[CarlHeanerd]

Hello all! As per your requests, I was able to get a review sample of the new Yanagisawa Classical AC140 mouthpiece. I hope this review is helpful to all those who requested it to be made. Keep an eye out for more reviews down the line, Conn-Selmer sent me a handful of other new products to check out as well!

Watch here:

 

[LostConn]

Good review, as usual. I may try this mouthpiece. If I do, I'll attempt to test the AC140 and the AC150 at the same time.

When you've finished running through all these new releases, perhaps you could do a brief summary video that explains how the AP3, D155, AC140, and any others in your set compare to each other.

 

[saxobari]

Hello all! As per your requests, I was able to get a review sample of the new Yanagisawa Classical AC140 mouthpiece. I hope this review is helpful to all those who requested it to be made. Keep an eye out for more reviews down the line, Conn-Selmer sent me a handful of other new products to check out as well!

Watch here:

Hi Carl.
Nice review on that Yamagisawa HR classical mpc.
I liked both of your set up.
I am not a classical player,but really like the result.
Thanks for the video.
My regards
Saxobari

 

[germanwatches]

You did a great job and we appreciate the hard work.

 

[Dermot]

Thanks

 

[LostConn]

Re: Review: Yanagisawa Classical AC150 (new mouthpiece from Yanagisawa!)

Following up on post #2, I've been playing a Yanagisawa AC150 for several days now. I chose this model instead of the AC140 in order to ease the transition; the AC150 is actually the same-size tip opening as my D'Addario Reserve D155. (I'm not going to launch a whole new mouthpiece review thread just because of a different tip opening.) Also, I learned from my experience with the Vandoren Optimums that very small tip openings can be too restrictive for concert band playing. You need to have a little power in reserve.

I like the D155 a lot for its dark sound and its balance between high- and low-end responsiveness, but lately the extra bit of resistance that this piece offers has been wearing on me. I have to push past a short, low-breath "dead zone" before I reach the area of linear response to different blowing levels that I prefer. This delay sometimes leads to articulation snags, as well as reed compatibility issues. The AC150 is more free-blowing, which is very pleasant. You can easily match input to output when playing this piece. I love that characteristic.

The AC150 is a little brighter than the D155, but it seems similar in this regard to a Selmer Concept. (I have a Concept, but haven't undertaken a head-to-head comparison yet.) However, so far I've found it reasonably easy to control the sound and avoid any unwanted harshness. Both high- and low-end responsiveness are very good. The AC150 also seems to work well with many different reeds; I've tried several types of synthetics, plus cane. This mouthpiece is somewhat slim, making it quite comfortable to play, but a Vandoren M|O ligature fits perfectly.

The next step is to play the AC150 for a full, two-hour rehearsal. I also need to try it on my Yany alto; so far I have played it only on my Series III.

 

[LostConn]

Re: Review: Yanagisawa Classical AC150 (new mouthpiece from Yanagisawa!)

Update: Having played the Yany AC150 for several weeks now, on both my altos, I've pretty much decided to stick with it for the long term. I do prefer the darker sound of the D155 slightly in some respects, but I can damp down the AC150 a bit by using a Rovner Versa ligature. The reduced resistance of the AC150 has two advantages for me: (1) it's easier to "sing" through the mouthpiece in lyrical passages because it responds naturally and incrementally to changes in one's breath; and (2) the mouthpiece enables smoother articulation on the kinds of percussive, rhythmic passages that saxes sometimes get in concert band pieces. When you have to play bip ... bip ... bip ... bip bop in the low register, at mp or p dynamics, in a pizzicato style, it helps to have a mouthpiece that responds almost instantly.

 

[Benjamin Allen]

Hello all! As per your requests, I was able to get a review sample of the new Yanagisawa Classical AC140 mouthpiece. I hope this review is helpful to all those who requested it to be made. Keep an eye out for more reviews down the line, Conn-Selmer sent me a handful of other new products to check out as well!

Watch here:

Thank you so much for sharing this and so many other outstanding reviews.