[Jon Turner]

I currently play (for my own gratification only) a Maxtone Sop Sax. My mpc is currently a Yamaha 4C. What, if anything do I stand to gain/lose if I change to a Selmer C* mpc?
Thanks
Jon Turner

 

[Seasax]

a Selmer C* would be a good first upgrade from your 4c, they are to be avoided at all costs

 

[Carl H.]

My experience with the 2 mouthpieces is that you won't really gain much, and you'll be out some money. The Yamaha 4c is a decent mouthpiece, however I do prefer the C*. It seems more comfortable to play the full range of the instrument and a bit more even in the tone of the instrument. The Yamaha 4CM is very very close to a C* in almost every way and a good backup for a C* for less money.

I had a student come to a lesson with his new Yamaha horn & mouthpiece and he was squeaking just awfully. The facing on his new mouthpiece had a nasty bump in the facing. I was able to fix it quite easily, but I have been cautious about recommending the Yamaha pieces since then. Their reputation is pretty good, but personal experience tells my they aren't perfect.

I read in another thread that you aren't a rookie musician, but that saxes are new to you. The 4C is fine for starters, you will most likely want a better horn before you outgrow the Yamaha piece. If you want to try a C* look for CM (custom) Yamaha. They can be found much cheaper than the Selmer and are 99.99995% as good.

 

[saxdude48]

Having owned both, I can say that while the Yamaha is a tad more free blowing, the C* is definitely the superior mouthpiece. It's much easier to play the whole dynamic range, and to me the Yamaha had a more honky beginner type tone, while the C* sounded smoother and more proffesional. However, the C* is very expensive compared to the Yamaha.

 

[Dave Dolson]

Jon: Most everyone reacts differently to a specific mouthpiece. One person may like the Yamaha 4C over the C*; the next person will report the opposite.

I have both - the Yamaha 4C is actually a decent mouthpiece for me WHEN I put a synthetic Fibracell reed on it. And, the C* also plays okay with that reed. The Fibracells seem to have much more strength than cane and that's why they play well for me on those pieces.

However, I favor large-tip openings with soft cane reeds and so neither of those pieces are ones I'd use for a performance. Maybe you should explore reed strengths, cuts, and brands before buying another mouthpiece. DAVE

 

[Jon Turner]

Thanks to all for your input.
Jon

 

[jazzsax07]

I have a selmer metal c* that was not giving me as much of a full sound as I wanted. I heard about the yamaha 4c being similar to the selmer so I went to the yamaha 6c more open and more sound. I really like the 6c.

 

[nicocarrre]

Having owned both, I can say that while the Yamaha is a tad more free blowing, the C* is definitely the superior mouthpiece. It's much easier to play the whole dynamic range, and to me the Yamaha had a more honky beginner type tone, while the C* sounded smoother and more proffesional. However, the C* is very expensive compared to the Yamaha.

couldn't say it any better