[Rackety Sax]

Help me out here - what are some indicators that you've finally found "your" mouthpiece. Here's one: many of those excellent mouthpieces that you've been keeping around forever "just in case" suddenly become dispensable.

 

[guido]

For me it would be when I don't even think about which piece to put on when playing in the context I most care about.

 

[hakukani]

When the piece feels so comfortable you feel as if you've always played on it.

 

[Grumps]

When you sell/trade the last one you thought was your mouthpiece...

 

[EZ]

I am still trying to put my finger on the sound that is "me", and over time I do feel I'm getting closer - discovering new tonal dimensions and character on an ongoing basis. So the journey may never end, but occasionally I feel there has been a quantum leap of progress via a gear change - and that's about as good as it gets. I still find that I require a minimum of three mouthpieces per horn to cover the spectrum of sound I want at my disposal. One for legit, one really versatile jazz piece, and one screamer.

 

[spiderjames]

When you sell/trade the last one you thought was your mouthpiece...

That's funny!

 

[dirty]

When you stop buying other mouthpieces.

 

[harmonizerNJ]

on the alto: when my mouthpiece made me feel this: "aaah, I am home".

on the soprano: I don't know.

 

[hakukani]

When you sell/trade the last one you thought was your mouthpiece...

Or you buy an RPC.

 

[king koeller]

When you finally feel good about how great the mouthpiece is projecting and you're in the zone! Time is suspended. That's the sound you've been looking for all these years...Can it be real? I can't believe how much fun this is!
On the next gig, the piece plays even better!
Then you're home and you really know it.

 

[Turnaround]

When I looked at my pieces and stopped thinking about the way they sounded and thought about how much they were worth.

 

[tjontheroad]

When I give up thinking there's something I can't get from what I already have. And, I'm thinking lately just that.

 

[Reedsplinter]

When the piece I stole from the other tenor player's case turns out to have my initials scratched on the shank!:shock:

I've been looking for that since it vanished in 1978 at a Grateful Dead concert!

 

[Martinman]

When you have no money. It is amazing what will work when you are broke...

 

[Honeyboy]

When it does everything you need it to do,sounds like you want it to, is reed friendly, and performs for you everytime with little compensation either in embouchure or throat throughout the registers, and does easy altissimo. I have a stock NY STM Link 7* with a wax baffle which does all that for me- and it only cost $130.00!!

 

[shmuelyosef]

...whenever I find a really exceptional reed, I'm done searching for a few hours.

 

[rbur]

when you can read "Sigurd Rascher" on it

 

[crazydaisydoo]

1) When you stop asking other people what they are using
2) When you just leave one out, and put the rest in a drawer
3) When you can face your credit card bill
4) When you stop looking at tip opening comparison charts
5) When you stop caring about scratches devaluing it for ebaying..
6) When you spend all of your practice time actually practicing..
7) When you go back to a normal lig, because you no longer need the "fast change" ability of the rovner
8) When you only have one compression line on your neck cork
9) When you stop scouring ebay for obscure, and sometime mythical pieces
10) When you don't start a conversation with you wife with "I have ordered another mouthpiece, I know you think I have plenty, but it is totally normal for players to amass this many, and I will sell some of them on ebay.........In fact I might make a profit on some of them......."

 

[Pinnman]

When the sax and the mpc are one, and I stop thinking I am playing sax A and mpc X.

I also agree with pretty well all the earlier comments, but this is my no 1 indicator.

 

[Honeyboy]

1) When you stop asking other people what they are using
2) When you just leave one out, and put the rest in a drawer
3) When you can face your credit card bill
4) When you stop looking at tip opening comparison charts
5) When you stop caring about scratches devaluing it for ebaying..
6) When you spend all of your practice time actually practicing..
7) When you go back to a normal lig, because you no longer need the "fast change" ability of the rovner
8) When you only have one compression line on your neck cork
9) When you stop scouring ebay for obscure, and sometime mythical pieces
10) When you don't start a conversation with you wife with "I have ordered another mouthpiece, I know you think I have plenty, but it is totally normal for players to amass this many, and I will sell some of them on ebay.........In fact I might make a profit on some of them......."

Great list! True and funny.