin and low notes would keep overblowing into the octave above, and I was getting frustrated. Yesterday evening, after a day's break, the sound had completely changed, all problems gone. Sounds fine now. Strange how these things happen. How much is the small lip muscles developing, and how much is unconscious embouchure development, I don't know...lonnnnnnng tones working, presumably.

 

[David Roach]

I have finally moved away from using either my Vandoren V5 S35 or my Beechler 7S (great though they are) on my soprano because I am just playing classical nowadays, and need the more reliable intonation which I get from my Selmer s80 E. The trouble is I miss the richer tone I got from the other mouthpieces, and so I wonder what difference a wider S80 might make - say an F. I never hear of anyone playing a wide tip S80, as most people would simply move to a Link 6 or similar. Has anyone played a Selmer S80 F or similar?Most classical players seem to play a C* or similar. Would an F opening offer a controlled classical sound but with a bit more richness, or would it just be like playing a Yani/Link/Jody Jazz 6 or whatever?
Any other suggestions welcome.

You can get richness from a closer facing if you persevere a little and find the right mouthpiece, S80s can actually be very 'skinny' sounding without quite a substantially hard reed IMO. A good alternative is the Vandoren SL4 or SL3 which are less harsh, or the new Selmer Concept, but again a reasonable strength of reed is important to get a richness of tone. I would personally avoid the more open Selmers, they are not an easy way to get what you seek; in fact I would say they are good, projecting but stable Jazz mouthpieces in the facings from D upwards and rarely work well for classical as they require a lot of embouchure strength to get the required compactness of tone.

May I venture to recommend the excellent mouthpieces made by Dr Pillinger?
My experience is that he will provide a mouthpiece you can trust to play well

This is the best solution, Ed's facings are simply the very best available in the world (and I've played a few ). I recommend you contact him and ask him to send you something like his 'S' or 'LS' or even his 'P' chamber chamber in his HED3 facing. The HED3 is basically a C*/C** tip with a beautiful curve that plays supremely well with, say, a #3 Vandoren or Daddario Reserve (maybe a 2.5 if you need a softer reed).

A different piece recommended by each and every player. We all have a different physiognomy so...that's about right.

I do sort-of agree, but I think that's a truism about opinions. IMO, there are some basic characteristics of mouthpieces that are universal..

I've got an S80 E that I used to use for classical on sop but now I prefer a Vandoren Optimum SL4 refaced by by Sop Planet (obtained from the nice Mr Roach) with Vandoren blue box 3 reeds........

Thanks, it is a good piece, and easier to obtain a compact sound on than the S80 - I would imagine.