[Dave Dolson]

Dave: I have a 590LQ, purchased at Kessler's store. Before buying it, I tried several 590's (in all finishes) and a 582 (the single-fixed-neck model). Of all the Antiguas I tested that day, only the 582 gave me intonation problems and that was because the neck cork was so fat, I couldn't shove on far enough to come to pitch. We chose not to alter the neck cork because it wasn't a purchased horn yet. Dave Kessler has discussed 582's intonation issues in other posts.

My 590 plays to pitch regardless of what mouthpiece I put on it. I need to shove on far up the cork, but I do that with all my sopranos (six at last count). The pieces I've played on the 590 are Super Session J, Morgan Vintage 6 and 7, STM Link 8*, S-80 G and J, Runyon Custom 7, and several others.

At the NAMM Show last January, I came across the Antigua display and tried one of their 582 models. This one had a neck cork that worked with the set-up I had with me (S-80 G with a soft Fibracell reed). The 582 played perfectly - every bit as good as my 590. I was impressed.

Everyone reacts differently to mouthpieces, but I've never played a Link "ebonite" that played as open as my other pieces. Maybe you need a harder reed with that Link . . . or a different mouthpiece, one that will shove on far enough to play to pitch. If the cork is too tight, sand it down a bit. DAVE

 

[Dave Dolson]

DaveS: For what it is worth, reeds vary. If I were you, I'd spend a day testing SEVERAL reeds, prepping them, rating them, and storing them in a reed-guard with your soprano. That way, you can rotate among many good reeds. Reeds vary so much that just picking up the next reed in a box and going with it may give you false impressions of your horn, your mouthpiece, AND your own playing.

My working soprano cases each have a couple of reed-guards containing reeds I've prepped just for that particular horn and mouthpiece combo. DAVE