"perfect" beginner pieces

3550 Views 32 Replies 20 Participants Last post by SpeckledLemon, Jun 25, 2007

saxandstrings86

Discussion Starter · Jun 21, 2007

Ok, here's the scenario...you've got 500 students that you're giving the same YAS-23 alto to as their first horn...what mouthpiece do you give them that will make the most of them successful?

so, more accurately, this is another "what's the best student mouthpiece" thread, but I thought I'd spice it up a bit.

Seriously though, if you were buying 500 of one student mouthpiece, what would it be? What is the most consistent "good" student piece?

I was thinking either a Jewel, Brillhart, Goldentone, Yamaha, or Forbes. I'm looking for the best mix between cost and quality. Even if the most expensive is the best, if one of the cheaper ones is a nice one, too...you get my drift.

1 - 20 of 33 Posts

jmm1713

· #2 · Jun 21, 2007

I would stay away from the yamaha mouthpieces - when i was in high school my teacher made us play these ( no matter what type of horn ) and the band sounded horrible ,plus they are very easy to crack/chip if you are not careful and that is not good for students. and after the year was over people had to buy 2 or 3 because they got damaged so quickly

I would look into the new vandoren " V5" mouthpieces they are not that expensive and are good quality

ianhart

· #3 · Jun 21, 2007

The Fobes Debut and Nova models are both excellent pieces for the money, close to half of the saxes in my school used them, and they all seemed to be made well. Of course, six is less than 500, but at least its something to go on. These were played on two YAS-23's, A Selmer Signet, a King Zephyr, a Bundy, and a Jupiter 700 series. All of them played well enough in tune.

eddierich

· #4 · Jun 21, 2007

I'd throw the Morgan Protone into the mix. Good relatively inexpensive beginner piece.

bruce bailey

· #5 · Jun 21, 2007

Well if you have 500 students to give mouthpieces to, I would go with the BARI Esprit. In that quantity it would cost a bit over $5,000 total. The Esprit is a great cheap mouthpiece for all saxes. I would prefer the Protone but it is about 3X the price. If money is not an issue, I would go with a Selmer S-80 C**. All around a good mouthpiece.

semipro

· #6 · Jun 21, 2007

My choice is the Hite Premiere about half the price of most of the above pieces and one that can be used for a long time.

bobisk

· #7 · Jun 21, 2007

Meyer 5 - perfect

saxandstrings86

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jun 21, 2007

i don't quite actually need to 500 haha, but this is some really good input for me. I was shying away from the yamaha, too because of concerns with damage (i started with those...broke 3 in a year), but they're jsut so damn cheap...

unfortunately, money is an issue, so althought I'd love to jsut always pick up an S-80 c*, that's not feasible. the Bari pieces don't sound half bad though.

I'm thinking less than $30 or so at the most. Idealy, everyone would start on a nice piece and a decent horn but that;s not how things usually happen sadly. Most students are at the mercy of an over priced rental instrument and a piece pulled out of a box, or the garage sale special that needs more work than it's worth.

I guess what i'm really looking for it the middle of the road "get you through a couple of years" piece, not something you can start on and play forever.

I've heard the hite can be hard to control for a beginner, any one else heard this?

G-dawg

· #9 · Jun 21, 2007

A couple of years back JJ was working on a beginner mouthpiece. I visited with at a convention for a littel while. Not sure if he pursued the endeavor or not, but the piece he had played great and was cheaper than a Selmer C*.

Dog Pants

· #10 · Jun 21, 2007

I wonder if there'sa reason that the Yamaha 4C is the mouthpice of choice for so many school band directors? Is it possible that in the real world, band directors know that they represent the best all round value beginners mouthpiece? Hmmmm???

Birdman

· #11 · Jun 21, 2007

Mouthpiece

bobisk said:
Meyer 5 - perfect

I agree

-Birdman

jbtsax

· #12 · Jun 21, 2007

saxandstrings86 said:
Ok, here's the scenario...you've got 500 students that you're giving the same YAS-23 alto to as their first horn...what mouthpiece do you give them that will make the most of them successful?

