[Alan H]

Thinking about a different mouthpiece for my "new-to-me" Buesher '62 tenor. I currently play a Meyer 7M, simply because I inherited it years ago and have never bought another one. I gave away my Dad's Otto Link 90's-vintage metal mouthpiece, 'cause I've played metal mouthpieces in the past and I just don't like them.

1. What type of music are you playing most of the time? (Jazz, Rock, Classical, Band, etc.)
ANSWER: Jazz, with a preference for a very fat, smooth sound. I'm a big Zoot Sims fan on tenor. Ditto for Scott Hamilton. I will sometimes play in a big band, but this will be rare, it will be small combos, primarily doing 1930's to 1960's tunes. I have a Selmer C* mouthpiece for the once-every-five years-call I get to play some tenor sax part with my symphony.

2. What is your budget? It doesn't make sense to suggest a Guardala on a Rico Royal budget.
ANSWER: <$150. I'm willing to buy used. I prefer hard rubber or delrin or maybe even plastic to metal. I've played a couple of Otto Link metal mouthpieces and I know it's sacrilege, but they just don't do it for me. I'm a Paul Desmond fan, for alto, so the Gregory Hollywood mouthpieces appeal, as do Clark Fobes (He's local to me) pieces.

3. What kind of horn are you playing? It is a fact that some horns play better with some mouthpieces.
ANSWER: Buescher 1962 S-40 Aristocrat.

4. What level player are you? (Beginner, Intermediate, Pro, "Weekend Warrior", student, etc.)
ANSWER: I'm a very advanced clarinet player, played my '37 Aristocrat Alto since High School (35 years ago) and college and off- 'n - on ever since then and have just got back into tenor.

5. What setting is this going to be played in? (Big Band, Funk Band, small group, chamber group, soloist, etc.)
small jazz combo, probably quartet or quintet. It's possible that I could sit in, in a big band on a rare occasion.

For reference... I play a Selmer C* soloist on my '39 Buescher alto and I prefer that sound to what I get with the Meyer 7M on the alto. However, on the *extremely* rare occasion when I play alto in a Big Band, I use the Meyer, because it projects better and has a "harder" sound and it's fine.

 

[KeithL]

Meyer 7 is a pretty middle-o-the road HR tenor piece and it should be fine for the playing/sound you want. What is that you don't like about that piece?

Even with all the info you've provided there are dozens of HR tenor pieces that people will recommend based upon their own preferences which will do you little good. Your best bet is to find a shop that stocks some pieces and play them yourself to see what you like. I would suggest trying some tenor pieces with smaller tips but I think the Meyer 7 tenor is .085-.090 which really isn't all that open. You may just want to start by trying a few different reed cuts on the Meyer to begin with before running down the mouthpiece rabbit hole.

 

[buddy lee]

If you like Desmond, you probably like Getz on tenor. Why not go to a local shop that stocks these things and try all of their Link Tone Edge pieces, staying around the 5-6 tip range. I tried a 5* and was getting a pretty dry tone, and they're only like $100 new.

 

[Alan H]

Thanks guys... I'm new to the saxophone mouthpiece thing. I'm watching a couple of used tenor pieces that are listed on ebay for ridiculously cheap. They're all pretty different so for the <$30 I'd spend, assuming they don't go through the ceiling on price, I can try several mouthpieces of very different types. I happened to see a Rico Metalite M9 for $22, new-but open-box-stock and everything I've read about them is positive, so what the heck. For $22...shipping was free, I can't go wrong. I remember when those came out in the late 70's and I wouldn't touch one 'cause they looked so cheap! LOL

I think I need to try softer reeds, BTW. What sounded good on the C* was stiffer than what I think most guys are using for jazz stuff.

Yeah, love Stan Getz. The third album I ever bought was Getz + Bob Brookmeyer on trombone on some tracks, and Getz with Gerry Mulligan on some other. LOVED that album, still do.

 

[buddy lee]

Metalite is going to be bright... big baffle, big tip opening, not quite what you're looking for I don't think, but like you said, cheap.

 

[KeithL]

Metalite is going to be bright... big baffle, big tip opening, not quite what you're looking for I don't think, but like you said, cheap.

+1 - I can't imagine you liking this piece for what you want to do. I'd keep an eye on the Marketplace section here as there are tons of lightly used HR and resin tenor pieces that are up for sale on a regular basis.

This would be an okay choice; https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?342342-Phil-Barone-Hard-Rubber-Tenor-Mouthpiece-V6*

The Morgan here; https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showt...n-berg-meyer-mouthpieces-dolnet-bari-piece-fs
Looks like Pete is taking offers on these pieces so you may be able to get closer to $150 with him if you ask.

Here's another that might be interesting; https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?341316-FS-Mouthpiece-guys-Tenor-Espresso-7*

Those are just from the first page of the mouthpieces for sale. There are a whole bunch more on the second page and more get posted almost daily. If you buy them at a good price you should be able to turn around and sell the ones you don't like for about what you have into them. Just realize that you won't be able to post for-sale ads here until you've been a member for 6 months.

 

[Alan H]

That $150 is a pretty hard limit. I mean, I paid $290 for the instrument...seriously. $290, plus $65 shipping. I'm putting about $125-$150 (by the tech estimate) into having our local woodwind tech go over it, solder on a key guard, maybe replace a pad or two, and check the regulation. So dropping $200 on a mouthpiece doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

I agree the Metallite, even the 9m, which is supposed the warmest of the 5, 7, 9 series, is an unlikely candidate. But it was $22, you know? What the heck.

THere's a Bilger for next to nothing on ebay right now. For the pittance it will probably cost, I might buy it just to see.

 

[Alan H]

I have now acquired a BARI Joshua Redmon 7* metal mouthpiece (even though I swore I wouldn't try metal again) and a Meyer 5 to go along with the Meyer 7 and the Rico Metallite m9. I've spent all of $130 and that's a fairly wide range of pieces to choose from. Surely out of that I can find something that works well enough. Time to quit spending money and settle down with the horn and some reeds. ugh. WHEN is this thing gonna get back from the shop!

 

[Alan H]

I've settled back on the Meyer 7, with the surprisingly nice sound of the Rico Metallite as a backup. I am keeping the Bilger in the mouthpiece drawer, I gave the Meyer 5 to a buddy. I'd sell the BARI Joshua Redman model here on the Marketplace but I haven't been here long enough to qualify for the Marketplace, so it's listed on my local Craigslist.

I am liking the sound I get with the Meyer 7. The Rico is a little bit more aggressive but not a whole lot. I might use that when I play in a big band, use the Meyer for combo stuff.