Mouthpieces what kind of mouthpiece

[clare1970]

hi everyone. I have had my alto sax for quite a few years, although it is only over the last year I have really started to play it. I have the original mouthpiece and was wondering if it is worth investing in a new one?
If so what type, what material etc, all advice greatly received!

 

[Jules]

This is one of those huge & contentious subjects that could fill a book (and then another book disagreeing with the first).
As far as upgrading goes- unless your sax was a Selmer or a Yanagisawa (both of which ship with pretty good mouthpieces), you'll probably benefit from an upgrade.
Bottom line- the only mouthpiece that's right for you is the one that feels/sounds right when you play it- you'll not do better than spend some time trying a few options out. Beyond that basic truth virtually everything else is tricky and frought with numerous viewpoints!
Have a look around these forums- there are quiet a few reviews of how various players liked certain 'pieces,these should help- but do bear in mind, what works for one person and on one particular sax doesn't neccesseraly mena it would behave the same for you! Also- whats good or bad on an alto might be different on tenor and visa versa..... Frank B posted a pretty comprehensive overview of Ebonites on Tenor the other day.

 

[frankb]

nachoman wrote:
Frank B posted a pretty comprehensive overview of Ebonites on Tenor the other day.

Um...

If you refer to that then do bear in mind that what I was looking for may well not be what you're looking for. (Also bear in mind that I can't play for toffee and knoweth not my bell from my crook! )

 

[Bobby G]

Choosing a mouthpiece is indeed entirely subjective in the end, and also buying one similar to {insert name of favourite player here} will not necessarily make you sound like them!

The best bet is to go to a store which has a good selection and try some out - if you've been playing regularly for a year or so you'll probably have some idea of the sound you want so that would be a good starting point.

Cheers, Bob

 

[alan_]

I think you will find that saxophone shops are all too happy to let you try their different pieces. I was in a similar situation to you, Clare. I had had an alto sax for a long time before i took it up in earnest again. After about a year I found the playability and tone was somewhat lacking with the provided mouthpeice and decided to invest in a new one. Those very nice people at saxophones.co.uk set me up with 4 different mouthpieces, and I came away with a lovely ebonite Selmer S80 with a slightly increased opening - E opening (C* to E should be good). The difference was amazing! While you may find a different mpc more suitable for you, I love the Selmer and it makes a very good first replacement for a factory standard on the alto, with a lovely warm tone and considerably better ability to achieve high and low notes.

If you have the chance though, deffinitely do as the above writers have suggested, try as many as you can, preferably on your own horn so you can hear and feel the difference from your original mpc (I didn't have this luxury).

Very good luck to you!
Alan

 

[frankb]

I agree with Alan. It's a very personal thing and other people's recommendations will only get you so far.

When I tried mouthpieces, the Selmer S80 came 9th out of 9! I didn't get on with it at all! Alan, on the other hand, loves his S80 (given that his is an alto and mine was a tenor, it's still a remarkable difference!).

Verbal descriptions of sounds mean different things to different people and everyone is looking for a different sound. There's simply no substitute for trying them yourself.

 

[Bobby G]

Verbal descriptions of sounds may be subjective, but I think we can all imagine what a 'screamer' would sound like!

I don't know what music shops you have there in Birmingham, Clare, but I can't imagine a 'proper' shop (similar to Myatt's in my area, or indeed sax.co.uk) stopping you from trying a few different mouthpieces. If you find one you like, it may also be worth trying the next size up or down to see what's most comfortable, although the sound of identical mouthpieces with different tip openings can also differ.

Cheers, Bob