Suitable mpc's for Ref 54 alto

[BertieB]

Hi there!

I am purchasing the above sax and would like some advice on suitable mpc's to consider, being new to alto, but playing Soprano for a year or so - R&C R1 Deluxe straight, with Berg HR 6 with V16 2/Rico Jazz Select 2H reeds.
I play some classical on sop but am interested in more contemporary (post 60's) jazz/blues sound, with aim to play in small ensemble - piano, bass guitar, drums etc.
Any thoughts very welcome - I've thought of bergs, selmer, vandoren so far!
Thanks in advance

[saxmanglen]

You should get a Selmer Super Session in a 'D' or 'E' facing included with the horn. That's a good middle of the road piece to start with. You may just need to play a few different strengths of reed to dial it in.

[Saxaholic]

I owned a Reference 54 alto for a few years, and I remember the mouthpiece that came with it was terrible. It sounded like a dying goose. My Jody Jazz mouthpiece played GREAT on it, and so did every other mouthpiece I tried. Maybe I got a bad one.

Most good mouthpieces should work well on a Reference 54 alto. I've got a few that you could try, along with some custom-faced pieces. Shoot me an e-mail at WalterNak8@yahoo.com if you'd like to talk more about it.

Saxaholic

[Dave Dolson]

I'm with Glen on this one, although everyone reacts differently to mouthpieces. The Ref 54 alto is one of the few saxophones today delivered with a good mouthpiece. Mine came with an SS-E which was decent (for me) but I gave it away because I had an SS-F already and I liked it much better.

Other pieces that I use successfully on my Ref 54 besides the SS-F is a Soloist F, a Morgan-Bilger 6M, a Beechler Diamond Inlay (forgot the model), a Meyer 7M-Small Chamber, and the best of all, a Meyer 6S-Medium Chamber.

I think you'll find that any piece that plays well for you will play well on any Ref 54 alto. DAVE

[BertieB]

The new sax came with a Selmer Super Session E, and I have also purchased a Jody Jazz Classic 6, which is sounding good with Rico Jazz Select reeds. Will let you know how it is going.

Thanks for comments!
Much appreciated.

[singlereed]

I use a (modern) Soloist C* on mine for classical playing and use a Bari Richie Cole 5 or a Lawton ebonite 5 if I want an brighter sound.

[BertieB]

Just a brief note to say how wonderful the Ref54 is with the Jody Jazz Classic 6 with both RicoJS and V16 reeds. Having only played soprano befor I have had to loosen my grip on the new mpc! What a wondrous sound, and agree with all that has been said about it!

At this rate I may just hang on to my unused Selmer Super Session, and trade it where appropriate!

Cheers everyone!

[Doctormyeyes]

I was playing my 54 with the Selmer Super Session E that came with it, and loved it. I had a Meyer 5M, medium chamber lying around, tried it, thought it played terribly, till my teacher played my horn with his Meyer 5, and sounded great. He was uncomfortable with the Super Session, though he can make anything sound good.

I then went back to my Meyer 5, and guess what, now it sounds great! Moreover, after playing it for a while, I can't play the SS E nearly as comfortably as I previously did.

What I make of this is that most any good (non defective) mouthpiece will probably sound fine on this horn. Up to you to find the one that suits your own embouchure/technique/sound the best.

[Dr_sax]

I have a ref. 54 since 1.5 years and just love it. My main mouthpiece is a guardala king with vandoren V16 2.5 reeds. I also have a beechler bellite 8 and a vandoren jumbo java a55 that I like.
Gotta blow
Dr. Sax

[Manny3]

I always thought that mouthpieces that came with their own instruments were suitable enough, but reading this site is making me think twice. I am going to L.A. in August and comparing prices of Yamaha 800 series and the Ref54 with those in Japan. I am in Japan and am able to get a 20% discount towards purchasing a horn. I will also be sure to look at mouthpieces, too.

Thanks guys!

P.S. Any advice about mouthpieces with my YAS-23 horn? Are there better mouthpieces than the one that came with my horn?

[jivemutha]

I use a (modern) Soloist C* on mine for classical playing and use a Bari Richie Cole 5 or a Lawton ebonite 5 if I want an brighter sound.

For alto, how does a modern Soloist compare with a Super Sessions? Are they quite similar? Thanks in advance for a reply.

[Dave Dolson]

Jive: I find a big difference between my Soloist F and Super Session F. Both are good players, but the Soloist is much more focused and a stronger (maybe it is that the Soloist projects better) while the SS-F is smoother and more spread. DAVE

[Manny3]

I just bought a Meyer's mouthpiece and it plays great on my YAS-23. I saw a few Jody Jazz gold mouthpieces and they seem very appealing, but I'm not sure about the price. Is it really worth the money?