[botahoratiu]

Hi. Why all my reeds play way much better if I put some kind of separator between the bottom end of the reed and the table of the mouthpiece? That is valid on both my mouthpieces: Jupiter 4C(came with the tenor) and Yamaha 5C. The effect is more noticeable on the Jupiter, though. If I don't use some folded paper, or thin plastic like describes, the reed is more prone to squeaking.

 

[lydian]

Your experience defies explanation. Such a separator should make the reed unplayable because of the leak you introduced between the end of the separator and where your lips go.

Unless your mouthpiece is damaged, the squeaking is caused by you and can be fixed by you without any paper or plastic. All beginners squeak until they learn the proper control. So forget about the paper and keep practicing.

 

[turf3]

You've got either warped reed backs or an out-of-flat mouthpiece table or both.

 

[lydian]

I would agree if it happened on just one mouthpiece. What are the odds two mouthpieces are out of flat or ALL his reeds are warped?

EDIT: Nevermind. He says in another thread that he stores all his reeds in their original plastic sleeves. That's probably the culprit.

 

[1saxman]

Let's see; if you put a shim under the back end of the reed, it could 'tilt' it so its less open at the tip, making it easier to play. As long as the reed makes contact with the table at the end of the window, there may not be a leak.

 

[swperry1]

Let's see; if you put a shim under the back end of the reed, it could 'tilt' it so its less open at the tip, making it easier to play. As long as the reed makes contact with the table at the end of the window, there may not be a leak.

Yup. I believe I've read this method...maybe in the Teal book?

 

[botahoratiu]

Actually, I did mess around with both my mouthpieces, flattening the tables 😋

 

[botahoratiu]

What can I do now? The trick actually works quite nice, making playing a breeze.

 

[botahoratiu]

I think the Jupiter 4C had a concave table from the factory, and I didn't knew at that moment that this could be intentional... and I flattened it ... oups

 

[skeller047]

By flattening the table you also changed the facing curve of the mouthpiece, making the transition from table to curve abrupt instead of smooth.

This also explains why the paper under the heel of the reed helps - it puts the reed at an angle, thus fitting the curve better. It also closes the tip opening a little.

My suggestion is this - buy another mouthpiece (maybe a Yamaha 4C) and get some softer reeds. Then work on your embouchure and breath support.

If you feel that a mouthpiece needs adjustment, send it to a reputable refacing expert. Don’t mess with it yourself unless you are willing to lose the piece


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[StefGrani]

I’m with mdavej on this. I don’t know Jupiter MPC, but Yamaha should be high quality and with a solid, straight table. Did you do the suction test?? If the suction test is good, there should be no leaks and the problems come from your embouchure or reeds. I never touched my ebonite mouthpieces, but I did sand my Link STMs, which did not pass the suction test. Jay Metcalf typically says “Don’t try this at home”. I watched some YouTube videos, used glass surface and grid 600 and 1000 sandpaper. The result was - good! They now pass the suction test and the little bit muffled sound of the modern STM opened up. It became a very nice MPC. If I had a mouthpiece specialist anywhere near, I would gladly go to one. But I don’t, so I risk the $250. I would risk it anyway, because I would have a MPC around that I’m not using. I now play (on my bari) my Link Slant TE almost exclusively. It is 5 tip opening, but it is soooo open and the sound is sooo huge. However, I do like the Link STM 7 as well.

By the way, I came across this on YouTube as well. SYOS mouthpieces frequently do not pass the suction test. That is my experience as well. What are your experiences? My SYOS (0.115 tip opening) will be one of my future projects, but before that, I’m curious about the non-sealing table. Are these supposed to play as well as a sealing table?

 

[Saxguy_Ed]

By flattening the table you also changed the facing curve of the mouthpiece, making the transition from table to curve abrupt instead of smooth.

This also explains why the paper under the heel of the reed helps - it puts the reed at an angle, thus fitting the curve better. It also closes the tip opening a little.

My suggestion is this - buy another mouthpiece (maybe a Yamaha 4C) and get some softer reeds. Then work on your embouchure and breath support.

If you feel that a mouthpiece needs adjustment, send it to a reputable refacing expert. Don't mess with it yourself unless you are willing to lose the piece

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

+1 on this, and you cannot really flatten the table of a mouthpiece without proper experience and knowledge. There will be high spots and low spots...even if it looks flat. The Yamahas like all other mass produced mouthpieces may not have a "perfect" table or facing, but they definitely play and when I was playing mine I knew that all the squeaking and squawking was me and that is why my parents wore earplugs. As Steve said you likely made the situation worse by trying to flatten a table yourself. Just get another mouthpiece, getting it fixed would cost more than the piece and it's not hard rubber or metal. You don't want to learn on this mouthpiece, I'd get another.