Mouthpieces Thinking about a new mouthpiece

[Ixthusdan]

I am currently playing a Cannonball 5J HR mouthpiece, which is produced by JJ Babbitt for Cannonball and matches closely a Meyer model. It has a rollover baffle and .086 opening, medium chamber and medium length. It is easy blowing and I can get a nice full sound, a little dark and fat, and can do overtones and altissimo into the 4th octave (E4). So I recently got out my Otto Link metal STM NY 7, which is a rollover baffle and .100 opening. It is medium length and a small chamber. First, The sound was a little darker, but it has a slight buzz that I like. It does not do overtones very well (only 3rd harmonic) and altissimo is hit and miss. I think it may be too large a tip for me, so I am thinking I need to get something around .095. Looking at Otto Link HR. Any thoughts are welcome.

 

[DavidUK]

Let's ask @Pete Thomas if one of his excellent PPT MPs would fit the bill?

 

[Ixthusdan]

I looked at Pete's mouthpieces, and I like everything he has to say, but I do not play for money and I am not making the money I used to make, so I have a budget.

 

[turf3]

I don't believe the Link is a small chamber. I believe the chamber is the same size or bigger than the bore?

I'd consider some serious shed time on your existing Link, first. And it's free.

 

[Phil]

Links are large chambered mouthpieces

 

[Pete Thomas]

I looked at Pete's mouthpieces, and I like everything he has to say, but I do not play for money and I am not making the money I used to make, so I have a budget

In that case get a Rousseau Jazz JDX7

I think it may be too large a tip for me, so I am thinking I need to get something around .095. Looking at Otto Link HR. Any thoughts are welcome.

It's a common misconception to think you need a specific tip opening. Often tip opening across brands is irrelevant as you need to take all the criteria into account, but mostly the facing curve. And I don't just mean the number, I mean the actual size in mm or thou.

I so often get people used to a 7* Link buying a 7* PPT then sending it back to swap for an 8* or 9*.

To put it crudely, people are used to a certain resistance and ye, bigger tips give you more resistance. But if you keep that tip opening size and lengthen the lay, then the resistance decreases.

So I always have quiet chuckle to myself when I hear somebody say "I am an 8* guy." No you aren't matey, just think outside the Link box!

 

[Ixthusdan]

I don't believe the Link is a small chamber. I believe the chamber is the same size or bigger than the bore?

I'd consider some serious shed time on your existing Link, first. And it's free.

I think you are correct; a large chamber is darker, and it is darker than the Cannonball. Some others have also suggested I work the Link a little longer, which is wise advice. I think that I will do that. And I own it already! Is it possible that the large chamber has better intonation than a smaller chamber? That is what I am hearing more than anything. I am making less adjustments to maintain intonation.

 

[Ballymenaboy]

I was playing a no6 link on tenor and liked the bright tone however in the higher registers I had the odd squeak
I bought a D'addario select no7 and instantly liked the tone and volume.I was worried about moving to 7 from 6 but need not have.I have since bought one for my alto and am equally pleased with it...absence of squeaks also.
I am not a professional musician but always strive to be comfortable with my instruments ,mouthpieces and choice of reeds..it makes my playing more enjoyable

 

[Colin the Bear]

It pays dividends when we stop looking for kit and start putting in the hours.
Four hours a day for a decade or so will sort out most problems.
Having said that...oooh! Shiney.

 

[Ixthusdan]

Well, I only have about an hour per day. So that would be 40 years to figure it out. I would be a little over 100. Yeah, I can do that.

 

[Dr G]

I think you are correct; a large chamber is darker, and it is darker than the Cannonball. Some others have also suggested I work the Link a little longer, which is wise advice. I think that I will do that. And I own it already! Is it possible that the large chamber has better intonation than a smaller chamber? That is what I am hearing more than anything. I am making less adjustments to maintain intonation.

Yes, it is entirely possible that the larger chamber intonates better on your horn, but that is not what makes it "darker".

Spend some time with it, stop swapping pieces, consider trying other reeds, and COMMIT long enough to squeeze everything you can from it. Learn to manipulate your airstream and embouchure to shape your tone.

 

[Ixthusdan]

(2 hours later) The Otto Link requires a smaller embouchure than the Cannonball mouthpiece. So it is a different feel on the muscles. Once I figured that out, I learned that it requires more air to manipulate the overtones. 1st 2nd, and 3rd harmonics are pretty easy, but hitting the 4th requires air speed. Good news is altissimo speaks well once I could feel it. And I can hit dog whistle notes. Not control them, just hit them.