[On KEW]

Hey! I have been enjoying this forum for the past month (when I decided to get back into playing)! Now I have been mucking with things long enough to have a question.

I have 3 mouthpieces. I am currently using Rico Jazz select 3m reeds. I find that my sound includes a lot of air hiss on two of the mouthpieces and blowing into them seems more difficult, but the third gives me a comparatively clear and easy tone.
What I'm wondering is do open or closed mthpcs tend to do this more than others? Will switching to a softer or harder reed likely change this characteristic?

The mouthpiece that works best came with a used YAS-53 I just bought. However, it is not a Yamaha mthpc. It has no markings which I would generally presume to indicate poor quality.

The other two are a JD Hite Premiere and Rico Royal B5. I bought both of these because they seemed to be mainstream and generally well regarded without emptying my wallet too quickly. I figure I don't need to experiment with exotic pieces while I am getting my chops back.

I am happy with the tone and overall sound I am getting from the "good" mouthpiece, but am having occasional problems with accidental harmonics going from A to G (with octave key for both). The Octave pad transition mechanism seem to work properly and A to E is easy. I am also having some difficulty with attacks when playing notes below low D softly. I realize some of the problem could be the horn, but the player I bought it from had no problems getting it to perform suitably.

Ultimately, what I am wondering is:
1) Are there a rule for softer or harder reeds I should try to eliminate hiss before discounting the Rico and Hite mouthpieces as "inferior"?
2) I believe I could compensate for any of these combinations when I had been playing for many years on a steady basis (mostly pit orchestras); but at the same time would like to have equipment to make things easier for me as I focus on redeveloping my ability. At $13 for the Rico and $25 for the Hite, I was willing to gamble, but since I lost the gamble on both, I am feeling pretty reluctant to buy and try anything else! Any recommendations on how to best try out various mouthpieces without having to eat the cost of the ones I don't like?
3) Any suggestions for a strategy or sequence for addressing horn, piece, reed, and myself to efficiently realize good sound and responsiveness?

It is probably unrealistic to expect a perfect answer (especially for the last question), but I'd appreciate any wisdom/discussion on this which you have to offer!

Thanks,
Kurt

 

[artstove]

If it is hard to blow, and tends toward hiss, you probably have too hard a reed for that mouthpiece. Try a softer one and see what happens. (You could also try focusing on supporting from the diaphragm and blowing harder, to see if that helps.) The general rule (with exceptions, of course) is that open mouthpieces call for a softer reed than more closed ones.

Reeds are (relatively) cheap, so experiment with them. As for mouthpieces, the best approach is to find a local store that stocks a bunch, and will let you try them out. (You don't show where you are - if we know that, local folks could make recommendations.) Or you can buy from places that have an easy/good return policy. Or buy reasonably-priced used mouthpieces that you can likely resell for something close to what you paid for them. The choice of mouthpiece is highly personal, so you really have to try them.

 

[On KEW]

Thanks! Good comments and I added my location.

 

[saxmusicguy]

I find that my sound includes a lot of air hiss on two of the mouthpieces and blowing into them seems more difficult, but the third gives me a comparatively clear and easy tone.

Yes, it's likely that the two "hissing" mouthpieces have wider tip openings than the one that produces a clear tone. Softer reeds are likely to reduce the hissing and make them easier to play. The Hite is a good basic mouthpiece.

 

[bandmommy]

If it were me, first I'd get the horn to a good tech to make sure there are no 'issues'. Even though the person you purchased the sax from is able to play it only means that they may have learned to compensate for any leaks.

Second I would go a whole step softer in the reed department. You want to build those chops up without starting any bad habits like biting.
The Hite and Rico are actually really good pieces if you have the proper strength reed strapped to them.

You have probably already thought of these solutions....

 

[On KEW]

You have probably already thought of these solutions....

LOL, Yes I have thought of that... along with about 20 other possibilities!
I suffer analysis paralysis, not knowing which possibilities to test first.
Thus, my request for assistance!

Thanks!

 

[On KEW]

Yes, it's likely that the two "hissing" mouthpieces have wider tip openings than the one that produces a clear tone. Softer reeds are likely to reduce the hissing and make them easier to play. The Hite is a good basic mouthpiece.

This seems to be spot on!
I just checked and the opening is indeed smaller on the "good" mouthpiece. I hope that a softer reed will provide an improved overall experience with one of the new mouthpieces!

 

[On KEW]

If it were me, first I'd get the horn to a good tech to make sure there are no 'issues'. Even though the person you purchased the sax from is able to play it only means that they may have learned to compensate for any leaks.

Good point! I had planned to do this immediately when I bought the horn, but the tech looked it over and said there was nothing glaringly wrong with it and (because the sax had been idle for some time) I would be better off to go ahead and put some time in on the horn to get moisture back in it. He doesn't want to adjust a bone dry horn, only to have to readjust it once I "humidify" it.

Thanks again!