[saxdude11]

I really need some great help with these 2 pieces. I understand the excalibur 7 has a .80 tip opening and the 8 has a .85. I've been playing on a Limited edition meyer 6m thats a .76. I've also have a beechler bellite thats an 85 but really hard to control. I almost bought a jody esp 7, but returned it because wasn't quite the sound I wanted (wasn't to hard to control). I'd like to buy the 8 because its available and junkdude, but I dont wanna jump in the deep end with tip openings. The thought thats crosses me is, "Is the Excalibur 8 (.85) harder or WAY easier to control that the beechler bellite 7 (.85)?" I can't exaclty try them out because there is no "trial policy" for morgans at junkdude. Should I wait for a 7 or buy one off you guys, or maybe order the 8 because it shouldn't be to hard to play? I'd appreciate the help!! thanks

 

[saxdude11]

by the way, I couldn't get enough sound out of the 6m meyer because I have a power house brass section at our college.

 

[LeftySaxDude]

Here's a mish-mash of random advice...

What reed are you using? I used to own a 6E excalibur. They are basically meyer-style but resonate more and are more powerful. The 8E should blow similarly to an 8M Meyer, but with more brightness and projection.

Your control issues with the beechler is that it has a very short facing, and beechlers are notorious for quality control problems. Try different reeds before buying a new mouthpiece altogether.

The limited edition meyer is a great piece, you may want to try a fibracell medium or medium-hard reed. My friend let me play on his, and the tone immediately was brighter and more powerful. As soon as I get some more cash, I am going to get some of my own.

Good luck.

 

[saxdude11]

I've tried every vandoren, and rico possible for the beechler, just can't control it. So it blows similiar to a meyer huh? Soungds good to me because I like the feel of the meyer.

 

[Hurling Frootmig]

Have you looked at doing a 7M or 8M? If you like the Meyer sound then that might be a great way to go. Another option would be to check out Ralph's M series pieces instead of the E.

 

[saxdude11]

i've checked out the M and L's also, but I'm looking for a little more contemporary sound. I've heared they're a tad on the warm like the meyer.

 

[bfoster64]

Well, I play an 8M on alto and I love it. It isn't too hard to control and it has great focused projection and a huge dynamic range. Intonation is good and it is very responsive. I use a Hemke 2.5 reed. I've tried a Morgan 7L and didn't like it too much. For one thing, the tip seemed too small. I haven't tried an 8E, but I imagine it will play a lot like the 8M, but with a little more brightness and buzz in the sound. Could be exactly what you're looking for, especially with that brass section.

 

[MM]

FWIW, a buddy has measured a couple recent 8E's and they ran more open than the published .085, more like .090-.092. So if you are on the fence between a 7 or 8, I suggest the 7. Yes, the Morgans are easier to play than the Bellites.

I may bite the bullet and try a 7E soon. Currently I'm playing on a Mojo Meyer which is quite nice, but sometimes I want more power. I have some pieces that give that but I don't care for their tone in most of my playing situations.

 

[sinkdraiN]

You want the Morgan 6E or 7E. NOT the 8E!!!

And yes, a 6E or 7E is very easy to play compared to a bellite.

The wider the tip the darker and less focused the mouthpiece will become. You almost need a wide tip on a Beechler just to take some of the harshness out of it. Morgans are already warm with some brilliance so you can take advantage of the wonderful control of a 6 or 7 tip.

A Morgan 8E will not respond like your Bellite even though they both have a similar opening. Your Bellite has a baffle which will make the tip seem less open. The morgan gets it's brightness from the chamber and thin shell...so an 8 is overkill...and in time you would sell it and end up with a 6 or 7...I promise you.

 

[saxdude11]

I understand what your saying sinkdrain, but what do you mean by "an 8 is overkill"

 

[coolsax2k7]

I understand what your saying sinkdrain, but what do you mean by "an 8 is overkill"

I bought a Morgan 7M from junkdude and it turned out to measure about .83 vs. the listed .80 according to someone who measured it. It was too open for me in that setup, and I had to sell it.

