[rotkvica]

Hi there,
I apologize for asking question that has been already asked for sure, but I have spent two hours reading posts and can not find straight answer. I would like to know how tip opening influence tone colour. I cannot find two same mouthpieces with different opening to check by myself in my country. Shops do not allow You to try mouthpiece before You buy and variety of choices is also very poor.
I had Otto Link Tone Edge 5* that was destroyed, I`m going to order new one in slightly bigger opening, but I wander if it`s going to sound brighter or more dark in 6*opening for example.

Thanks in advance

 

[dave2sax]

Given that you're comparing the same mouthpiece, my experience has been the larger opening is less brilliant, a bit darker than the same piece with a smaller opening.

 

[saxmanjack]

Reed choice will probably have more effect on sound than a .010" increase in tip opening on the same mouthpiece, but for tenor, you'll probably be better off with the 6*. For alto, it's anyone's guess...

 

[rotkvica]

Reed choice will probably have more effect on sound than a .010" increase in tip opening on the same mouthpiece, but for tenor, you'll probably be better off with the 6*. For alto, it's anyone's guess...

I played Vandoren Java 3 or Marca Jazz 3 (when I could find them), as those gave me the best sound on Link

 

[hgiles]

Given that you're comparing the same mouthpiece, my experience has been the larger opening is less brilliant, a bit darker than the same piece with a smaller opening.

This is my experience also. The larger one would be a bit louder and take a bit more air. On alto Ive found 5* - 6 to be the sweet spot. On tenor 7* - 8. And ive played 10s well enough, just didnt like the tone at that size.

 

[rotkvica]

I`m afraid that 7 or more could be too big for me I`m playing for two years only

 

[AndyB1970]

Based on my own experience including recently a Vandoren V16 T6 (like a 7 opening) and T7 (like a 7* opening), I found the slightly smaller opening (T6) to be a more focused direct sound, and slightly brighter than the T7 which has a warmer more spread sound. I didn't find the T7 louder, and it was slightly more free blowing and the edge slightly taken off. I find it takes more control the larger the tip opening, if there isn't enough diaphragm support the notes can die out quickly. Reed choice has a lot to do with it, I find myself using a Rico Jazz Select 2H, any harder and I struggle getting the notes out.

You might be surprised about being able to play a 7, I was using small tip openings previously, and always felt there was too much resistance. After being educated about using the right reeds (for me that was not using Vandoren blue box), I found using a 7 tip opening a wonderful easy blow but still controllable.

I've only been playing 3 years.

 

[Pete Thomas]

Whether tip opening makes a significant difference to tone is not something you can generalise, which would explain the lack of consistent information. The is a relationship between tip, baffle, facing and chamber with all thos parameters having an effect on the sound. A bigger tip may have a different sound, but a longer curve might counteract that, so there is no real readily available formula.

Having said that, bigger tips on the same type of mouthpiece may be slightly less bright, but the amount by which they are less bright is very dependant on the other parameters, e.g. A high baffle would often mean that a larger tip causes more brightness than it would if the baffle is lower.

A link doesn't have much of a baffle so larger tip doesn't make a big lot of difference to me, especially going up one size, I would say , for me, any difference would be negligible and masked by the fact that there would probably be more loudness anyway

 

[hgiles]

I`m afraid that 7 or more could be too big for me I`m playing for two years only

Be careful not to equate tip opening with experience. The more I play, the more I tend toward smaller tips. A T7 V16 wouldnt be uncomfortable for you, methinks and they have quite a nice sound.

 

[rotkvica]

Many thanks people, my link is on the way