I too would like to know. The guy is a monster. I've heard that he plays on a Guardala Michael Brecker piece, though i don't know if that's true, or any details.

there are a bunch of mp3s for sale on dave douglas' site (greenleafmusic.com) of some live quintet shows, and mccaslin is on fire on them. I highly recommend set 2 from december 5th.

 

I too would like to know. The guy is a monster. I've heard that he plays on a Guardala Michael Brecker piece, though i don't know if that's true, or any details.

there are a bunch of mp3s for sale on dave douglas' site (greenleafmusic.com) of some live quintet shows, and mccaslin is on fire on them. I highly recommend set 2 from december 5th.

When I was in school with Donny, he played a metal Berg Larsen. Granted, that was more than a few yrs. ago, but I digress.......
Not only an incredible player, but a great guy to boot.

John

 

He played a metal berg at Berklee and was playing one the last time I saw him in NY but that was in the 90's. He has the exact same sound he had back then so my guess is he's still playing a berg.

 

Saw him 2 weeks ago, as we brought Maria's band to Drake for a concert. He was burning beyond belief. I told him what a thrill it was to hear the diverse concepts between he and Rich Perry. Both marvelous creative players, but with very different conceptions--sound among them. Oh yeah, he was playing a Berg--same one pictured on the cover of his great CD, Give and Go. No idea of the size or chamber, though. He seemed like a super nice cat--you should contact him through his site donnymccaslin.com and find out.

 

Donny told me about a year ago he's played the same metal Berg since college, and when I saw him a few weeks ago in Philly he was still using it, no surprise. I believe it's a .115 but I don't remember exactly. In any case it doesn't really matter, he's a beast and he's been using the same equipment for 15+ years!

 

I know this is an old thread, but Donny plays the same Berg Larson 105/2/M that he started on when he was 7 years old. His father, who is a piano player got him started then and picked the Berg and the BA that he still plays. He has only ever played on mouthpiece.

 

I know this is an old thread, but Donny plays the same Berg Larson 105/2/M that he started on when he was 7 years old. His father, who is a piano player got him started then and picked the Berg and the BA that he still plays. He has ever played on mouthpiece.

You mean the endless quest for the perfect MP is pure folly?:shock:

 

....and here's some pics of that kind of mouthpiece.....

https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showt...showthread.php?279970-60s-Berg-Larsen-105-2-offset-M-metal-tenor-sax-mouthpiece

 

In the late 80s, by coincidence, I bought one of those exact pieces in a pawn shop in the midwest somewhere for about $25. I kept it around and played it off and on. Great piece. It had all of the characteristics of Donny's tone especially up in the high end, and down in the low notes it was really tight and poppy. Really nice. But I went through a period where I didn't like it and didn't use it much, and the high G was always a little stuffy, so I sold it. Of course I with I still had it because I haven't run across another one like it since.

 

FWIW, I measured that piece when I made a new bite plate for him a few years back. It's marked 105/2 but measures around .085" with a facing that I wouldn't put on an alto, as it was a bit short. He told me he took it from his high-school and has been playing it ever since. He was playing a fairly standard medium reed, like maybe a Rico 3M.

 

Oh, that part about taking it from his high school sounds familiar. I do know he's never played anything else. We had a discussion about mouthpieces once, and he said he was interested in trying a wooden piece some time, but he was just comfortable with what he had. I do know the B.A. he plays is his original horn from when he first started.

That's crazy that it measured so closed. We did talk about reeds once and he said he doesn't play a heavy reed and something about there are ways to get a good sound out of a thin reed, you don't need a big reed to get a big sound.

 

Watching this right now, sure looks like a Berg to me (this was from 2017 but still)

And yeah, he sounds great, plays his butt off too.

After experimenting with "smaller" tips lately I agree with Whaler about them. Not that 6* is super small, but still...

 

I had a similar vintage SS Berg 105/2/SMS. It was a piece I should have kept.

 

I do love his sound,and playing of course..
His Berg sound HUGE and GREAT!!
He s an incredible player.
Thanks for sharing.
Regards
Saxobari

 

I play the same mouthpiece as Donny. Why the F*** don't I sound like him?!!!!! Oh yeah, practice, musicality, and ears.

 

You must need a better one!

 

Ha-ha

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