[Adept Saxophonist]

Hey everybody! I just joined this forum yesterday and need some advice on mouthpieces.

I have been playing the sax since 6th grade and am now ending 9th grade going into 10th next year. So I’ve been playing for about 3 and half years. I don't know if that makes me a beginner intermediate or advance.

I can play books that say advanced but I don't really know what level I'm at.
So I got a new saxophone about a year ago and IV always played with a stock mouthpiece but my music instructor recommended I try getting a new mouthpiece and recommended a rasher. But from what IV heard the rasher is a classical oriented mouthpiece, and our band plays a lot of jazz stuff. A lot of Saxes have metal jazz mouthpieces in fact I'm one of the only ones with a stock mouthpiece.

I’m not sure what to do, should I get a Jazz mouthpiece or a rasher or both? Can anyone recommend some good jazz mouthpieces too?

Thanks
The Adept Saxophonist.

 

[surfsax]

Meyer Hard Rubber mouthpieces seem to be a pretty standard jazz mouthpiece especially for alto. They seem to work for most people and have a pretty warm full sound. The most important thing about choosing a mouthpiece is trying it out so find a music store that has a good selection and try a bunch out. Bring your piece in and hopefully someone working there will be able to guide you on what tip openings you should try, better yet bring your teacher along if you can. Good luck.

 

[cfbugsbunny]

If you are concerned about price, consider the Jody Jazz HR 6*. They are very good for alto and cost roughly about $120. They are an excellent jazz mouthpiece but could be tame enough for some classical. The stock Yani piece is actually a really good mouthpiece. I have used it on many occasions with good results. If you go to WW&BW you will see that this piece costs about $135 which isn't quite low end for a hard rubber mouthpiece. Now...if you want in my opinion the utmost in rubber I would consider a Morgan MPC. You can get them from Junkdude online. I am getting a Morgan Jazz for my daughter who plays a Yani A992 bronze. I tried meyers but had I the ability to do that again I wouldn't have bought it. In the same price range of the Meyer is the Morgan Vintage from Junkdude and it does sound better. In my opinion, Morgan or JodyJazz are good long term solutions.

 

[saintsday]

Welcome, Adept. There is a search button that will help you to find thousands of words here about your questions.

 

[SpeckledLemon]

Agreed with what everyone else said...though I must add that if your stock piece is the Yanagisawa HR 5, IMO you've got a really nice piece. All the volume you'll ever need, and edgy when you really want to push it. Otherwise, not so much soft as lacking lots of high overtones. I wish I had one. Good luck with your search.

 

[NatureColor]

Adept,
I'd recommend the selmer super session perhaps the D or E tip opening. It's great for both style. And you can adjust the sound (edge...etc.) with the switch of different brand of reeds and/or ligatures. I'd say try an Oleg for jazz, and you're pretty much set. Then there is no excuse to practice!

 

[bfoster64]

Selmer Super Session, Jody Jazz HR*, Morgan, and Meyer are all good choices. You should also look at ligatures. I recommend the Rovner Eddie Daniels II and the Francois Louis Ultimate ligature.

 

[saintsday]

Hey fellas, Adept is in 9th grade and has been playing stock mouthpieces. A Jody Jazz???
Get a Selmer C* on eBay with unscarred tip and rails for less than 40 bucks from a seller with a 99.5 % or higher feedback rating and practice like the dickens. You should be able to play anything you want on it. Use a bog standard lig and try some different reeds. If the C* really doesn't work for you, put it back on eBay and by then you will have read enough on this forum to know what other mouthpieces are out there that won't break your piggybank. Use the search button.

Of course if dear old Mom and Dad have lots of dough they want to spend on you, get one of everything that is recommended anywhere by anyone. Of course then you won't advance much as a player because you'll be too busy fooling around with mouthpieces and designer ligatures to practice.

 

[grantonsax]

Honestly, I don't know why c* is the default mouthpiece, a c** makes all the difference for a classical sound. I am a jazz player that went back to school to get a saxophone performance degree and struggled with the c*, but when I bought the c** its was like the heavens opened up and I could play the Glauzonov concerto and sound legit doing it. I still think classical saxophone is an oxymoron, though.

 

[gary]

I am a jazz player that went back to school to get a saxophone performance degree and struggled with the c*, but when I bought the c** its was like the heavens opened up...

I'll bet that as a jazz player you were playing mouthpieces considerably more open than a C*. That would make the transition from your previous mpcs to a C** slightly less of a difference than to a C*. I've got nothing against a C** at all; just an observation on why it might've been more compatible for you than a C*, and that difference may not apply to someone who already plays mpcs with smaller tip openings.

 

[Adept Saxophonist]

Thanks for all the quick replys, guys!

I try to practice at least an hour everyday but recently my teeth have been hurting so much (braces) practice is all but futile but when they stop hurting I will try all of these.

 

[Jonathan C.]

Metal

I am a Junior about to be Senior in High School. I have personally never played on the Yani Stock mouthpiece. However to help clearfy. Are you in Jazz Band? Or is your concert Band playing some Jazz stuff. I played on the Selmer S80 C** for a long time, and infact still do. However, if you play lead Alto then I would personally go with a Meyer. Darker, Richer, louder sound. I play my Alto in a Small Praise Band, and I have to compete with alot of sound from other Brass, and the Electric (that is turned up way to high) The Meyer gave me alot of projection.
When I tryed out for Jazz Reigon. Maybe one person out of All the Saxes I saw had a Metal. You are asking a question with the metal, that we simply can not answer. Metal mouthpieces tend to sound lighter than the Rubber.

Good luck in your search.

 

[Adept Saxophonist]

UPDATE: Just thought you guys might like to know based off of a recommendation by my sax instructor I bought a caravan large chamberd alto mouthpiece, just arrived today.