Scott Hamilton - setup

[Tears June]

Does Scott Hamilton using SBA & Metal Link?
What reed he is using?
Nice sound!

:cry:

[paulwl]

Scott does use Super B-As, but when I met him in the mid 90s he was playing a #160-something MkVI with a Link 9. I forget what reed...La Voz if I had to guess.

[Buster]

I heard that he now uses a Barone mouthpiece modeled on an old Link.

[Tears June]

paulwl

Rico's reed? Is it the Orange box model? Do you know what strength it is?


Buster
Do you know which Barone mouthpiece he use for modification?

:cry:

[AMASAX]

this was covered on the old SOTW site...
i saw him at a jazz fest in L.A. about 1.5 yrs ago, checked out the horn and asked him about his mthpce:

* Balanced Action sax, NOT an SBA.
* Otto Link metal from late 1970s/early 1980s...pretty open, as i recall, somewheres around a 10 or so.
* Rico Jazz reeds, don't recall for sure the strength, but i think they were around 2.5

[Stretch]

I saw Scott Hamilton play at the Top O' the Senator in Toronto in March. After the gig I asked him about his set up and he told me he was playing a 10* STM Link opened up to a 12* with a Rico 2.5 reed and a Francois Louis ligature on a SBA horn. Sounded great.

[Stretch]

Sorry that was a Rico Royal 2.5, not a regular Rico.

[Tears June]

Stretch

Stretch

Never use Rico Royal for tenor but I'm surprise it sound so nice. Not bright but mellow, rich & slightly dark in Scott's sound.

I wonder if many other famous tenor artist are using this Classical music reed (Rico said it's for Classical).


:cry:

[AMASAX]

other interesting thing about his setup is that the mic/amp is a key part. If you every hear him live, see if you can listen to him warm up - is quite a different sound than what comes through the sound system. He's very careful to always play right into the mic.

Sure sounds good in the mic/on the recordings, tho.

[AMASAX]

also, unless he's changed horns recently, he plays a BA, not an SBA...late BA if memory serves.

A lot of players who aren't up on the pecularities of horns often get the BA & SBA mixed up, as they look a lot alike and play more similarly than say, a Mark VI.

When i saw him in Sept. '01, he was using a BA, i checked very closely/carefully...

[Mike Ruhl]

I wonder if many other famous tenor artist are using this Classical music reed (Rico said it's for Classical).

Tears, the Rico website describes Royals as "Professional-quality reed for all musical applications ". There are many jazz artists using Rico Royals. Check the Rico website for artist info.

Perhaps you have them confused with the Grand Concert Selects.

[Tears June]

His sound is so nice. I wonder he can make such tone characteristics if he change to a Guardala, Keilwerth or a metal resonator Series III instead of SB/SBA ??


:cry:

[Hurling Frootmig]

My Grandfather played professionally for about 50 years and the last many many years that he played he almost always played on Royals except the last couple of years when he had to move to softer reeds due to health issues. He played mostly big band and jazz but like any working musician played some rock as well. Served him pretty well.

A lot of guys still use Royals. I've used them since the mid 1980s but am playing around with Alexander's and RJS.

There are a lot of kids playing these days who are growing up on Vandoren's since that is what they are instructed to play on. They will probably stay brand loyal for a long time.

What kind of reeds do you prefer Tears June? What's your setups?

[Tears June]

Hurling Frootmig

Good question. I'm playing alto and soprano but will start tenor in soon. For the horn, my choice is a Selmer Ref 36, a Series III or a Guardala Black Nickel Artist model. I think I like all those 3 horns. I have test the Series III & Guardala but not Ref 36 because not available in my area. So, need to make decision very careful.

About the MP & reed for alto + soprano, I have tried almost everything I can get. My final choice is Beechler Bellite metal + Java 2.5 reed for alto. For soprano, is Lawton P chamber + Java 2.5. This is more bright & brilliance sound setup. However, my taste for the tenor sound is completely different, I like slight dark, thick, rich but brilliance sound. exact same Eric Alexander. What is your suggestion about the setup ?

Thanks.

BTW, Eric 's sound is slightly dark but not all songs are the same. His sound is more bright on "After the Rain". It make remember Coltrane.
But I still prefer his dark & rich tone more.

:cry:

[Hurling Frootmig]

Tears June,

I'm an alto player primarily but here's my present setup:

Alto:
63 Buescher 400
55 Buescher Aristocrat 141
Vandoren V16 A5 mouthpiece - Most Playing
Selmer S80 C* mouthpiece - Classical or Ensemble
vintage Martin mouthpiece - Classical
Bonade lig (backups are Harrison and Vandoren Masters)
I am using Rico Jazz Selects in 2 1/2 and Alexanders in 2 1/2 for most of my playing. I prefer a bright reed.
I use Hemke 2 1/2 for classical or when I want a darker tone.

I've just picked up a Kohlert 62xxx and haven't found a preferred setup yet.

[Hurling Frootmig]

Tears June,

A setup is such a personal thing. I've played on a variety of horns and I'm very most impressed with the Mark VI. In new horns I think the REF 36, REF 54, Yamaha 82Z, and 875 Custom seem to offer today's player a lot.

What are you playing on right now?

[jim3121]

I remember that in the early 1980s Ralph Morgan cited in his ad for his mouthpieces, that Scott Hamilton played one of his Excalibur mouthpieces - a think possibly a "9E"; not sure about the size, though.