[Wailin']

I recently acquired a Berg Larsen metal 110/2 tenor.

A few questions.

It is somewhat loose on the cork unless pushed further in unlike my other mpc's. Is this normal?

What's been your experience with the B.L. stock lig?

What are your best reed choices?

How does B.L. metal compare to Guardala?

 

[brianincairo]

I played a stock steel tenor piece - a 115/2 - for a long time. I loved it for the huge sound I got out of it. I think I was using a #2 reed, but - at the same time - it was waaaay too open for me. Lots of intonation issues.

 

[dstack79]

It is somewhat loose on the cork unless pushed further in unlike my other mpc's. Is this normal?

My Berg was also loose.

What's been your experience with the B.L. stock lig?

They're so so. Not my 1st choice.

What are your best reed choices?

I liked any kind of Rico reeds on them

How does B.L. metal compare to Guardala?

Berg that you have probably won't be as bright/edgy or focused as Guardala

 

[Grumps]

Just evaluated a Berg 130/3 metal piece from WWBW not too long ago.
Stock ligature? Junk.
Mouthpiece table? Warped and uneven.

Putting this piece flat on my mouthpiece gauge, I could see the light from my computer screen shining through. Terribly made mouthpiece and off it went back to WWBW.

 

[gsaxman100]

I have fat-body metal Berg 110/2 and it's a great mouthpiece. The ligature is fine. Maybe it's just me but I never notice a lot of change between ligatures, subtle changes at best. I like Vandoren v16 2.5, or Rico Jazz Select in a 2H or 3S. I play other mouthpieces too, but I really like the sound of the Berg and it is easy to play with a big soulful sound.

 

[1saxman]

Grumps; The new Bergs are generally terrible although you might actually find one that plays after a fashion. I ordered one for bari and it would not play. At all. I thought I was going nuts. I put my old Berg on and it blew great. The new one would not make a sound. Damndest thing I've ever seen. All mouthpieces are different on shank bore size. Sometimes you get a small bore that you can't get on the cork so you can't try it out without messing up your cork. Trying out a slightly larger bore is generally no problem as you can put some paper or teflon tape on the cork to seal it up. The older Bergs are usually the best, and a 110/2/M is one of the best all-around Bergs ever made. I'm guessing you're a part-time or amateur player, so try a #2 RICO on it and get a Rovner ligature to fit it. A player with chops might use a #4 or #5 on a 110, and you would want to work up to a RICO #3 eventually.

 

[DanF]

I have fat-body metal Berg 110/2 and it's a great mouthpiece. The ligature is fine. Maybe it's just me but I never notice a lot of change between ligatures, subtle changes at best. I like Vandoren v16 2.5, or Rico Jazz Select in a 2H or 3S. I play other mouthpieces too, but I really like the sound of the Berg and it is easy to play with a big soulful sound.

Ditto here too. Got 2 Bergs that play great regardless of the ligature.

 

[Reedsplinter]

You don't specify whether it's an old or new Berg. I have a fine Berg 110/2 from @1962 (I bought it in 1967). It's an excellent piece, very well made. I don't use it much any more because I prefer my RPC, but I used it for years. The lig is fine, but I use it (when I use it) with a Winslow.

It bears NO resemblance to a Guardala. It's a whole different beastie.

But, I realize, the one I have is 40 years old. I have not played a new one.

The shank has a large bore. If I were using it now, I'd have to have my horn recorked to fit it.

 

[Wailin']

You don't specify whether it's an old or new Berg. I have a fine Berg 110/2 from @1962 (I bought it in 1967). It's an excellent piece, very well made. I don't use it much any more because I prefer my RPC, but I used it for years. The lig is fine, but I use it (when I use it) with a Winslow.

It bears NO resemblance to a Guardala. It's a whole different beastie.

But, I realize, the one I have is 40 years old. I have not played a new one.

The shank has a large bore. If I were using it now, I'd have to have my horn recorked to fit it.

Here is a pic of the Berg I have:

http://findit.mt9.net/price/Music12...n_Metal_Tenor_Sax_Mouthpiece_110-2_43217.html

 

[dirty]

I recently acquired a Berg Larsen metal 110/2 tenor.

A few questions.

It is somewhat loose on the cork unless pushed further in unlike my other mpc's. Is this normal?

Bergs have long shanks, so they like to be pushed way in, in my experience. I keep it pushed most of the way down the cork (probably 3/4-7/8 of the way down). This is approximately the same place my Link goes, maybe a little further.

What's been your experience with the B.L. stock lig?

Garbage. Mine cuts into my reeds so badly that I just gave up on it. I use an old Rovner light. There's probably something better out there, but I don't want to bother looking for it, especially since I only pull my Berg out for r&b and when I need to have a more piercing tone.

What are your best reed choices?

LaVoz Medium. Absolutely the best I've ever played on this mouthpiece (or any mouthpiece), and I've tried all of the Vandorens in every strength from 2.5-3.5, as many tins of Superials as I could afford to experiment with (4 or 5 before I realized I was playing for a tin box more than 5 reeds) and I went through a RJS phase awhile back. RJS would be my second choice, but the LaVoz, for me, are fuller, thicker and more flexible. The LaVoz can get bright and edgy like the RJS, but I found the RJS couldn't get as thick and "woofy" (for lack of a better word) as the LaVoz. I love LaVoz. Plus, they're cheap!

