[user nameless]

Hi to all...i recently bought a Ria 8*, i was playing for two years with a berg larsen 110 2, hard rubber...i was using rico royal 4, i was happy with the feeling of the combination but i had the feeling that i needed more tip opening to stretch out my sound. I'm trying the RIA now , and yes, the larger tip really added something. But the rico 4 feels unconfortable, sounds buzzy if you now what i mean...i tried 3,5 and the buzz thing is bigger.
Please, share some information about ria rubber mouthpieces and some sugestions on reed hardness for that kind of mouthpiece.

Ps. i was expecting a darker and full bodied sound from a mouthpiece with not so much baffle or no baffle at all

thanks

 

[jmathesonjr]

The RIAs did the same thing when I tried them. I know some of the Word Saxophone Quartet was using them. I never had luck getting the pieces to sound good.

Have you tried the VanDoren line? How about Hemkes? May be look up what some guys who use these mouthpieces are using. I know when Bluiett was using the RIA I think he was using a straight VanDoren reed.

Good luck with the piece.