Sax Mouthpiece Information
So you've got your saxophone, things are going pretty well and you need a new sax mouthpiece to improve your sound or tone. Right?! Welcome to the almost never endng quest for the the perfect set up. Generally this starts with a new reed or two and then perhaps a ligature and then a mouthpiece or three! Here's the deal. Whether it be an alto saxophone mouthpiece or a Tenor saxophone mouthpiece you're after, if you're committed to playing and want to improve then the 'need' to improve your sound is going to grab you at sometime. 
I've gone through countless set ups looking for that sound and I've I ended up almost exactly where I started with an old Otto Link Tonemaster I'd got for virtually nothing.The point is this, you need to develop your tone before you go shopping around for a new one. At this point you've stopped listening because you're convinced a new sax mouthpiece is what you need!! Well, good luck to you. I never listened either but I had fun trying new ones out. What mouthpiece?When you buy a saxophone it's going to come with a stock saxophone mouthpiece. Generally this will have quite a closed lay (the small gap between the tip of the mouthpiece and the reed)If you are a beginner it's a good idea to stick with the one you get with the saxophone for at least a couple of months. This gives you chance to get used to it and it may be that you'll be happy with it. If, like me, you're not and generally unhappy then get advice before you buy. Most people seem to say go with a Yamaha with a 5 lay (smallish opening) personally I didn't like it as it didn't give me the sound I was looking for, plus I kept stalling the reed on the tip of the mouthpiece whenever I gave it a serious blow. I took some advice and was told to try an Otto Link Tone Edge 5. I bought it and I liked it, and I still do. Although it's a 5 opening it is a slightly larger opening than the Yamaha. It's quite a mellow sound which I like. Thousands would disagree with me which just goes to prove choice of set up is a personal thing.
Saxophone mouthpiece gap size.Looking at the two images above I've tried to highlight the gaps. As you can see the difference between the two is very little. However believe me when I say it makes a big difference in playability.If you jump straight to a large opening you're going to get serious jaw ache and probably a little fed up. I suggest if you want a stronger sound then you should try a stronger reed first or even a different reed entirely. (and it's much cheaper!) One final thing. A 5 lay on one sax mouthpiece isn't necessarily the same as a 5 lay on another. Sadly there is no set standard and all manufacturers determine their own sizes it appears. Oh and they also don't all use numbers. Selmer, for example, use letters! Related TopicsBuying a Saxophone MouthpieceSaxophone Ligatures Saxophone Reeds Alto Saxophones Tenor Saxophones Saxophone Scales Saxophone Embouchre Leave Sax Mouthpiece and go to Homepage
|
