Why do professional saxophonists not use a Yamaha 4C mouthpiece ?
But was it a 4C ? I would be surprised if Jay played that tip opening.....maybe it was, but that'd surprise me.Really? Who said this statement? Donald Trump?
According to our interview with Jay Beckenstein of Spyro Gyra fame in Saxophone Journal in the early 2000s his mouthpiece of choice on his Keilwerth SX 90 soprano sax was a basic Yamaha soprano mouthpiece. If you search "YouTube" for a Spyro Gyra concert 2016 you can see Jay playing his black Keilwerth soprano and the distinctive Yamaha logo on the mouthpiece...and there's probably other pro players in the big wide world playing 4Cs...my advice is don't worry what mouthpieces other players are playing, choose the mouthpiece that YOU feel comfortable with and the sound and tonal quality YOU want...
Greg S.
And there is your answer. The 4C (all Yama pieces, IMHO) isn't made/intended to really dial in tonality and produce nuances in blowing response. It is intended to be easy to play while sounding ....acceptable.A pro can play a 4c. I have heard several professionals play them and sound quite good. However, I can aslo say that the same players sounded measurably better on better pieces.
And there is your answer....again.The Yamaha 4C is designed to be a "safe" mouthpiece for students who are still developing their embouchures and tone production skills....
As mouthpieces move from "safe" student specs to what are called professional mouthpieces, the rails are made thinner, the tip openings wider, and the lays longer to offer more volume and flexibility. Of course these mouthpieces demand more control from the player.
But was it a 4C ? I would be surprised if Jay played that tip opening.....maybe it was, but that'd surprise me.
Its an interesting journey and mouthpieces are only part of it. The reed combo will make a huge difference too. I have an old Trevor James Revolution alto that came with a factory version of a 4C... which I was gifted 20 years ago. Sadly, I never really learnt to play and the sax spent most of its life under the bed... At the beginning of lockdown, I decided to invest in playing again (so every day, for several hours, for 6 months - is about where I'm at!!) In July I visited my local woodwind and brass and after trying some mouthpieces opted for a Selmer s80 c* which was fab, easy to blow and a nice warm / classical tone... but basically a posh version of my TJ 4C factory original (probs gonna be lambasted for that comment ) However, years ago a friend - ex sax player long story, for another time - gifted me his Vandoren Jumbo Java A45... along with a box of Vandoren 3s... (I know Ive been really blessed with some hugely generous friends in my life!! ) but surprise surprise I could never blow it... Don't ask me why I tried with 3s I was never told any different... Anyway, I recently bought a box of Vandoren 2s... Firstly, the S80 was so much easier to play... and then I thought mmm lets try the A45... wow what a phenomenal difference!!! Now its all I play... its still bigger than me (as is the sax in general) but I am growing in ability to flex tone and it sounds (to me) much closer to where I want to be.. and feels like I'm growing everyday
If only there had been forums like this back in the 90s when I started out!!... I literally didn't have a clue and no idea about mouthpieces / reeds etc. My experience with the sax since re-engaging with it earlier in the year has been phenomenal... Advice from teachers online, YouTube vids and this forum have been amazing... and now I'm blowing tunes rather than my ears offConsidering an A45 mouthpiece measures out to about 85 thousandths of an inch it's not surprising a softer reed works better...
Greg S.
FWIW - according to the Theo Wanne soprano charts.... the C* Selmer has a.050 tip.....the Yama 5C has a .049, the Yama 6C has a .051.The interview is in the March / April 2002, Volume 26, Number 4 issue of Saxophone Journal magazine, and on page 23 Jay Beckenstein advises his soprano sax set-up as follows (direct quote) "Keilworth straight soprano saxophone, with a stock medium Yamaha mouthpiece similar to Selmer C Star and Vandoren 3 1/2 reeds"...
according to a reliable source the Selmer (Paris) C* and Yamaha 4C have the same tip opening measurement of 47 thousandths of an inch...
so make of it what you will...
Greg S.
...a Yama 6C vs. a Yama 4C, to me, and many players....there's a difference in how the mouthpiece feels and performs (that'd be a .004 tip difference on the soprano pieces)2 thousandths in a production piece means they are all the same. Pull 10 off the shelf...get 6 different sets of numbers. .002 is almost meaningless, even in soprano. On alto or tenor I dont put much stock in anyone who claims to be able to feel it. Its less relevant than a reed that is one day old vs 3.
FWIW - according to the Theo Wanne soprano charts.... the C* Selmer has a.050 tip.....the Yama 5C has a .049, the Yama 6C has a .051.
So 'similar to a C*' puts whatever he used closer to a 5C or 6C Yama, it seems....
Don’t say that Greg, if we don’t obsess about everyone else having better gear what are we gonna do for all those decades?Really? Who said this statement? Donald Trump?
According to our interview with Jay Beckenstein of Spyro Gyra fame in Saxophone Journal in the early 2000s his mouthpiece of choice on his Keilwerth SX 90 soprano sax was a basic Yamaha soprano mouthpiece. If you search "YouTube" for a Spyro Gyra concert 2016 you can see Jay playing his black Keilwerth soprano and the distinctive Yamaha logo on the mouthpiece...and there's probably other pro players in the big wide world playing 4Cs...my advice is don't worry what mouthpieces other players are playing, choose the mouthpiece that YOU feel comfortable with and the sound and tonal quality YOU want...
Greg S.
Don’t say that Greg, if we don’t obsess about everyone else having better gear what are we gonna do for all those decades?