Mouthpiece Evaluations

[pmaine]

Many of us have went through a stage that if we purchase a mouthpiece like our favorite sax hero - that we will be able to sound like our hero. After many hundreds of dollars later we realize that when our hero sax player changes mouthpieces - they still sound the same.

I am not trying to say that the mouthpiece doesn't make any difference. I am trying to say evaluate different mouthpieces based upon the style your playing and the characteristics you desire - not the mouthpiece of your hero.

I just visited the new blog site of Steve Neff and he has evaluated many mouthpieces and still counting. In addition to a writeup he also includes an audio clip of how the mouthpiece sounds. You should check out the

Neff Music Blog (http://www.neffmusic.com/blog/)

[MojoBari]

A lot of players hear different nuances in these recordings. I hear that he sounds basically the same in 90% of them. Either way, it is a good site to check out.

[mfry]

Steve's clips are a great resource. They do demonstrate that you always sound like you whatever equipment you're on, but you can hear clear but often subtle (some subtler than others) differences between all the pieces.

[gary]

self-deleted. gremlins in the server.
....

[gary]

Hi Paul, welcome!
Steve Neff is a regular on the forum and is a familiar "face" here, as well as his mpc trials. I laughed when I read this, "After many hundreds of dollars later we realize that when our hero sax player changes mouthpieces..." LOL. Oh woe! Oh panic!! :shock: What to do?

It's also funny when folks start a thread on "what mpc does my favourite player play?", very likely running out to get the same set-up, only to read a month later that, "well, he used mpc X in that phase of his playing, but actually in his Tibetan phase, he played mpc Y".

[BOPITY FUNK]

I wonder if anyone's tried to keep up with Sonny Rollins ! about 50 a year for the last half century!
Bopity

[jazzcat58]

Steve's clips are a great resource. They do demonstrate that you always sound like you whatever equipment you're on, but you can hear clear but often subtle (some subtler than others) differences between all the pieces.

agreed,yes i feel your sound is always in your make up no matter what you play, although as you say there are the subtle differences, it just depends , what sound one is after,i feel all in all the mouth piece craze can be over done, and ive been guilty of that.
Im trying to sttle down now to a few pieces and leave it like that.....for now..!!

[modman]

My search started when I purchased my new line of horns s/a/t and realized that the mouthpieces that I had used on my Superba I alto, JK made Conn 94M were not giving me the feel I wanted.

I am glad to say that I found a GW (Greg Wier) 7* HR a perfect fit and have stopped looking for tenor pieces.:)

I have now started the arduous journey of finding an alto mouthpiece that gives me a clear tone with a little edge, can play soft in the lower registers and full in the D3 up and altissimo range. Finding the alto mpc. is proving to be more difficult than tenor.

When I find a great low and mid-range note producing mouthpiece like the Selmer Super Session F, it produces very little altissimo and thin D3 and up.

When I recently bought and tested a Jody Jazz 7 I get a nice clean D3 and up with great overtones and blistering altissimos but its a HONKER and hard to control tuning in the mid range.

I am determined to see this through and am going to start looking at Metal again and have decided to start with what Gary plays, a Ponzol.

Any other mouthpiece suggestions.

B8-)

[modman]

My search started when I purchased my new line of horns s/a/t and realized that the mouthpieces that I had used on my Superba I alto, JK made Conn 94M were not giving me the feel I wanted.

I am glad to say that I found a GW (Greg Wier) 7* HR a perfect fit and have stopped looking for tenor pieces.:)

I have now started the arduous journey of finding an alto mouthpiece that gives me a clear tone with a little edge, can play soft in the lower registers and full in the D3 up and altissimo range. Finding the alto mpc. is proving to be more difficult than tenor.

When I find a great low and mid-range note producing mouthpiece like the Selmer Super Session F, it produces very little altissimo and thin D3 and up.

When I recently bought and tested a Jody Jazz 7 I get a nice clean D3 and up with great overtones and blistering altissimos but its a HONKER and hard to control tuning in the mid range.

I am determined to see this through and am going to start looking at Metal again and have decided to start with what Gary plays, a Ponzol.

Any other mouthpiece suggestions.

B8-)

Addendum: Started playing a GW 9M Meyer style HR alto piece with a #2 plasticcover reed, and WOW! I may have hit the jackpot but still waiting to try some metal, a Ponzol M1 (.85), and Berg (.90).

B8-)