This is common, but if it gets too much, try experimenting with lots of different brands and sizes of reeds to alleviate the urge instead. It will be much cheaper, and you might actually find a style of reed that greatly improves your sound.

 

I am satisfied with the tone I get from the V16. Of course, there are so many things I need to improve to really add some professional polish to my sound. For some reason I just hate that there is a mouthpiece that I haven't tried. Maybe it's an unhealthy compulsion or maybe it just GAS. Probably once or twice a year I go back through all my mouthpieces to see if my preference has changed. The last time I did this (a few months ago) I just confirmed that the V16 was still the best piece for me that I own. Luckily, I don't yet feel like parting with more than $500 for a piece or I might have several vintage pieces lying around just for the fun of it. BTW, you are right about reeds. I've been playing Legere for many years, but I took out a new Select Jazz 3M and I have to say it sounded darn good.

 

Sounds like you are just interested in experiencing something new. You might get the same sense of joy from trying different exercises, exploring nature, or cooking. I wouldn't call it a rare experience - having and being willing to spend the money to do so might be rarer though.

 

I think it's like I'm afraid that there is some incredible player that I'm missing out on. LOL I hope I get tired of it soon so I can sell my stash.

 

I dont see a problem with G.A.S.as long as our finances are sound .
I have a small( ish) collection of m/p's the latest an Alto Soloist E i was curious on these as a jazz piece having been on Meyer style in the past .

 

Yeah, not for me. I have the means to buy whatever mouthpieces or horns I like. I just don’t want to waste money on something I know isn’t going to make me play better despite the unfortunate username I chose 12 years ago.

 

A very fair comment its only ocassionally for me at least the addicition to gear is better than a few others we know of .

 

I can cure your addiction. Just send me an order. It will be the last piece you buy…until your next

 

Jo,
Nothing wrong with trying out mouthpieces to see if there’s something better for you. That’s the only way to know.
Once you have something that you are super happy with, just stop there. If curiosity gets the best of you, then try something else if you want. There are no rules as to what to do. It can be fun trying out new things and you may land on something that makes you incredibly happy, but if you aren’t missing anything from the piece you are using, you could just stop there.
I know many super heavyweight players that have tons of mouthpieces and they love trying out everything. Other people who don’t have the money to do that, and have a piece that they enjoy, should just stop there.
Your other options are to find pieces used, so you can pay less than the full price, or try out mouthpieces with a return policy in case it’s not for you.
When I have my holiday sales, I always offer the pieces for much less money so that if people don’t want a mouthpiece, I’ve discounted it enough that they can sell it as new and actually make money on it. The other option is to find someone who has a piece you’ve wanted to get and maybe trade up with them for something you have, that they want.
There are so many scenarios.

Good luck on your journey and I hope you find pieces that make you happy. That’s truly the bottom line.
All the best, Mark

 

I have this problem, but it is not just limited to mpcs. Horns, horns stands, cases, music stands, mic stands, computer mice, knipex tools... The idea is to sell the extras I have to pay for the new. Which works for larger ticket items like horns and mpcs, but the unfortunate tendency is to acquire more than I sell. It's easier to find a really good deal (supposedly) than it is to sell something for what you want One positive is I am running out of new stuff to try because I have both tried a large variety and am narrowing down what I really like. Don't need to try any more Martins, Conns, or Bueschers, Bergs, Links, Vandorens...

Side notes:
Nothing beats Knipex Cobras
Best work mouse is Logitech Triathlon. The MX Master isn't really that great.
I don't need a 4k monitor. It just makes everything look small.

 

... and ultimately, the number one solution is a spouse that closely monitors what comes in the mail...

 

... and ultimately, the number one solution is a spouse that..

I only read the first part of your above sentence.... in this context .... but then I read the second part, too!

closely monitors what comes in the mail...

 

Speaking of spouse, a very common phenomenon, similar to musician's GAS is SAS and HBAS: shoes acquisition syndrom and handbag acquisition syndrom. Maybe a common therapy could be of help....
Longchamp (Paris) is a bit our better halves' Selmer (Paris), and vice-versa.

 

I went from college up to about 5 years ago (a little over 10 years) on the same gear, and was perfectly content. I started dabbling a little just to see what was out there, then settled again for a little while. Now I'm much more curious about new mouthpieces, and try them regularly.

I've figured out that when I'm able to spend more time playing I'm less likely to want new gear. When my horns are sitting idle suddenly I have to try everything! Since the birth of my kid ~15 months ago I haven't been able to play very much, so naturally I've purchased several mouthpieces and a few new horns.