No offense, but no mouthpiece in the world can make anyone successful on an instrument. Talent, motivation, excellent instruction, and perseverance do that. A good mouthpiece can help facilitate a good embouchure and good tone production. I'm sure that's what you meant.

Here are the mouthpieces suggested in this thread along with their current "web" prices:
Yamaha 4C - $24
Hite Premier - $26
Morgan Protone - $39
Forbes Debut - $42
Bari Esprit - $55
Rousseau - $56 (another good mouthpiece IMO)
Meyer 5 - $75
Vandoren V5 - $80
Selmer S-80 C** - $113

And the Consumer Guide best value for the price award goes to???? ______________

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saxdude48

· #13 · Jun 21, 2007

I used a C* for my first couple years playing, never had any problems or complaints. I've tryed Yamaha's 4C, and found it pretty honky and ducky, and much to easy blowing, especially for a beginner with no trained breath technique yet. My school recommends the C* for every beginner, even though the price is a bit steep. But on the other hand, you are paying for quality that will pay off.

ismail

· #14 · Jun 21, 2007

i started with a meyer m5 and i still play it.
and i now that some world class players use it, too. a completely normal meyer m5 rubber mouthpiece.
so - it´s suitable for beginners and pros...something to keep...of course you could still decide to get a more specialized piece later, but for a round and full jazz sound it´s a good piece!

saxandstrings86

Discussion Starter · #15 · Jun 21, 2007

jbtsax said:
No offense, but no mouthpiece in the world can make anyone successful on an instrument. Talent, motivation, excellent instruction, and perseverance do that. A good mouthpiece can help facilitate a good embouchure and good tone production. I'm sure that's what you meant.

No offense taken, i understand completely that no mputhpiece will "make" you sound good, but some pieces are just bad, and some are more suited to someone with no breath/mouth control, plus, you would never start someone on a metal otto link mouthpiece, for example.

I'll take this all into consideration, but again, I'll be honest, i'm looking for cheap, so any other suggestions would be great.

I know that paying for quality is one thing, but not everyone can afford an S-80 or a Meyer 5, especially if they're having trouble paying for the $150 horn to begin with...that other $75-$100 for a little piece of "plastic" can seem ridiculous to a parent

saxandstrings86

Discussion Starter · #16 · Jun 21, 2007

I suppose I should have thrown this in already, but it slipped my mind...

I may not actually be buying 500 mouthpieces, but I've been buying and selling instruments for my friends and family for years now, and I've been doing it more and more lately. My little cousin just started on alto, and I've had siblings of my friends take up in band or orchestra in the past, and I'm always the one that seems to find the instruments...how often do you find a Selmer USA AS-300 in /good/ shape for $75 with an S-80 mouthpiece?

I'm doing this to help out the band program in an impoverished community, and I'm actually raising money to purchase them instruments and equipment and I've got a few horns now, but I'd hate to leave that collection of old, ratty, no name plastic pieces with the horns if i can find a decent "cheap" one to buy in bullk. Doing the same thing with other instruments in the band as well, not jsut saxes.

I know I could probably get soem donations, especially from Yamaha (I'm in Michigan, and I've got friends in Grand Rapids...), but I jsut don't like the Yamaha pieces. So that's the trade off...really cheap and available, but not particularly good, or...something else. The Hite Premiere and Morgan Protone are looking pretty good though

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Carl H.

· #17 · Jun 21, 2007

Bari Esprit. Don't forget a ligature, need to factor that in to the equation.

saxandstrings86

Discussion Starter · #18 · Jun 21, 2007

Carl H. said:
Bari Esprit. Don't forget a ligature, need to factor that in to the equation.

GAH! You'd think I'd remember these things...

Any strong opposition to a standard metal lig?

matty

· #19 · Jun 21, 2007

I second the Hite Premier - I get my beginning students on those as soon as I can.

Carl H.

· #20 · Jun 21, 2007

You can get the Bari with lig for less than other ligs of the normal metal sort. It's a great deal for a beginner.

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