[koumou]

Please listen to the sax playing on opening the link. http://www.system54.com/ Correct me if I am wrong. I would describe this sound as focused, dry and slightly bright.

What charactiristics should one look for in a mouthpiece that will make the production of such sound easier.

Thin or thick rails/tip, small midium or large chamber, large opening/soft reed or small tip/hard reed, flat,medium or high buffle?

I know sound depends largely on how one blows, as Don Menza demonstrates here

but choosing the right mouthpiece can make it easier to produce a certain type of sound.

Thanks

 

[Jazz House]

From the thread in my signature (http://forum.saxontheweb.net/conten...-New-Members-and-Frequently-Asked-Questions):

Mouthpiece Suggestions to replace current Tenor mouthpiece:

Sound clips and comparisons: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=81124
Bright sound: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=956
For Jazz: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=3047
Lead Tenor: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=6328
For College: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=5801
Big, dark , edgy: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=9703
Classical: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=7294
To Cut through: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=7483
Great Metal pieces: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=8907
Upgrade: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=110774
Smooth Ballads: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=12109
Big, round, good subtone: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=10708
Big, Fat, wide sound: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=11471
Darkest sounding: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=15320
Edgy: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=17523
Jody Jazz vs Phil Barone: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=20887
Full Bottom, Easy Altissimo: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=30819
Under .100 opening: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=28577
Dark, Bright, Cutting, Warm and Funky: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=30098
Versatility: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=41233
Full Fat in the Palm Keys: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=58633
All round Hard Rubber: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=51474
Rock/Funk/Blues: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=47826
Legit: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=52062
Cutting and Great Altissimo: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=50285
Great Metal Jazz: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=63111
Controllable Power and Brightness: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=64600
Like a Sugal: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=44528
For Beginners: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=73253
Fusion: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=89190
Cheap Step-up jazz: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=104178
Florida Links: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=102222
Modern Sounding under $300: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=108022
Caravan and Rascher: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=101784

NOTE- Mouthpiece choice should not be influenced by horn shape, brand or colour, unless there are intonation problems (possibly due to a really modern mouthpiece on a really old horn).

 

[ismail]

First of all, use an Alto sax.
I would try using at least a medium or even a hard reed.
Other than that, if you can play this with nice intonation, the heavy vibrato used at times will bring you a lot closer to the sound.
I would not use any extreme mouthpiece for this, something like a Meyer M5M, which is a very nice and versatile piece, should work fine.

I have googled, and the player in that clip you posted usually uses this setup for alto:

Yamaha Custom Z
Vandoren V16 5S mouthpiece
Vandoren V16 3 reeds

He might be using the system 54 axe in that clip, though...

Other than that...I always find it more worthwhile to try different reeds before trying different mouthpieces, given you don't have a moutphiece that isn't shaped in an extreme way.

 

[sirspinbad]

i would say this is one of the easier sounds to find...as it is clear,and has instant response...it's up to the player then to do the rest..

...it's not however ,what is referred to as a complex sound,which is in fact harder to find

in my experience,MANY combinations of what youve asked about create this sound

 

[koumou]

From the thread in my signature (http://forum.saxontheweb.net/conten...-New-Members-and-Frequently-Asked-Questions):

Mouthpiece Suggestions to replace current Tenor mouthpiece:

Sound clips and comparisons: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=81124
Bright sound: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=956
For Jazz: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=3047
Lead Tenor: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=6328
For College: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=5801
Big, dark , edgy: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=9703
Classical: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=7294
To Cut through: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=7483
Great Metal pieces: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=8907
Upgrade: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=110774
Smooth Ballads: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=12109
Big, round, good subtone: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=10708
Big, Fat, wide sound: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=11471
Darkest sounding: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=15320
Edgy: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=17523
Jody Jazz vs Phil Barone: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=20887
Full Bottom, Easy Altissimo: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=30819
Under .100 opening: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=28577
Dark, Bright, Cutting, Warm and Funky: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=30098
Versatility: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=41233
Full Fat in the Palm Keys: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=58633
All round Hard Rubber: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=51474
Rock/Funk/Blues: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=47826
Legit: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=52062
Cutting and Great Altissimo: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=50285
Great Metal Jazz: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=63111
Controllable Power and Brightness: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=64600
Like a Sugal: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=44528
For Beginners: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=73253
Fusion: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=89190
Cheap Step-up jazz: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=104178
Florida Links: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=102222
Modern Sounding under $300: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=108022
Caravan and Rascher: http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=101784

NOTE- Mouthpiece choice should not be influenced by horn shape, brand or colour, unless there are intonation problems (possibly due to a really modern mouthpiece on a really old horn).

I've resorted to the above many times, thank you for doing this.

 

[koumou]

First of all, use an Alto sax.

Are you sure? The low notes sound to deep to be from an alto.

 

[mfry]

Large chamber, medium baffle, small or medium tip, hard reed.

 

[ismail]

Are you sure? The low notes sound to deep to be from an alto.

you are right. I checked it, the lowest notes are really too low, although I have rarely heard a tenor with such an alto-ish timbre.

for tenor, the equipment might be:

System´54 Superiour Series Pure Brass Finish
Vandoren V16 T7 mouthpiece
Vandoren V16 3,5 reeds

 

[saxkai]

That sound is not focused! Dry - yes, but I wouldn't say brighter than neutral.

 

[stradivarius151]

Sounds like a Link or similar piece to me, but player has way more to do with tone.

 

[stradivarius151]

That's your player. And yes, that appears to be the V16 mouthpiece.

 

[Atonal]

Rick Margitza gets a similar sound on a small tip metal Link.

 

[JL]

Rick Margitza gets a similar sound on a small tip metal Link.

So did Coltrane. I'd say a Link would help. The rest is up to you.

And that's a tenor on the clip. I don't know why an alto came into the discussion.

 

[Agent27]

I'm thinking Link-ish as well. He's obviously doing Brecker's version of Naima from the "Directions in Music" album. But the sound is darker, more spread, and has less edge. So something with a medium-large to large chamber and rollover baffle could work. It depends. Some of these Link type mouthpieces can be dark and stuffy or dull, but others can have a nice degree of brightness that can give you this type of sound.

FWIW, I used to play this version of Naima as a tone exercise for playing in the upper register. Not sure why I stopped.

 

[reedsburn62]

you are right. I checked it, the lowest notes are really too low, although I have rarely heard a tenor with such an alto-ish timbre.

I guess you've never listened to Coltrane then. The tune that is being played on that website is John Coltrane's "Naima". That sound would be from a Link type piece and really spending some time listening to Coltrane circa 1957-61.