[Lexypoibra]

Hi all,

i'm looking to purchase an Alto sax to compliment my Tenor saxophone experience. Whilst Tenor will be my main horn, I want to get something that closely mirrors my Tenor setup, largely because after a few years now of trialing sax/MP/reed combinations, i'm happy with my kit/gear for Tenor. Currently i'm playing on mouthpieces around 105" to 115" ( Jody Jazz Giant 8, Otto link 7*, and a stainless Berg 120/1 SMS - actually measures 115") with Legere Signature series reeds around 2 1/4 strength. All this is through my absolutely fantastic 2 year old Yamaha Custom 82z ii Tenor, which (after trialing a few Saxophones at my local Woodwind store) just felt great both in ergonomics, play ability,and sound for me, compared to some other saxes in the price range.
With this in mind, I've decided that (almost non negotiable) that my Alto weapon of choice will be a YAS 82z as well, based on how happy i am with the Tenor variant. Now, here's my dilemma. The additional gear purchases for my Alto setup will be based on faith in my successful Tenor kit - to which is where i'm looking for advice. Has anyone done this similar leap of faith and if so, based on my Tenor gear, what mouthpiece brand/tip opening and reed combo should I look at to mirror? Does it even work like that? Is there a proportional tip opening size between Alto and Tenor that has a sweet spot - i.e - if you're happy with a 7* Tenor MP does that mean a 6* Alto piece of the same brand will be right for you?
Interested to hear other peoples kit/gear combos between the two, as I would like to get it right first time, because down here in Australia, we don't get the luxury of trialing various MP/Reed combos due to the fact that there is such a small pool of choice when it comes to saxophone gear, and it's more a buy first, begrudgingly return later kind of policy.
Hopefully I can get some guidance on this.
Cheers,

 

[Reet McVouty]

Well, you're really comparing apples to oranges here, because tenor and alto while both being saxophones are two different voices and both require different approaches as far as sound and equipment go. I would suggest you get familiar with the different attributes that mouthpieces have that produce the certain sound you desire. Go to the resource page here https://theowanne.com/ and do some research. The mouthpieces you use on tenor are great mouthpieces but might not be what you need on alto. Your choice of horn is excellent as well. I play on a YTS-875EX and YAS-62II. I tried the 82Z alto and it wasn't quite right for me, too much resistance, stuffy sounding. I ended up getting the 62 because it projected very well and was very free blowing. So, I would suggest trying a few different horns and mouthpieces. Good luck.

 

[adamk]

I just happen to like my HR Couf artist 9*s for both alto and tenor.

 

[bruce bailey]

My starting point base on the tenor tip openings would be about a .075"=.080" for alto.

 

[ving]

I have found that although I can play larger tip openings on tenor I prefer and sound better on smaller openings on alto. This after years of playing more open alto mpcs and never really being happy. Although the mpc I mainly play on alto now has been refaced and isn’t marked with a size. I’d guess it’s around a 6 and that’s what I seem to prefer when I’ve tried other mpcs. On tenor I play anything from a .105-.115.

 

[whaler]

Off the shelf Meyer 5M or 6S. You’ll never need another mouthpiece.

 

[HeavyWeather77]

If you like medium-to-open tenor pieces, you'll like a medium-to-open range of alto pieces too. I tend to like my tenor pieces somewhere between (inches) .105 and .110, and I like my alto pieces between .080 and .090 -- my current favorite tenor piece is .108 and my current favorite alto is .085. If you're like me, you'll want to try a Meyer 7 or 8, Selmer Soloist E or F, Vandoren Java A75, Vandoren V16 A7 or A8, D'Addario Select 7 or 8... something like that. Between those options you'll find something you like.

 

[swperry1]

I hated playing alto until I stopped trying to make everything feel and sound like a smaller version of my tenor. You really have to treat it like a completely different instrument and work to find your alto voice.

 

[skeller047]

I don’t like giving mouthpiece advice, but I recently bought a new alto mouthpiece and it is the best alto piece I have ever played. I play, on tenor, a Phil-Tone Tribute (7*), or a Link 8 copy or a Phil Barone Hollywood 7*.

It’s the new 10MFan Alto Madness piece, in a 7 opening. It’s very similar to a Meyer in response and feel, but unlike most stock Meyers, it is very well made. It just blows beautiful.

I’m not a fanboy, I have a couple tenor mouthpieces from 10MFan and they are not my faves, though they are quite good. But this piece is in a different league.

 

[Aquarian]

I hated playing alto until I stopped trying to make everything feel and sound like a smaller version of my tenor. You really have to treat it like a completely different instrument and work to find your alto voice.

This bears repeating.

I play alto, and though I probably have more tenor players on my "top ten," the alto is definitely not a small tenor. I particularly love Coltrane and lots of players who used metal Links... And for a long time I played a Link. But the Link is a different beast on alto. It's good, but it's not like a tenor. It is still an alto.

You can use the same type of mouthpiece, Sonny Stitt famously did (another example of a player using the Link STM), but it won't be the same exactly. I hesitate to give any advice, especially as my personal concept of sound has changed a lot since I picked up the instrument again early this year, but alto has to be treated as it's own thing.

I will say that my best mouthpiece by any performance measure is a Philtone Orion 5, which is plays astonishingly well and sounds great too. But whether that would fit your concept is another matter. I suggest you think about what sound you want first. What alto players do you like?

One option is to buy a couple cheap pieces to get a ballpark. Like Yamaha 5C, Metalite M7. I think finding the "right" mouthpiece first try is very difficult. You mentioned 3 very different tenor pieces as well.

