Mouthpieces Soprano MPC < Go big or go home?

[Tonehole]

Why I enjoy the site and knowledge shared.

Thanks. This obsoletes my reminder above. You very likely don’t blow your soprano like a classic clarinet, which is a common way to choke the horn.
Like others, I do prefer moderately open mouthpieces on soprano, currently in the 1.6 mm area with a Vandoren V16 S6. Plenty of volume when needed.
By the way, I also played a 5JB on clarinet in the past, and moved to an easier BD7.

I have a the 5JB, a B45 and my old Ched in my duel case with my Bb & C clarinets.
Now I will have to try a BD7 that I had no idea existed.
A new quest.

I tried to send you a PM but I think your mail box is blocked or full.
My father bought my Series III tenor from a store closing in Switzerland way back when.
Cheers

 

[dexdex]

Vandoren BD, Black Diamond series, the #7 is between the B45Lyre and the 5JB, an ideal compromise for good projection but still a full and warm tone. Perfect for doublers.
Do you remember the location in Switzerland ?

 

[turf3]

Absolute brilliant way to put it.

"Professional jazz musician" is one of those fields where the laws of supply and demand don't apply; there's only supply.

 

[Tonehole]

I will be doing a shoot out starting the weekend hopefully. I will need time to do the pieces justice it will stretch out over weeks! Maybe months, no rush it will take awhile as I am thinking of using a tuner and a decibel reader to verifly the loudest of the loud. As well I intend to compare Plasticover 2,5 & 3, ZZ and Rico reeds and I found a synthetic Forestone M/H in the hoard of stuff I bundled on Monday. I had not noticed it until I started sorting.
Not that I have a lot of time on my hands but what the heck! Do it right or ......

List of pieces I have played as mains over the past 20 plus years. Some for a few months others for years. I am not comparing my Classical pieces which are a C* scroll shank .047 and a Classical Charles Bay .052 piece. While drawer diving I discovered I have a 2nd Bay that is .076 that someone put an epoxy baffle in. It has a visibly shorter facing I may give it a try as I read they did this with the S90 for better control.

Top row left-
Metal Link 8* ( Minty & facing checked ) - Babbit Supreme 8 ( sold my Slant 8 for $$$$ as this played the same ) - 9* Tone Master ( Special order, facing was cleaned up by Sebastian Knox)

2nd row left-
Very early Fred Lebayle Wood 7* ( Played in University ) - Yani metal 8 - Bari 8 ( model ? brighter than the Gold ? )

3rd row left- Selmer Super Session H - Selmer Super Session I - Selmer Super Session J



I just bought a lightly used E Rousseau Studio Jazz 8 Soprano - SJ8 for a deep discounted price.
They appear out of stock in all my searches.

I will also try the Super Jet 8 but that will be in a booth as I don't think they will let me take it home. I will ask as I have a buddy at the store, so I may be able to swing it.

I also found a 70 -1 / sms rubber Berg I will try and a 50.

Of course I discovered I had a Graftonite in the drawer and will benchmark it against the greatest soprano player not of my generation! LOL 🤗 It is a big drawer that embraces all!

Recommendations on pieces welcome but no comments on needed therapy.
Also my mother gave me the CD as she knew I liked soprano so please be gentle.

 

[Grumps]

If you find the J isn't to your liking, I'll be glad to take it off your hands.

 

[Tonehole]

If you find the J isn't to your liking, I'll be glad to take it off your hands.

No that J will not be going anywhere Grumps I played it for about 8 years straight. The I & J are discountinued they were a custom order back in the day but there is still new old stock of the smaller tip openings that pop up.

Selmer Super Session J Soprano Saxophone Mouthpiece

Review and sound clips of a Selmer Super Session J Soprano saxophone mouthpiece

www.neffmusic.com

I have a lot of smaller tipped pieces I have been slowly selling off over the past eight years or so. I have a early Morgan J5 in the tube and sold a larger tipped one. To my eye it looks like the Super Session which looks like the Scroll Shanks which look like the Otto links chamber wise. The Bari has a steep baffle ramp with squeezed V shaped side walls to a smaller round bore opening then the SS.

