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tenor jazz mouthpiece

5714 Views 9 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  diggerboy
Since im joining my schools jazz band next year, i'm going to need a jazz mouthpiece for tenor.
currently i have
-some plastic stock mouthpiece that is badly scratched up on the tip and rails
-stock cannonball mouthpiece that came with the schools horn, in good condition, but doesnt really work for jazz
-Kessler custom 50Ol7 that my friend gave me, its tip looks like it was dragged across concete

any recomendations on which pieces i should try out? I'd like to be able to blend well with the other saxes with a slightly dark sound with abit of ring to it.
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If you can find a well made/finished meyer, that should help you blend in, and is a great mouthpiece anyways. I know that alot of people use HR Links, you might want to take a look at those. Basically, go to a music store if you can, and try out all the mouthpieces there are, even if you might never have thought of them. Bring plenty of reeds and a rovner lig if you have one, as it can be adjusted to fit almost any mouthpiece.
If it was in decent shape the Kessler would be fine.
Clarinetdude108 said:
Since im joining my schools jazz band next year, i'm going to need a jazz mouthpiece for tenor.
currently i have
-some plastic stock mouthpiece that is badly scratched up on the tip and rails
-stock cannonball mouthpiece that came with the schools horn, in good condition, but doesnt really work for jazz
-Kessler custom 50Ol7 that my friend gave me, its tip looks like it was dragged across concete

any recomendations on which pieces i should try out? I'd like to be able to blend well with the other saxes with a slightly dark sound with abit of ring to it.
Why not wait and talk to the band / section leader?

The danger of jumping in now is that some have some truly bizarre policies of what they wont allow (No metal being a particular favourite), and the advantage of waiting is that others actually have some usefull insight.

I'm partial to a metal link STM myself, but its not everyones cup of tea. Ive played Beechlers Selmers and Vandorens in the past. If you must take the plunge now rather than waiting to see what the rest of the section is doing then the best bet is to go to a large store and see what the have, play a few and go with your gut feel.
HR-Links work on most horns, but you might not be able to try it out depending on the A. State you live in, B. local store policy, C. local store stock. WWBW has a good return policy, I usually go to there since I know I can return a mistake I made for relatively cheap... and the store in my area doesn't let me try mouthpieces.
Band directer plays trumpet. enough said. lol
the lead tenor before me used a metal link, and the other has a meyer hard rubber peice. as far as i know he has no bizarre policies towards jazz mouthpieces anyways. whatever works for you and sounds good.

I tried to go to a local store for a clarinet mouthpiece, and i could only try the 3 used ones that were in one peice, new mouthpieces had to be bought, no trials.

i currently have a rovner light lig, although i'm considering switching to a dark.

the altos use hard rubber, the bari used metal and the lead tenor as well. But ill ask the lead tenor who graduated about it.

The school has twin cannonball tenors that are new, and an old mark VII i believe that was sent to the shop for a new pad, i currently have one the cannonballs, and when band camp starts ill test all of them and pick the one i like best.

I may be trying to jump the gun abit, but i was actually told to get one last year while i was in the 2nd jazz band, although it was so disorganized and, well, terrible that i decided i could get by with what i had and wait.
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Clarinetdude108 said:
the altos use hard rubber, the bari used metal and the lead tenor as well. But ill ask the lead tenor who graduated about it.
The material is really immaterial...if thats not a contradiction:?

Its really a personal preference, metal pieces will be smaller in your mouth, but tone wise the material is not making much difference in the big picture of facings, chambers, baffles etc etc.

Just because the director plays trumpet, dont assume they A: Dont have a preference (based on either knowledge or blind prejudice), and B: Dont know anything about Saxophones, they might surprise you:)
yeah, i listed the materials for my reasoning that he doesnt mind.
he knows some things about sax, but, from my experience, hes not too knowlegable when it comes to sax mouthpieces
i have a selmer jazz C** metal mouthpiece and a selmer soloist alto ebonite mouthpiece any body tell me rough price as i need to sell thanks brian
G
selmer mouthpiece

dales42 said:
i have a selmer jazz C** metal mouthpiece and a selmer soloist alto ebonite mouthpiece any body tell me rough price as i need to sell thanks brian
tell me more about the soloist mpc. is this a vintage piece? what size?
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