 

I don’t see any problem with it as long as you dump what you don’t play.
‘I guess I think every tenor player should have a few decent Links, a couple of great originals Links, a Selmer short shank Soloist and a short shank Dukoff.
Those are the classic tenor mouthpieces.
Recently I’ve tried a Morgan and Vandoren V16. Both I would describe as ”vanilla” Also a couple of Drakes but the resin mouthpieces just don’t feel right. Odd vibrations.
Since November I’ve been playing a new EB Connoisseur 6* that has pushed my longtime original EB to the side. It’s the first mouthpiece I’ve had in a while that I’ve enjoyed more the longer I play it. Very reed friendly.
I don’t play alto much but if they did as good a job as they with the new EB I want to try the New York Meyer reissue.

 

Once I find the right piece, I stick with it. Got my Berg 40 years ago and played all that time until I broke it. I went through at least 30 mouthpieces to find a replacement by borrowing, returning or reselling where possible. I still have a few I haven’t managed to resell yet, but I’m working on it. I try to end up with just one of each type of horn (sop, alto, tenor, etc.), and one mouthpiece for each.

Mouthpieces and reeds are very personal choices. For example, I would never be happy with any Vandoren or Theo Wanne piece or with Legere reeds. None are anywhere close to my sound concept or are comfortable for me to play.

My favorite brands are the classics - Berg, Link, Dukoff, and Meyer with cane reeds. It’s probably because that’s what my idols played when I was a beginner back in the 70s.

Legere is definitely the best of the synthetics out there, but still sound, feel and respond weird in certain registers. Getting closer, but not yet good enough for me to switch yet.

In any case, we can all identify with the endless quest for the holy grail of mouthpieces, reeds, horns, etc. At some point, we all just have to settle for less than perfect and make the best of it with what we’ve got. Maybe I need to take my own advice and do that with Legere too.

 

This subject comes up time and again. People value and spend their money on different things, and in relation to their amount of disposable income and other financial responsibilities. Some people think an automobile is simply something “to get you from A to B” and always buy junkers. Some people drive a new vehicle every few years. Some people spend a fortune on smoking and drinking or even larger fortunes on drugs or gambling! Some people value world travel while others believe the best things are “in your own back yard”. There are a lot worse addictions than musical gear and a lot more wasteful pursuits than buying, trying and re-selling gear. The key is if it makes you happy and you’re still being financially responsible. Everyone has their own path and nobody knows in the end result what was the “best” or most “wise” way to live your life. Have fun with it! Tinkering with your sound through experimentation with gear is a legit hobby all in itself. One other post here made a point though that resonates with me - the more practice time you put in the less you seem to care about switching things up. It can be a boredom based substitute for just getting to practice and perform.

 

Cannot rec this enough. To each his/her own. Some folks judge others for spending on gear (which if done smartly can be resold at cost or often even for more than cost), and yet one wonders how much they spend on things like alcohol, coffee and/or cigarettes (or other similar indulgences). It's a lot of fun trying out different gear (including mouthpieces) and as long as it is not done to the point where one is taking away from the budget for basic necessities and the ability to support one's family, there shouldn't be any guilt.

I have spent tens of thousands on musical gear (I've also resold tens of thousands worth of them)... and yet I still drive my car that I bought back in 2007 (dinged all over, leather seats in the back frayed all over -- there was a time when I moved to NYC for a few years when I left it with my family and they didn't baby it as much as I did) even though I can afford to buy a very nice car any time straight up for cash. Within limits of responsibility and sensibility, it is absolutely ok to spend money on things that give satisfaction/joy. Why else do we work so damn hard?

 

Yep..life is short

 

I tried eight..hmmm...nine including my Dad's old piece....mouthpieces before I settled on the two that I'm keeping. None of them cost more than $50. I found one that I'm happy with.

I paid $300 for the tenor saxophone. My wife paid $225 for the new case since the old one was trashed. I paid a tech $100 to solder on a key guard. The horn plays way better than I do! It makes no sense to spend $300 for a mouthpiece on a setup like that.

 

Nothing beats a good return policy when buying mouthpieces.

 

I’d rather have a good mouthpiece.

 

The real clincher for this is when you run out of money. Once I retired I had to pull the plug on a lot of things I used to spend money on without a second thought. Now priorities get taken care of first, and what ever leftovers there are usually are spent on something the wife and I can enjoy together. I have one mouthpiece though that needs to be worked on so I'm saving up for that. I should have sent it back when I got it and wasn't happy with it, but I waited too long and now it's been over a year. I should probably just sell it, but what fun would that be!