 

[hakukani]

Don't get me wrong, I'm just curious.

You play on a brilhardt opened to .082, but the morgan, at .083 was too open?

 

[MM]

FWIW, I am not complaining. I was torn between trying a 7 or 8, but will likely go with the 7. That seems the most popular facing from my limited observation.

 

[saxdude11]

I'd have to say MM, I'm with you on that. I'll be letting mr dave ou there at junkdude know I want that 7E. Now if i can only get these piece in stock with some sort of power lol. Thanks for the ideas an posts. Anybody else that posts I'll most def. take your thoughts and use them towards a tenor piece!!

 

[ving]

I would agree, I have tried an 8M, 7M, 7E, and 7EL pieces. Where Morgan tenor pieces seem to blow very easy comparable to the tip opening (I have a 9 that feels very comfortable) I found the 8 on alto to be quite a workload--even the 7's which felt good to me size-wise were a little tougher to blow with a particulary hard 3 reed...

 

[ving]

I should add that none of the Morgan alto pieces ended up working for me, but I love the tenor pieces...

 

[Tharruff]

FWIW...I'm playing a 7EL on a 1963 Mark VI Alto and an 8EL on a 1940 B/A Tenor (with a 9EL on the way shortly). I like them both very much and hope that I will also like the 9EL even better.

 

[bfoster64]

I would agree, I have tried an 8M, 7M, 7E, and 7EL pieces. Where Morgan tenor pieces seem to blow very easy comparable to the tip opening (I have a 9 that feels very comfortable) I found the 8 on alto to be quite a workload--even the 7's which felt good to me size-wise were a little tougher to blow with a particulary hard 3 reed...

The 8M for alto is not a workout at all if you use a softer reed. With a Hemke 2.5 it's quite easy blowing. You can also bend notes to your hearts content and have quite a lot of control over intonation. High notes sing out beautifully and subtoning is easy down to low Bb.

I guess it depends on the strength of your embouchre, but I found the 7 to close up with a 2.5 reed and to have too much resistance with a harder reed, making low notes harder to play.

I used to play 3 and 3.5 reeds on alto because I thought that was necessary for a good tone, but it isn't really. If you're playing classical music or soft jazz, maybe that's a good setup, but if you really want to project, the more open piece with a softer reed will give you a better sound and response. I guess I'm leaning towards the Pete Thomas camp on this one.

While it may very well be true that the 7 is a more popular size in a Morgan alto piece, that's hardly a reason to warn people away from trying a larger tip. "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds," as they say.

If you want to hear my setup and judge for yourself, check out "Dead Flowers" on my myspace page. It's just a practice recording made with a cheap portable recorder, but it shows the basic sound of the piece--subject to my own (considerable) limitations, of course.

All debating aside, I think Morgan makes great alto pieces and you'll probably sound good on anything from a 6M to an 8E.

 

[MM]

I wasn't exactly trying to prevent anyone from trying a more open alto mpc, just express my own opinion and preference. Some players love this sort of setup and sound wonderful with it. I previously played RPC and refaced Bilger-Morgan mpcs that were around .090" tip but in recent years have migrated to somewhat closer.

On a tangential note, do folks find the more open mpcs limit your speed of articulation? Some charts, especially older ones, call for rapid ricky-ticky tonguing, and on some more open setups this has been an unpleasant suprise for me.

I would argue that the more open tip with a softer reed does not always give EVERYONE better sound and response. Rather it is a personal thing. I have heard some great players who can knock down the walls using a .064" classical Vandoren mpc. And they can play jazz inflections on it! This is likely the other side of the bell curve of players.

Is that the Rolling Stones' "Dead Flowers?"

 

[bruce bailey]

I would pick a 6 for alto and a 7 for tenor.