[Dr_sax]

Inspired by Pete Thomas´s thread I record my 4 tenor mouthpieces.

The pieces are: Guardala Michael Brecker, Zagar SBB #8, Berg Larsen metal 110/2 SMS, Vandoren V16 T95
All are played with the same Gonzales 2.25 and my Selmer MK VI 104k.

I tried just to cover the whole tone range with a bit dynamics.

Here are the files:

1
2
3
4​

Just had to re-host the files to another server.

 

[14470]

Can't tell.

 

[Saxlicker]

You know I think I prefered your sound on the BERG them MBII, Zagger.

I really felt they all offered something somwhere in the lick but I never heard anything in the vandoren.

 

[Flyguy]

he didn't post the code! how do you guys know what's what?

 

[Saxlicker]

he didn't post the code! how do you guys know what's what?

It showed in my media player!!

 

[Dr_sax]

It showed in my media player!!

Uups, it didn´t show in my browser.
So to be objectiv don´t look at the mediaplayer

The guardala is an original MB not a MBII and the vandoren is a metal V16.

 

[Jolle]

I guessed first, then looked.

my preference : 1 - 2 - 4 - 3

1 thins out a bit when going altissimo, but has a very beautiful, round sound when going deep.

2 is has a round and warm subtone, but is a bit shrill going high. Best sound altissimo if you ask me, and it sounds like they pop out the easiest with this one.

3 sounds very straight-forward. very even over the full range too, but lacks character

4 sounds like 2, but a little less body in the tone.

I picked out the BergLarsen right away
thx for the shootout, very interesting.

 

[dstack79]

Very similar...only subtle differences. If I had to commit, I'd say I liked #1 and #4 the best. BTW, the mpc names didnt show up for me.

Nice sound and playing too.

-Dan

 

[Thomas]

Your playing is fine but you really should consider harder reeds. All the pieces sound virtually the same to my ears-it's the buzzy soft reed syndrome. A harder reed would accentuate the pros(and cons)of the different pieces.
Please don't take my opinion as a negative-take it from a player who knows that if it ain't a Link it ain't really a mouthpiece.

 

[silvin]

For me it sounds exactly the same on the four mpc :dontknow:

 

[sambeaux]

OK, here's my take (blind listen - I don't know how you guys are seeing the mpc name...):

Tonally, there's not a whole lot of difference. #2 does have a brightness that lacks depth (Guardala??), but in terms of overall effect - not much difference between them. So from that standpoint, I'd say that you should use whatever feels/sounds most comfortable to you - you'll make better music on a mpc that feels like "home" to you, whatever your definition of "home" is.

However, I think that #1 sounds the best for a more simple reason - it has a smaller tip opening than the rest. Playing solo, this one sounds sweeter and more effortless. At higher volumes with other instruments, that advantage might go away since you'll appreciate a possibility of more air (from #3/4) over the small tonal advantage of #1. So I'll back up my comments with a guess that #1 must be the Berg, since your Berg is only a 110.

 

[saintsday]

...since your Berg is only a 110.

"Only"???? I know that there is a fashion for gaping tip openings, but a 110 is an 8 in a link, an 11 in a Meyer, and a 9 in a Runyon.
http://www.saxophone.org/facings.html

 

[sambeaux]

Two other comments: I don't hear your reed as being too soft - it seems like you've got good control over loud/soft, high/low, pure/subtone...

Also, just in general, a very wise mouthpiece guru gave me very good advice once: always give a new mouthpiece a try with a new reed. If you have a favorite reed that works with your old mouthpiece, it will be stressed by the curves of that piece and will clash with the curves of the new piece. I know, it makes sense in a scientific way to keep all the variables the same except for the one thing you're testing for, but as long as you have more than 5 minutes to try a piece, this approach works and ends up with more realistic results.

 

[sambeaux]

"Only"???? I know that there is a fashion for gaping tip openings, but a 110 is an 8 in a link, an 11 in a Meyer, and a 9 in a Runyon.
http://www.saxophone.org/facings.html

Depends on your point of view, I guess, but a T95 is certainly a step up from the 110. I happen to have a T75, a T95, a 110 and a 120, and I find that even if the measurements don't completely support this, the T75 and the 110 are similar, while the T95 and the 120 are similar (in terms of the feel of the tip opening!).

 

[hakukani]

"Only"???? I know that there is a fashion for gaping tip openings, but a 110 is an 8 in a link, an 11 in a Meyer, and a 9 in a Runyon.
http://www.saxophone.org/facings.html

I think what is meant is that 110 is not that open for a high baffle piece...

 

[bjornblomberg]

My order of preference of these mouthpieces is 2 - 1 - 4 - 3. I did not see which is which, by the way, and am looking forward to the disclosure of the results. Thanks a lot for another interesting test. BTW, you wouldn't have a recording of a Link STM for comparison??
Greetings
Bjørn

 

[bfoster64]

Here's my guesstimate:

1-Berg
2-Guardala
3-Vandoren
4-Zagar

I thought you sounded good on all of them.

 

[Jolle]

Depends on your point of view, I guess, but a T95 is certainly a step up from the 110. I happen to have a T75, a T95, a 110 and a 120, and I find that even if the measurements don't completely support this, the T75 and the 110 are similar, while the T95 and the 120 are similar (in terms of the feel of the tip opening!).

That has more to do with baffle I think. My Berg has more resistance than a Link with the same tip opening, and that's due to the difference in baffle according to my repair man.

 

[Dr_sax]

So everybody now knows what it was:
1-Berg
2-Guardala
3-Vandoren
4-Zagar

Just a few notes. I just recently got the Zagar for a tryout. A 7 and an 8 facing. I def. prefer the 8 facing and will keep this. The mouthpieces are very well finished.
Of all the mpcs the guardala and the zagar are the best playing in overall response. Nice in the low and easy altissimo where the guardala gets a bit brighter.

The most stuggle I have with my old berg. Esp. on the low notes I have to change my embouchure. It was my main mpc over 25 years ago when I started developing my sound.

The reed was a rather new Gonzales just broken in. I usually play vandoren v16 2.5 but like he gonzales. It feels harder the the v16

What really amazed me how little difference is in the recording.
I recorded with a Rode NT2 mic into a TLAudio 2051 mono Valve Voice processor with Logic on a mac with no effects.

In the room there was a much bigger difference in sound. My favorite are the guardala (loud & bright, I use it for the agressive stuff) and the zagar (a bit less bright, very full sound, all purpose jazz & ballads)

 

[bfoster64]

That's an interesting comment about the Berg. I thought you got a great sound on it, but I too have had trouble with the response from those types of pieces.

Your plan to use the Guardala and Zagar for different types of music sounds like a smart move. I actually liked the Zagar better mostly because I like a more full and even sound, rather than one that thins out in the mids and highs. Both of them are obviously very nice pieces though.

Curiously, I didn't guess any of the right horns in Pete's tenor shootout, but I got all your mouthpieces right. For me anyway, that confirms what people say: it is the player, then the mouthpiece/reed, then the horn that defines the sound.

Thanks for posting this!