 

I have the same thing but with the same model of pieces that I play.

Whenever I see a 49 Hollywood or a Florida Link in mint condition, I want to buy them, and I do, but then I tell myself “I have 10 each model, and They’re not going to play better than the ones that I set up for myself, so why do I need them? - I just do”, And then, they end up on my shelf, so that, whenever I go by them, I can say “what beautiful sh*t!”

“Mouthpiece disease“ It is.

 

Think of it as a backup retirement plan if the world suddenly goes to … well, you know.

 

If you ever come to COS, you can lock yourself in my basement for 3 days

 

COS?
Convergence of Sanity?
Centered Optimal Sound?

Help a girl out! What do I need before I feel compelled to dig a basement in Florida? LOL

 

75-100 mouthpieces? Holy Cow! You got it bad! Seriously, you have a mouthpiece you love - I would highly recommend concentrating on playing it for at least a year. During that time hopefully you will find your sound/style and not be so quick to want to try something else. I also recommend getting rid of the other pieces you have to reduce temptation. You probably have some in there that would attract some attention. Even if you only got $50 each for 100 mouthpieces, that's still $5000! You could get a new alto for that.

 

It's pretty easy to grow you collection when you consider that I have multiple copies of the same mouthpiece with different tip openings, chamber size or facing length. I have probably 10 Meyer's of various parameters and includes some of the variants (like the "G"). Out of those Meyers I would really only ever play (if I hadn't found the V16) one or two of them. I've been meaning to have a sale but I just haven't gotten around to it. Then there are the Brilhart variants....

I really am not tempted to go back to many of them as my sound concept has progressed. But the grass is always greener...

I definitely have enough mouthpieces to fund another horn purchase, but that just escalates my dilemma. Maybe I will sell them all and make a donation to St. Judes.

 

And of course @Dr G is contributing to my "disease" by offering me a deal that I just couldn't pass up. Thanks doc. 😉 😀

 

I’ve had my time of hoarding; at one point I had 9 or 10 RPCs. But I’ve tried to balance out switching mpcs with the criteria of if I feel it’s a step in an evolution of my sound or playing concept, or a specific situational need. Interestingly, the most recent mouthpiece changes I’ve made have been informed more by an embouchure/voicing change and also recording at home and realizing my past ideas of what worked in live, louder situations actually didn’t sound all that great ! Ha. I do try to stick to something once I settle in on something, but the pandemic has made me not feel as bad about checking some other mouthpieces out. Why not? It is also a hobby I enjoy as well as a job as a free lancer, so I don’t think it’s terrible. I do try and sell a couple of mpcs each time I buy something g new though, helps to finance a new purchase but also cuts down on the constant going back l and forth which isn’t very helpful after a certain point.

 

Maybe time to buy some guitars? Just spitballing here… 😎

 

Hey man, do you know what I just did? Another Andrew White - Cybele with Nylon strings - gorgeous, hard to put down

 

TL;DR: GAS is a personal thing. And the best thing I can be for the OP is just to be a sounding board.


****

Gear forums in some ways can influence you to buy things you do not need. For me - gigging or recording helps, because you will find out that the nuance of a variation of a mouthpiece is lost in a band context (your bandmates don't really care) and when you record you will hear that you mostly sound like you plus micing, EQ or your mic preamp can do more to your horn's sound when you would have been reaching out for another mouthpiece. <-- This is my experience and may not be yours, Reeds provide so much variation as well.

Since I rejoined, I got me 3 tenor, 3 altos and 2 soprano pieces but quickly noticed the insanity of it.

I am happy to report that I did find an alto that will be a keeper and on soprano, just looking for a I or J Super Session all I can find is H but I am in a good space with it. Tenor, I discovered Sakshama's when I rejoined. I did get a couple high baffled pieces which will be useful for gigs that require loud playing. I will be keeping one of these mouth cannons but the rest including old pieces, I am going to sell them. My collection is small (16 total) and planning to only keep 7. I only have one Baritone MP

 

FWIW - MHO - spending money on gear can easily be justified IF the new gear makes your saxophone playing easier which equates to more rewarding. We could also factor in less effort, less fatigue, longer playing times etc etc. It would be beyond a rational dream to consider an Open-all-hours "local music store" that stocked every mouthpiece on the planet with dedicated play-test rooms where one could spend ones lonely evenings