[Raccoon1400]

I'm wondering how many people use multiple setups for different situations, compared to people who want one mouthpiece and horn to be flexible and work for everything.
I'd rather have reasonably flexible gear and get to know it really well. I play a variety of styles, jazz, blues rock, funk, etc. Not classical. If I was playing classical maybe I'd want a more closed mouthpiece for that.

I'm playing a Yamaha '62 tenor with a 90s metal link 7*. I feel like that setup has pretty decent flexibility.

 

[jgreiner]

Clar, sop, alto, tenor. All one horn and the same 'piece on each one no matter what genre of music I'm playing. To clarify, I own multiples of each horn, but I don't pick one for a specific style or gig.
I have the philosophy that I play the horn(s), they don't play me. Took me a LONG time to get to that point, but as you get older and more experienced, you learn to be far more flexible with the equipment you use. As a 20 yr old, did I have that ability? No, but as a 55 yr old, yes. At least I like to think it's that way. ;-)

 

[Grumps]

I have the philosophy that I play the horn(s), they don't play me. Took me a LONG time to get to that point, but as you get older and more experienced, you learn to be far more flexible with the equipment you use.

I fully concur. Find the one mouthpiece that works best for the particular horn in question and get off the merry-go-round.

 

[Raccoon1400]

I feel like if I played different mouthpieces in different settings I'd never sound as good as I could on any of them.

 

[dexdex]

....
I have the philosophy that I play the horn(s), they don't play me. Took me a LONG time to get to that point, but as you get older and more experienced, you learn to be far more flexible with the equipment you use. As a 20 yr old, did I have that ability? No, but as a 55 yr old, yes. At least I like to think it's that way. ;-)

I also agree with that.

Recently, I was briefly tempted, as I moved to a tenor 2 seat in a big band.

My setup (see signature) tends to be too loud and bright, doesn't blend too well, and makes pianissimo below low C tricky. I almost opened my old box written "tenor" to find some smaller mouthpiece in my dusty collection. Laziness was a good influence: just said to myself "play that horn softer", and keep it like it is.

After a couple of weeks, everything goes fine. Actually, not only due to laziness. I realized I wanted to keep my horn like it is for soloing between the calmed down section work. It takes some effort, but one adapts to the context.

 

[Grumps]

I feel like if I played different mouthpieces in different settings I'd never sound as good as I could on any of them.

Well, you answered your own question. Look... I know. I came here and got caught up in all the mouthpiece nonsense that goes on here. It was actually helpful at first, as what I was playing at the time really wasn't best suited for me. But there was a time I was using different mouthpieces on the same horn depending on whether it was rock or traditional jazz. I just didn't need to, and I actually feel like the time spent working with one mouthpiece for one horn made me a more versatile player overall.

Don't let the equipment junkies here give you that itch; especially if all is well otherwise.

 

[Dr G]

I also agree with that.

Recently, I was briefly tempted, as I moved to a tenor 2 seat in a big band.

My setup (see signature) tends to be too loud and bright, doesn't blend too well...

If a Link STM doesn't blend well, then everyone else in the section needs to change their setups.

 

[dexdex]

“The mouthpiece nonsense that goes on here...”
Thanks for that one ☝, so true.

 

[Raccoon1400]

Well, you answered your own question.

My question is about what approach other people use. I'm not changing my approach, though I'm always open to switching something if I find something I like. But that something else would have to work well for everything. I see people post who seem to use a lot of different setups.

If a Link STM doesn't blend well, then everyone else in the section needs to change their setups.

My link can play soft nicely but I can push it pretty hard too. Harder than the JJ DVNY I used to play. I play with electric guitars a lot, but am usually mic'd when I do.

 

[dexdex]

If a Link STM doesn't blend well, then everyone else in the section needs to change their setups.

:mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen:
Exactly what I finally realized. The brightness comes from the reed, the horn.... AND the guy blowing that stuff.

 

[hakukani]

I use different setups for different situations. If I'm playing in a rock band, I sometimes feel I need a screamer like my RPC .115B
In a big band, depending on the power of the other players, I'll use my Robusto or an STM.
On soprano, I just use the same piece.
On bari, I either an RPC 110B most of the time or a Yamaha 5c for concert band
On alto, I use a slant Sig 6*, but in concert band, a selmer C*

It's not really that difficult for me to change from one piece to another. Certainly, brass players don't use the same piece for every situation.

 

[Sacks Of Phones]

Alto - 1 piece for all.
Tenor - 2 pieces. One for softer, one for "more".

 

[JohnsonPowerSax]

I have a jazz/modern set-up and a classical set-up.

I view it more of a Classical set-up and then a whatever-else set-up.

 

[Dr G]

:mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen:
Exactly what I finally realized. The brightness comes from the reed, the horn.... AND the guy blowing that stuff.

Yepper. I was a Link guy for a looong time - including a host of Barone Link-style mouthpieces (New York, Hollywood, Jazz). I have now committed to a Phil-Tone "Intrepid", and sold most everything else that I owned. I learned somewhere along the way that there seem to be two families of mouthpieces with regard to dynamic response: those that maintain their character however loud they get, and those that can change character as the dynamics change. I prefer the latter as it gives me more opportunity to shape my tone.

It's very liberating to have only one mouthpiece on each horn.

 

[Raccoon1400]

I wonder how different the responses would be if I'd posted this in the mouthpiece forum.

:mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen:
Exactly what I finally realized. The brightness comes from the reed, the horn.... AND the guy blowing that stuff.

I feel this would be different for really dark/closed pieces and bright high baffle pieces. Some pieces would give more flexibly than others.

 

[area51recording]

I keep the same mouthpiece and reed setup for everything....what I change is saxes. If I'm on a rock or blues gig I like to use my 10m. Everything else I use my Mk6. To my ear the Conn has a less......complex tone than the Selmer, but really gets a raucus quality when pushed hard...then again it's probably just in my head ;-)

 

[Taragot]

Soprano sax and clarinets is the same setup. On tenor and alto one mouthpiece for classical and one for jazz and rock. I try to use always the same reeds, though. Too much possibilities, too much confusion and time spent with gear testing ....

 

[ZootTheSim]

Of course the mouthpiece also affects your sound, along with the reed, the horn and (most importantly) the player. My altissimo's slowly getting better, and I anticipate the day when my voicing and overtones are so flexible that I don't need a higher-baffle piece to cut though my very loud rock band. For now, it's a lot easier to just slap on a Berg or Metalite when required and focus on making music. Why work harder than you have to? It's also fun to explore the range of tones and expression that different setups offer.

 

[Jazzoetry]

I like to experiment with different setups. I sometimes will play on very high baffle mouthpieces just to easily play and hear ultra high altissimo notes. Then I know what I'm reaching for or my main lower baffle or non baffle mouthpieces.

 

[mrpeebee]

I play first tenor in a Big Band and get a lot of solo's. Sometimes play jam sessions in (very) loud settings without mics too. Do everything on one setup without issues, can play very soft and very loud on my Florida no USA 10* with a soft Plasticover reed and it blends very well with the sax section.