I have 2 Bari Gold 8's the older one was given to me by Sebastian Knox when I was searching for a brighter piece he had cleaned up the facing an abandoned piece. It is a great player and had been my main for about 5 years after playing the 9* Link. I bought the Bari in the tray after that and it was crazy peircing in sound so I trayed it. No idea the model I will revisit it as I tend to make pieces play darker over time. Then I bought a new version of the Gold for sale on eBay last year and that piece was easier to play smooth. Carry both in my case.

I found switching from the metal Bari soprano piece to the 7 Yani metal sopranino piece when playing on set an easy transition as they are both close in beak size.

I sold my Dukoff and Guardala as that drop type baffle is not my thing, same with Beechler Bellite it didn't work. I was surprised when I tried the A45 on alto how easy it played I was not expecting it to.

 

[Grumps]

No that J will not be going anywhere Grumps I played it for about 8 years straight.

Well, I've played mine for about twenty years now... but rarely straight. 😉

 

[Tonehole]

Interesting video. Marcus Strickland was one of the instructors at Banff Center when I did the program there. He’s a very good player but a darker sound. Similar to Branford so it makes sense they both do this ‘clarinet reed on soprano sax’ trick

Maybe I will tinker around with it this summer. I don’t think small mpc + hard reed is the right combo for me but maybe clarinet reeds will give a different result. Still working with the Pasticovers!
I was asked to sit in on a recording session today so I am taking my Selmer Super Session J and will see which they prefer.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xh8xOfAeAP0

 

[nethanpaul86]

For that kind of outdoor brass-heavy setup, I’d focus more on chamber/baffle design than simply going to a larger tip opening. A high-baffle piece like a Dukoff or SuperJet can add projection and cut without requiring significantly more air. Reed strength is worth experimenting with too—sometimes dropping a half strength improves response and lets the mouthpiece work more efficiently at high volume. The challenge is finding the balance between projection, tuning stability, and maintaining a usable soprano tone.

 

[turf3]

...

A facing that's too large for the player to control intonation, leads to the player having trouble controlling intonation.

 

[Tonehole]

Yep I am good to go on my Bari Gold 8 it out played my Dukoff still have not had the chance to try the Super Jet but will get to it. I sold my Guardala Liebman as well as the Dukoff. I had a Bellite sop piece also and no luck with it.
Made a lot of profit selling those three pieces though. 😎

I have a tenor 8 Super Jet but found the Bellite Yoakum modified 8 more flexible, it rips through the altisimo with ease and less shrill but it still cuts and the lows punch. This weekend I am playing the tenor 8 Durga II that I just bought and will see what kind of damage it can do.

 

[Tonehole]

A facing that's too large for the player to control intonation, leads to the player having trouble controlling intonation.

Yeah don't have a problem with the tip being too open or intonation but I understand and appreciate your point.👍
Just trying to get more volume when in the wild.

 

[Tonehole]

Have a gig today on soprano and will be playing the E Rousseau Studio Jazz 8 I recently recieved.
It has more punch than the Selmer Super Session I but not as much cut as the Bari Gold 8. But over all a nicer sounding piece and can be played very loud and is stable at the extremes when pushed to the max.

A quality well finished hard rubber piece made to Rousseau specifications apparently by Jody Jazz. It has a medium almost long length straight baffle then a drop to a true horse shoe shaped chamber entrance. Different then the Selmer shape, as it squeezes in at the base of the chamber. Easy to play softly = cocktails.
The beak is far more comfortable on the lips than the Bari Gold.

We will see how it stands up literally out in the field. LOL 😎

I am eyeing a DURGA soprano piece to try as well.