Mouthpiece that comes with sax

[wainsworth]

I got a nice looking mouthpiece with my Yas-275. The sax is elegantly designed and the case is spectacular. You would think that Yamaha would match the perfect mouthpiece with the saxophone. So why are we persuaded that a more expensive, special mouthpiece is advisable? I think it would be a useful test if we were to use a professional sax player, blindfolded some, say, music students and have the saxist play with a standard saxophone and the mouthpiece that comes with it and then play on his own equipment and see if the students could tell the difference. Then again, maybe I am too cheap to pay extra money and am looking for excuses.

[fballatore]

Wainsworth -

In my short time in the sax world, I've come to learn that mouthpieces (and reeds and ligatures) are a matter of personal choice. One player may love a particular mouthpiece, and another player will hate it. The mouthpieces that Yamaha includes with their saxes are perfect for the beginning player, but that player over time will want to refine their sound, and experiment with other mouthpieces, etc. It actually becomes a sickness for most sax players, seemingly with the goal of "whoever dies with the most mouthpieces wins". You haven't been hit with the bug yet, but you will.

I personally started out with a used YAS-23 that had a chipped mouthpiece, so I ordered a new stock Yamaha 4C (that's what originally came with a new YAS-23). That worked great for the first couple of months, and then I got the sickness. I think I have 5 additional mouthpieces now, and there are two I like better than the Yamaha, and two that I'm not ready for yet.

Good luck in your travels!

Frank

[Alto Giant]

They'd guess the difference!The thing is that the usual Yamaha 4c feels narrower than for example an Meyer...but has anybody ever thought about this: When you bought an mpc. you'll sound the same as with the old one two weeks later...

AG

[fballatore]

...but has anybody ever thought about this: When you bought an mpc. you'll sound the same as with the old one two weeks later...

AG

Hmmmm, exactly the same thought I have when I buy new golf clubs or a new bowling ball!

[hgiles]

The first mpc can be just fine, if your psyche doesn't need something special order at a high price, why bother. I tend to think you're right in that most people wouldn't be able to tell the difference. However the sound from the player's perspective can be quite dramatic.

TIP OPENINGS- Some people just prefer a huge tip opening. You can't get that on a student mpc.

[AlistairD]

Hi,

I'm a newbie as well.... But did find that swapping from the Bently mouthpiece to a Yamaha 5C with a BG leather ligature made my Tenor Sax much easier to play. My wife says it sounds much better too which is great....

Frank,

When you want to sell some of your mpc acquisitions then let me know...

[singlereed]

Amongst the student saxes, Yamaha are unusual in providing a very good mouthpiece to start with. It is ideally suited to a beginner player, but once you are more experienced, you will probably want something better. Doesn't have to cost the earth, but the Yamaha student ones are only made of plastic and are intended for a beginner to find it easy to get on with whereas a better mouthpiece should help you develop a more specific tone, according to your taste.

[Daktion]

I agree with most of the comments here. I'm just going to add that most mouthpieces included are very general. Alot of people later would need to specialize on the sound for the music they play. So a jazz player would most likely have a different mpc than a classical player. The mouthpiece that is provided would not have this specialization. (plus it's usually provided so you can almost play the sax out of the box if you get what I mean) more expensive mpc would be made by different materials, are different sizes / designs that again affects the overall sound.

[Gordon (NZ)]

I agree with the above, but perhaps a little more strongly than some.

I started playing and servicing saxes well after other instruments, and suddenly had the need for one mouthpiece of each size for testing instruments after servicing. Because Yamaha was reputable, and the mouthpieces were cheap, that is what I bought.... 4C.

Over the years I did more playing and bought a few others. For pit playing (where the player is typically accompanying), the requirements were "general", and I found that there was nothing wrong with Yamaha at all. For much of my instrument testing after servicing I still use Yamaha. (And yes, I do acknowledge that testing an instrument for correct function is rather little different from solo performance!)

There are other brands similar but with a slightly "different" tone, but the variation of tone between players is far greater.

I would say that a Yamaha mouthpiece is a mouthpiece specialized for playing of the non-altissimo notes, with a generally pleasing tone and generally acceptable pitch, for beginner players (and not so beginner players who have no need to mastered advanced techniques. It serves this purpose very well. There are others which cost a lot more money for rather small differences (which may seem large in the refined spectrum of expectation of a top, experienced player.)

Yes, there are highly specialized mouthpieces, which play considerably better in flamboyant altissimo, or which have more volume available, or have a 'harder', more assertive tone, etc. IMO, letting a beginner loose on this type of mouthpiece may very well put them off sax. Although these mouth-pieces are designed to be capable of a certain TYPE of result, they are often a lot more difficult for a beginner to "drive". Think of domestic shopping for the average person, put into a very high performance car versus a mass-market sedan.

I see nothing wrong with a Yamaha 4C for a beginner, nor for a not-so-beginner, playing relatively straight-forward music in a 'conservative' style.

Sometimes I see in this forum, people dissing ALL mouthpieces coming swith student instruments, and advising the beginner to immediately buy an expensive alternative. IMO some long-standing players lose touch with the needs of beginners, and players of relatively straight-forward, subdued music.

[wainsworth]

Thanks for those interesting and informative replies. Since I am not overly ambitious and like the sound I am getting I think I will stick to what I have. My old Conn has a vintage Brilhardt that appears to be the identical shape as the Yas mouthpiece. I can interchange them and can't tell the difference in feel or sound. Perhaps my ear will get more sophisticated as I advance in learning.