 

[JL]

As others have said in some posts above, alto is a different beast. It's not simply a smaller version of a tenor and won't feel the same in terms of embouchure, etc. So you have to find the mpc that suits you on alto, which won't necessarily have any relation to the brand you use on tenor.

The 10MFan mpc Steve mentioned would definitely be worth a shot:

It's the new 10MFan Alto Madness piece, in a 7 opening. It's very similar to a Meyer in response and feel, but unlike most stock Meyers, it is very well made. It just blows beautiful.

 

[Lexypoibra]

Ok, thanks all, i've got my eye on a Meyer 6M - it's interesting how a lot of people I interact with on (and off) this forum all gravitate to, and recommend a Meyer (and Meyer style) MP for Alto. Tried and proven, I guess. Thanks.

 

[theneighbordubh]

This is easy. All you have to do really is add up all the integrals of diameter throughout each mouthpiece and horn, and apply sound waves originating from zero, integrated over pitch. Accounting for the size and location of tones holes, and bend radii of course. I suppose you would have to listen to each simulation, then compare to actually playing each variation to validate your math.

 

[hnthere]

There's no need to play mouthpieces to validate the math - you just need to solve some differential equations. An hour a day on that math is good; two would be better.

There are some good points in this thread that I have to pay attention to. I've recently switched my attention from alto to tenor, but still play the alto 1-2 times a week. I've been bouncing back and forth between wanting to accentuate the alto-ness and to wanting to play the alto as a lighter tenor.

 

[Roundmidnite]

I've actually been thinking about this lately- should my concept of my sound on tenor affect alto, and vice-versa?

 

[skeller047]

I've actually been thinking about this lately- should my concept of my sound on tenor affect alto, and vice-versa?

Whether or not it ** should **, it ** will **. Unavoidable.

Use this to your advantage - use your experience on all your wind instruments to inform your concept of producing a sound. Kind of like an actor playing the kindly maiden aunt, or the wicked witch of the west. Different voices, same actor.

Not saying you're wicked, mind you ....

Case in point from my experience, concentrating on flute for a couple years (never really got concert soloist good, but good enough to double in shows), helped my saxophone playing by giving me different insights into my air stream.

Alto and tenor are different voices, and flute even more so. But you are still you, and your musical conception will inform how you speak those voices.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[HeavyWeather77]

I've actually been thinking about this lately- should my concept of my sound on tenor affect alto, and vice-versa?

I started on alto, and I still love playing it, but when I started practicing a lot of tenor (which eventually became my main horn) it made my alto sound much, much better. I think developing a concept on at least those two horns, but undoubtedly bari and soprano too, end up being strongly mutually beneficial. The smaller horns help encourage precise embouchure control and the larger horns help develop air strength and flexibility.

 

[dexdex]

.......You really have to treat it like a completely different instrument and work to find your alto voice.

Same for me.

 

[Lambros]

Hi all,

i'm looking to purchase an Alto sax to compliment my Tenor saxophone experience. Whilst Tenor will be my main horn, I want to get something that closely mirrors my Tenor setup, largely because after a few years now of trialing sax/MP/reed combinations, i'm happy with my kit/gear for Tenor. Currently i'm playing on mouthpieces around 105" to 115" ( Jody Jazz Giant 8, Otto link 7*, and a stainless Berg 120/1 SMS - actually measures 115") with Legere Signature series reeds around 2 1/4 strength. All this is through my absolutely fantastic 2 year old Yamaha Custom 82z ii Tenor, which (after trialing a few Saxophones at my local Woodwind store) just felt great both in ergonomics, play ability,and sound for me, compared to some other saxes in the price range.
With this in mind, I've decided that (almost non negotiable) that my Alto weapon of choice will be a YAS 82z as well, based on how happy i am with the Tenor variant. Now, here's my dilemma. The additional gear purchases for my Alto setup will be based on faith in my successful Tenor kit - to which is where i'm looking for advice. Has anyone done this similar leap of faith and if so, based on my Tenor gear, what mouthpiece brand/tip opening and reed combo should I look at to mirror? Does it even work like that? Is there a proportional tip opening size between Alto and Tenor that has a sweet spot - i.e - if you're happy with a 7* Tenor MP does that mean a 6* Alto piece of the same brand will be right for you?
Interested to hear other peoples kit/gear combos between the two, as I would like to get it right first time, because down here in Australia, we don't get the luxury of trialing various MP/Reed combos due to the fact that there is such a small pool of choice when it comes to saxophone gear, and it's more a buy first, begrudgingly return later kind of policy.
Hopefully I can get some guidance on this.
Cheers,

Hi, let me start by saying that the YAS82Z is a great choice. If I would recommend a mouthpiece that's almost foolproof to play over time, it would be the Vandoren HR V16 A8 s+. Just enough volume and, at .082 just enough of a tip opening to experiment and experience what soft to medium strength reeds will suit you over time. Based on what I understood, you actually never played an alto as well. It's quite different from tenor in many ways that you will have to experience for yourself. I wish you well in your effort.

 

[Dr G]

I've actually been thinking about this lately- should my concept of my sound on tenor affect alto, and vice-versa?

That's the deeper question, isn't it?

If your concept on alto is solid, why would anything affect it? If your alto concept is that strong, why would you even bother with another horn?

So, if you choose to play another horn to fill an empty niche, why would you want it to sound like anything else?

Anyhow, that's what gets me to the point where I play each horn as its own.

You need to ask the questions of yourself, and don't settle for ambiguous answers. :bluewink: