Mouthpieces What is your preferred TENOR tip opening size?

Your preferred Tenor Tip opening

  • Smaller than n.o. 6 ( less than 0.090")

    Votes: 1 4.0%
  • n.o. 6 to 6* (0.090" to 0.098")

    Votes: 4 16.0%
  • n.o. 7 ( 0.100" to 0.102")

    Votes: 4 16.0%
  • n.o. 7* (0.105" to 0.107")

    Votes: 7 28.0%
  • n.o. 8 (0.110" to 0.112")

    Votes: 3 12.0%
  • n.o. 8* (0.115" to 0.117")

    Votes: 2 8.0%
  • Wider

    Votes: 4 16.0%

  • Total voters
    25

Saxlicker

Senior Member
Café Supporter
As per title,
I guess you may have wandered around a bit but what would you choose to get get you through most situations?

Before you post I must say that the charts I have taken the information from all varied slightly as did the tip opening number per make.
So the number/actual size stated above may vary on your piece and can not be entirely accurate for every make.
In those cases go for the measurement in thousandths of an inch.

P.S. there are also small gaps of a couple of though here and there. Not really an oversight on my part and I thought about changing it but then decided you'll just have to be brave and go up or down a bit!
 
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It's a bit strange. I started out on an Otto Link 5* STM and have played lots of different pieces. I currently play a Lawton 8*, but that tip opening is what came when I won the eBay auction for an interesting piece which turned out to be superb; so luck rather than preference.

I probably wouldn't play a tenor piece with a tip opening wider than 8*, but I am comfortable playing anything in the range 5 to 8* provided it has got a decent facing and I can match reed strength to it.

Rhys
 
I sort of gravitated to an 8* rather than it being a conscious decision. All the other pieces I tried were smaller and didn't work as well. since settling on that, I got a MF floridated link that's about a 7*, plays beautifully, but doesn't suit me as well. Partly cos it's metal, partly cos it's narrower.

Made it difficult for me on alto, 5s weren't open enough, and I've settled on a 7 which blows very much like the PPT 8* on tenor.

So it'll be interesting to see what difference people prefer between tenor and alto. Pete's often said he prefers a smaller tip/more resistance on alto.
 
Beautiful playing Saxlicker, what more can i say.
Rob.:welldone

Thank you for your kind comments Rob :thumb:

I started playing Tenor on Dukoff 8 and hung around those tips (Guardala Studio @ 0.115") for many years.
in the last 4 years though I have semi consciously moved to a smaller tip opening.
Largely because I prefer the tonal results I get rather than it being a physical thing.
It started when I couldn't get hold of pieces in the kind of lays I wanted so had to go smaller or miss out and I found something I liked about them. Just for the record, when I occasionally go back to try a wider tip I find it quite tough for a while.
 
My favourite is an Otto Link 10. However, it's not like any other Link you've ever seen. As well as some general levelling and evening-out work, it has a very large wedge baffle, as well as an enlarged chamber. Gives a massive, bright yet full tone. Love it. When I started on sax as a teenager I played a Lawton 7, which was my only 'piece for years. The Link 10 is no harder to play than the Lawton 7, which itself is pretty free blowing.
 
I generally play an 8 tip opening, nearly always hard rubber/delrin, and with 2 - 2.5 reeds (Superials, Marca Jazz, Rigotti & Francois Louis). I have also acquired two 6* mouthpieces (Lebayle Studio HR, and Runyon Quantum Metal) which I use for funk/rock/blues.

My current favourite is a Mouthpiece Cafe House Blend 8 with Marca Jazz 2.5 reed
 
I'm on a #8 (0.110") Rovner Deep-V D40. I use hard reeds LaVoz H, Vandoren V16 #4 or plasticover bari 4 or 5. I also like Dukoffs 7-8 (0.105-0.115", D-X chambers) and Berg Larsen (0.105-0.115, 0 or 1 chambers and M facings). These mouthpieces works better for me on Martins saxes.

For a long time I played Berg Larsen 130/3 and Dukoffs LD 10 (0.135") on King Super 20 tenor but it was too hard for me to control such monsters. Great sound but ..... .

So I moved from big openings and big chambers to medium openings and chambers.
 
110" for me on tenor, with number 3 reeds- currently on either a Berg Larsen ebonite or am auditioning a Theo Wanne Datta that's proving very sexy at the mo..... Recently experiemented with a couple of 6*s & harder reeds but felt I was having to hold back more than was comfortable.....
 
I play a 7 Hollywood Dukoff with Rico Jazz Select 3M reeds. I used to play a 7* Link STM with 3S reeds, but I'm much happier with the new combination...
Juju
 
I play a metal V16 T95 with V16 3 reeds. Settled on this setup about two years ago after spending far too much time and money on tenor mouthpiece experimentation. Including repeatedly finding (which I believe means that I am, formally speaking, stupid) that I cannot play high baffle mouthpieces in tune, however much I wished otherwise.
 

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