mouthpiece for vintage toneking

yingski said:

Eh, i just recently bought a 1951 toneking in great shape and as a beginner i was having problems with the mouthpiece and was told by my techie that it wasn't the greatest mouthpiece and that maybe i should get your typical student mouthpiece (Selmer C*), so i did that but it didn't seem to be any better and then i just read somewhere that vintage horns don't always respond well to these newer mouthpieces...... .... does anyone know if this is the case with this particular sax?? And if so, which would be the right mouthpiece for it?? Of course it could just be me too

thanks.

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Hi

Nice choice of sax

I would say that Yes, the choice of mouthpiece makes a big difference

I play a '62 New King Tenor which I bought second hand with three different mouthpieces. One is a Berg Larsen 100 / 1 metal, the other two I think are Keilwerth - the only markings they carry are a "4" and a "5". The five being slightly longer than the four

The number four I hardly use - it gives a very "stuffy" high D.
The five is sweet and smooth
and the Berg Larsen very bright and forward - as you would expect

The choice of reed is also significant, but to a lesser extent - the Berg Larsen prefers a Fibracell about half or a full size softer than the Vandoren's I use with the others

If your new toy is a tenor, I would happily lend you the number 4 to try - I really dont use it.

I would suggest you try as many mouthpieces as you can - something out there is bound to suit you.

Hope this helps

Jim

=mjc=
.

yingski said:

Oh and i did notice a tiny number on the JK mouthpiece AFTER i bought the Selmer (!) it's a little 4, so i guess it's a mouthpiece #4.

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Yup, that sounds like a JK #4 alright.

I definately get a better sound with a #5

Its a bit longer than the #4, and as others have suggested here, a larger chamber seems to help.

Hope you've sorted your issues with keying and that your tech did a proper job on the pads and any leaks that is.

I'd also strongly encourage you to find a teacher, you'll play better sooner and have more fun.

Cheers

Jim