husky bari sound

[vick]

i'm looking for a really deep, husky sound on my martin bari. i'm currently playing a meyer but it's just too thin sounding. any suggestions?

[JS]

I used a Meyer on bari for years with great sucess - what tip opening are you playing on? What size reeds and with what lig? I'm sure that you've heard this before, but sometimes it helps to be remined of these things - the mouthpiece, reed, and ligature all work together - they are all part of a larger equation that help us get closer to the sound that we "hear" in our head. You may have a great mouthpiece, but just haven't found the other parts of the equation - make sure that you're getting a good seal with your ligature, and that the reed tips match up with the tip of the mpc.
Right now, I'm using a rubber Yanigasawa #9 with Rico Jazz Select 4M (Filed) reeds with a standard, 2-screw Selmer ligature - it works for me. If you are still "on the hunt" for the "dream" mouthpiece - I would check out some Otto Links, both hard rubber and metal. I've heard great things about the Morgan's, although I haven't tried one on bari yet. However, if you have the cash, go check out a Lamberson. They're worth every penny (I'm saving up for one now!) - they come in hard rubber or wood. I play Lamberson mouthpieces on tenor and soprano - they really are something else. Tim Price hipped me to them almost two years ago - he uses them on all of his saxes - his bari sound is AMAZING! :D

[steve]

I'm happy with my newer Berg metal 120/3...stock lig. and #2 Vandorens on my 1954 "The Martin". Nice deep mellow sound but you can push the volumn as far as you want without breaking up. We had another bari player sit in with us Saturday night....he has a Mark VI and was using a 110/1 rubber Berg and got a nice big sound, with a bit more edge.

[MojoBari]

Meyers and Lambersons I've seen are similar designs. The Meyer tip opening may be too small for the sound you are after.

I like bari pieces with baffles. Runyon Quantums are my favorite. RIAs have a great sound but take too much air for me. Bergs can be made to work, but you need to find a good one or have one refaced.

On the cheap, you can try a Bari-brand plastic reed and/or a Rico Plasticover reed. They are bright and a little buzzy. They can wake up the sound on a more tame mouthpiece.

[hornstar]

I concur with Mojo on the Runyon Quantum for bari. I'm using one of the Jody Jazz modified Q's and am very pleased. more open will give a bigger sound.

[vick]

i think part of the problem lies with the tip opening. i'm on a 5m and its just way too closed for me. i have been considering the quantum though. any place that will let me try them out before i buy, internet wise. i know steve goodson has them.

[mark_m]

I have an old Guy Hawkins that I use on my The Martin, that's easily capable of a "chainsaw" sort of tonality, if that's what you mean by "husky". It generates a lot of harmonics that light up the Noyeks, much different than my Runyons.

I can't swear it hasn't been worked on, though...

One thing I and others have found with The Martin bari is larger chambers seem to intonate better. Haven't played a Quantum though, so can't say. If it's a larger chamber than a Custom or JJ, might work out.

[ninjameb]

would a 9M get you there better to the husky sound? ive jsut recently acquired a martin bari, and am lookin into a mp.

[barisaxplayer]

I think I need to get that martin back to test my quantum on it. I was using a link 5* and was getting a wonderful sound, nothing thin about it. 5* with a 3 reed to get it pumpin fast and well. The owner of the martin uses a berg 120/3 when he plays it. Compared to some other horns, definitely nothing thin about a martin.

[SAXISMYAXE]

Yet another Runyon Quantum fan chiming in here. I play a #10 on my 1956 The Martin Committee and it has lots of guts and power. It doesn't eat up air like many other pieces I have tried either.

[vick]

I finally settled on a modified Link.

[barisaxplayer]

Sounds good man, I still enjoy my link. Check out a runyon later, should be a nice change if you go a little more open.

[vick]

When I had my Link modified I had a sizable baffle put in, so in most regards it is like a Runyon Quantum. