[Sifro]

Hello!

I'm planning to buy a mouthpiece for my tenor, and i need your help

I need an highly versatile one, because i'll be playing jazz (from slow ballads to hard pop), blues, reggae, ska and maybe even some rock (i really like Clarence Clemon's sound)... so, i know that i can't have the "perfect" mouthpiece for all these different genres, but what would be a good compromise in your opinion?

I've read that an Otto Link STM could be a good choice... do you agree?
Also, i've seen that there are many kinds of Otto Link STM... can you help me to understand the differences?

Thanks!

 

[Matt Otto]

Link's are great, so are a lot of the link copies made today... i.e. Bob Ackerman, Ted Klum, Mouthpiece Cafe etc...

 

[Pete Thomas]

Hello!

I'm planning to buy a mouthpiece for my tenor, and i need your help

I need an highly versatile one, because i'll be playing jazz (from slow ballads to hard pop), blues, reggae, ska and maybe even some rock (i really like Clarence Clemon's sound)... so, i know that i can't have the "perfect" mouthpiece for all these different genres, but what would be a good compromise in your opinion?

I've read that an Otto Link STM could be a good choice... do you agree?

I work in all those styles you mention, plus a few others and for me Otto Links are probably the least versatile mouthpiece. But it very much depends on what works for you.

 

[Sifro]

I work in all those styles you mention, plus a few others and for me Otto Links are probably the least versatile mouthpiece. But it very much depends on what works for you.

Interesting... so what would you recommend?
Do you use a single mps for all these styles, or do you have more than 1?

 

[Sakshama]

I would recommend Guardala MB or BM.

 

[Pete Thomas]

Interesting... so what would you recommend?
Do you use a single mps for all these styles, or do you have more than 1?

I use one mouthpiece for all styles. All my professional work these days is recording, so I suppose I gear my mouthpiece expectations towards that. After playtesting many many mouthpieces, I ended up making my own. I rarely recommend these as it's such a subjective thing.

In other words, I know what works for me, but it may not work for you.

 

[playatsax]

It's hard to recommend a specific mouthpiece. What kind of sax do you play on? I play a 1946 Zephyr, and like most I went to a link 7* immediately. But it was too dark without enough projection. I ended up with a Morgan Excalibur 8MLL. While some will tell you the Morgan it too bright, and I have played it on other horns, it works well on my horn, with me playing it. Someone else might get different results. The combinations are endless.

 

[JL]

It's hard to recommend a specific mouthpiece. .

It's all too easy for me to recommend one for the sort of maximum versatility the OP is asking for, and everyone who's read my posts will know what I'm going to say, but I'll say it anyway. Get an RPC. Call Ron and tell him what you're looking for.

Just last night I played a gig in a bar/restaurant where we play a first set of mellow jazz (the 'dinner jazz' set), followed by a second set of edgier blues, and then a late-night set of up tempo, agressive jump blues/funk/R&R. The place is fairly small with good acoustics, so I do the whole gig without a mic. The mpc that works for me for this full spectrum is an RPC 120B. I have several other mpcs but none of them would cover this full spectrum nearly as well, especially without using a microphone! Just as an aside, I play plenty of gigs in larger venues where a mic is necessary, but I much prefer to play without the mic when I can pull it off. Tone quality on a sax will always suffer a bit when playing through a mic, no matter how good the mic/sound system is.

Now, of course my recommendation for an RPC comes with the caveat that no one mouthpiece will work for everyone, as Pete points out.

 

[Super Action Man]

try an SR Technologies "Legend," they are quite nice. It's a linkesque piece, albeit more consistent and freer blowing. their only downside is that they come in only one tip size (7*).

 

[Matt Otto]

Perhaps as a starting point, getting the same mouthpiece that is used by a player you respect or admire?

 

[bandmommy]

What's wrong with the one you're using now?
Maybe all it needs is more time in your face practicing playing in the different styles you have listed.
But what do I know. I only use one mouthpiece for everything on my tenor...

 

[Timelord]

I don't play jazz but play most of the other styles you mentioned. I have had a JJ DV CHI for tenor about a year and have found it very versatile. It is the most reed friendly mouthpiece I've come across, it sounds good with a lot of different reed types. I don't see them come up for sale too often on here either as an indirect indicator of client satisfaction. I would recommend you try it if you get to a short list.

 

[MartinMusicMan]

I'm a broken record on this. Like JL, others will know what I'm going to say. Get a Metalite. For $25 you can't go wrong.

 

[bariandyf]

+1 for a Morgan Excalibur - I had an 8*EL for a while and thought it was fantastic, very versatile, it could blow the roof off and then play down to a whisper, very comfortable in the mouth as well. And for the money, new or used, they are superb value. I sold it recently as I eventually settled on an old Link.

 

[Sifro]

Thanks to all of you, really!

Today i went to the music shop and tried 2 Otto Link... a metal STM and an ebonite don't-remember-the-model... The metal one was a 7* (the other a 5*), and even if it was much harder to play, it really gave me a good impression. I'll try to see if i can grab one of the other models you suggested me.

 

[jlima]

What's your budget? The most versatile piece that I've played so far (and I've played MANY) is the Theo Wanne Gaia, but it's quite an expensive piece.

 

[Tony aiello]

Hello!

I'm planning to buy a mouthpiece for my tenor, and i need your help

I need an highly versatile one, because i'll be playing jazz (from slow ballads to hard pop), blues, reggae, ska and maybe even some rock (i really like Clarence Clemon's sound)... so, i know that i can't have the "perfect" mouthpiece for all these different genres, but what would be a good compromise in your opinion?

I've read that an Otto Link STM could be a good choice... do you agree?
Also, i've seen that there are many kinds of Otto Link STM... can you help me to understand the differences?

Thanks!

I just started using a guardala mB! Projects, easy subtle, I find it to be versatile

 

[Tony aiello]

I just started using a guardala mB! Projects, easy subtle, I find it to be versatile