 

[Honeyboy]

I liked my 130/2 Berg even before Mojo flattened the table, did some facing work to improve the altissimo range and did some adjusting to the tip to match my reeds of choice-Vandoren ZZ 2.5 or 3's. I've been using a Selmer 404? metal ligature but the original was fine. This has the drop off baffle, not the bullet chamber. I usually push it on to where I put the Otto Link. It plays almost perfectly in tune- better than my other mouthpieces, on my Buescher Aristocrat 156 or The Martin. Along with my 7*NY Link and a 7* Jody Jazz ESP. it is my mouthpiece of choice.It can play dark and sultry or loud and brash.It is wider than my 70's 115/0 piece but I don't know if that is the wide body type refered to above. The newest ones are really hit or miss. I too tried one that I could not get ANY sound out of!!! It played worse than the rubber mouthpieces I mangled practicing my refacing skills!!!!

 

[T-MAN]

I have a couple of 1960's SS tenor Bergs that are awesome players (111/2 M and 114/1 M). I had to have my neck cork enlarged so that they fit properly. So the answer to your first question is yes, it is normal.

I use the stock lig on both Bergs because they give me the best combination of response, tonal vibrancy, and intonation. I've tried Rovner ligs and Olegatures and they muffle the sound and throw off intonation. So for ME, the stock Berg ligs work the best.

For the 111/2, I use either Vandoren ZZ 2.5 or Plasticover 2.5 reeds. For the
114/1, Vandoren ZZ 2.5.

 

[Reedsplinter]

I have a couple of 1960's SS tenor Bergs that are awesome players (111/2 M and 114/1 M). I had to have my neck cork enlarged so that they fit properly. So the answer to your first question is yes, it is normal.

I use the stock lig on both Bergs because they give me the best combination of response, tonal vibrancy, and intonation. I've tried Rovner ligs and Olegatures and they muffle the sound and throw off intonation. So for ME, the stock Berg ligs work the best.

For the 111/2, I use either Vandoren ZZ 2.5 or Plasticover 2.5 reeds. For the
114/1, Vandoren ZZ 2.5.

Your 1960s Bergs sound pretty similar to mine. What kind of lig do you have? Mind is very different from the ones they supply now: it's a small light inverted lig -- screws on top. Are yours like this? I have a couple of newer HR Bergs (good pieces) and the ligs are like the ones folks are complaining about. The old Berg ligs were nothing special (I prefer my Winslow on that mouthpiece) but they were fine.

 

[wersax]

I have a couple of 1960's SS tenor Bergs that are awesome players (111/2 M and 114/1 M). I had to have my neck cork enlarged so that they fit properly. So the answer to your first question is yes, it is normal.

I use the stock lig on both Bergs because they give me the best combination of response, tonal vibrancy, and intonation. I've tried Rovner ligs and Olegatures and they muffle the sound and throw off intonation. So for ME, the stock Berg ligs work the best.

For the 111/2, I use either Vandoren ZZ 2.5 or Plasticover 2.5 reeds. For the
114/1, Vandoren ZZ 2.5.

111? 114? Huh?

 

[SilverNeck20]

Garbage. Mine cuts into my reeds so badly that I just gave up on it. I use an old Rovner light. There's probably something better out there, but I don't want to bother looking for it, especially since I only pull my Berg out for r&b and when I need to have a more piercing tone.

I played a Berg 100/M/1 for 20 years. I was trying new mouthpieces a few years ago and tried a 120/M/?. I had trouble using the stock lig, and had to use my old one just to play it. It was pretty poorly made.

The piece had plenty of edge to it, but I chose an SR instead.

 

[T-MAN]

Reedsplinter--both are stock Berg ligs that came with the mpce. I'm guessing they are original. One has the circular cut outs on the sides with a small "Q" designation on it and flat head screws. The other has no cut outs with a "T" designation and knob head screws. They are not inverted.

wersax--both were refaced and those are the current tip openings. However, they are marked as 110/2 M and 105/1 M. Hope that clears things up.

I just got the 114/1 M back from EZ and it plays great. Sweet, soulful sound with just the right amount of focus, brightness, and edge. The 111/2 M plays a tad darker and more spread, but still plenty bright. To me, the old fatter-bodied Bergs play much better than the modern ones. I also like the mouthfeel and tenor reeds actually fit, whereas the modern Bergs feel too small in my mouth and the reeds hang over the sides. I love both of my vintage Bergs and they fit my sound concept (Jr. Walker) very well.

 

[Wailin']

0.365 inch of the cork is exposed after pushing the mpc in.

 

[Sigmund451]

Ive been playing around with a berg 110 2 SMS. Its an interesting piece. Im using 2.5 Java reeds at the moment. Im still in my experimental stage with it. I had to work on it. Let me say that my arm is tired. I think I wore the grit off sand paper way before I removed much of the stainless! Remind me not to work on anymore stainless pieces!

 

[Jolle]

I play a 115/2/SMS bullet chamber. Chose it from I think about 10 different ones, including some Selmer pieces, Bari and Otto Link. Mine is great. I have another one, a old 95/2/SMS, and that one plays good but lacks the power I have on my 115. I have one for bari too, an old 120/2/SMS, but that one is just too big for me.

Bores are huge for all three, although the new one fits better. I've heard people complain about the BergLarsen inconsistency often though.

Reed choice : Rico Jazz Select (went from 2H to 3M). I tried VanDoren ZZ and V16 (2, 2.5 and 3), Alexander, Rigotti and normal Rico's, all in different strengths. The Rico Jazz Select do it best for me.

stock lig on the new one is fine, the other two defenitely need another one, although the ligs still work.

 

[chops2200]

I used a 110/2 for a while, with Vandoren Java 3.5's. The lig I was using was one of the Rovner eddie daniels ligs and it worked great with the piece. I've always hated the stock ligatures with the Berg's.