[simso]

Hi guys and gals, it may seem like a silly question but can you wear a mouthpiece out or is it more likely you outgrow a mouthpiece. Ive only been playing for about 6 weeks now, so Im new but today I cannot get any note from high treb clef d and above without sqqueaking the sound. It hasnt been a problem in the past but I just cant get a note out. I grabbed my daughters mouthpiece which is a yammy student 4c unit and its harder to push the air through her mouthpiece on my sax but d and above are perfect. My mouthpiece was a no name unit but it played crisp and clear up until today. It has deep teeth marks on the top. My sax teacher pointed out this was mainly because my teeth arent stratight on the top and they tend to slide on the mouthpiece a bit, hence create like a gully shape,and not from biting but that could be possible too.
Clarification my mouthpiece my sax squeaky d and above my daughters mouthpiece my sax - perfect.
Im going to buy another mouthpiece but any recommendations should I step up from this size mouthpiece or stick around this. What could be my problem
Any Help is appreciated
Thanks
Steve

 

[hakukani]

A friend of mine, and a fine player has worn his hard rubber pieces out. He plays four nights a week, and has for many years. This year, he has finally bitten through one of his mouthpieces, and he is currently looking for a new one.

It took him 25 years.


When you tried the 4c, did you use the same reed? That's what I suspect-it may have warped on you
.
IMHO you can't go wrong at your level with a selmer C*.

 

[Razzy]

Use mouthpiece patches and you won't have your friend's problem, even after 50 years. Still, it takes many many years of hard playing for the facing and rails of a mouthpiece to see any kind of player-induced wear.

 

[simso]

Hi hakukani, yep same reed, same placement. Im going to chase down another one today, the selmer c sharp is the same as the yamaha 4c isnt it. I might put the reed back on the other mouthpiece again and give it another go,
Steve

I buy my mouthpieces from this mob here

http://www.saxandwoodwind.com.au/accessories/woodwind_mouthpieces.php

 

[simso]

Okay, I put the reed back onto my old mouthpiece again and it works a hell of a lot better, still has a slight tendency to add a sort of whistle sound to the note but definetly better. It has the same tip opening size as my daughters yammy 4c but it flows so much freer, its like theres very little resistance to airflow where as the yammy you gotta push the air though it. Heres a photo of the tooth marks I was talking about, Ive heard of mpc protectors but dont know whats involved in actually fitting one, can someone help us out there
Steve

 

[Carl H.]

The selmer c sharp is the same as the yamaha 4c isnt it.

Similar pieces, but not the same. The Selmer is a bit higher quality control than the plain 4c. I've played a few of the C* (SEE star) pieces over the years and every one was better the the stock yamaha pieces. The Yamaha custom 4C is supposed to be pretty good, but you can get a used C* pretty cheap if you keep your eyes open.

Mouthpiece patches are just like a chunk of thick rubber tape - peel and stick.

 

[J.Max]

There are two ways to wear out a hard rubber piece:

1. Bite down so hard that you eventually wear a hole in it. (Takes about 25 years or so)

2. The piece loses its facing (only happens with pieces made of poor rubber that are very, very old or become warped for some reason.)

 

[Martin Williams]

Ive had worse ones... I was a major biter when I first started playing. I have kicked that habit though.

 

[kage62]

Okay, I put the reed back onto my old mouthpiece again and it works a hell of a lot better, still has a slight tendency to add a sort of whistle sound to the note...
Steve

"whistle sound" usually means the reed is too soft and you need to replace it.

 

[AmSaxPlayer]

There are two ways to wear out a hard rubber piece:

1. Bite down so hard that you eventually wear a hole in it. (Takes about 25 years or so)

2. The piece loses its facing (only happens with pieces made of poor rubber that are very, very old or become warped for some reason.)

Or you can let the ground give you a quick "professional" reface :shock:

 

[CountSpatula]

Hmm...arranging a little "accident" *gulp* huh AmSaxPlayer?

 

[simso]

Thanks for the feedback, Ill chase down a rubber protector strip today, that was after 6 weeks of use. I might also go up reed strength and see what happens. Im using a 2.5 at the moment Ill try a 3, I also have the same problem with the other 4 x 2.5's I have

 

[simso]

Okay, just picked up a no 3 reed, and wow, I personally believe its a huge difference. I think the sound was smoother almost mellow sound not as sharp as before, would this be a correct assumption. But I am knackered after only playing 30 bars. I was doing about 60 bars of 4 time which are only about 10 songs with a 2.5 as practice each day, and I felt good enough to do them again but with the 3 reed Im out of breathe after doing only half of what I can normally breeze through, Is this correct or does this indicate that I shouldnt go up a reed size
Steve

 

[king koeller]

Can you wear a mouthpiece out?

Yes you can.
The most common wear is the bite plate being cut through the beak.
A great way to stop this wear from occurring is to use electrical tape,
vinyl or rubber, as a mouthpiece patch.
you can also buy the pre-made ones, but I like the home made ones better.(Less expensive)
They last,depending on how many layers you use, any where from 3 months to 6 months.
(depends on how many pay gigs you get...)(How much you practice)(How hard you bite)and what type of mouthpiece material you use....
My most common patch is made with 5 pieces of tape, then cut in an oval shape, then applied to a clean dry mouthpiece.
My pieces are an investment.
I play 14 to 28 hours a week, depending on the schedule, so I don't want to bite or scratch the bite plate. My teeth are kind of sharp so the rubber tape works to a tee!
Mouthpieces are your best friends so treat them with respect!

 

[hakukani]

Hi hakukani, yep same reed, same placement. Im going to chase down another one today, the selmer c sharp is the same as the yamaha 4c isnt it. I might put the reed back on the other mouthpiece again and give it another go,
Steve

The C* is equivalent to the yamaha 5c, I believe. At least that's the one that is on my yamaha bari.

 

[hakukani]

I bought my selmer C* S80 in about 1974--when they first came out. I've played it ever since for legit solo and concert band and orchestra stuff. I have only managed to get a slight indentation on mine, and that's after two years where my bite was changed with braces after undergrad. I've never really been a biter.

I used to do the rubber thing (before commercial mouthpiece patches). I stopped when I found that it was keeping my rather small mouth open too much. I'm one of those players that like a long tapered beak, like an S80, or alto otto link.

Everybody's different, thank goodness.

 

[dstack79]

Okay, just picked up a no 3 reed, and wow, I personally believe its a huge difference. I think the sound was smoother almost mellow sound not as sharp as before, would this be a correct assumption. But I am knackered after only playing 30 bars. I was doing about 60 bars of 4 time which are only about 10 songs with a 2.5 as practice each day, and I felt good enough to do them again but with the 3 reed Im out of breathe after doing only half of what I can normally breeze through, Is this correct or does this indicate that I shouldnt go up a reed size
Steve

This will happen at least temporarily when you change reed strengths. My advice would be to keep at it w/ the #3 for awhile and see if your endurance increases. You may find out that you actually prefer the #3 after all. If you're still having this issue several weeks in the future, you might wanna stick w/ the 2.5

By the way, your initial problems w/ repsonse etc are almost certainly reed related and not mpc. Unless you drop a mpc, the mpc never changes. Reeds CONSTANTLY change. That's why I always say that if you want to obsess about your equipment, obsess about your reeds. Even the best mpcs and horns will sound mediocre unless you have good reeds.

 

[Hotspur]

Yes, I actually bit through the mouthpiece that came with one of my earlier tenors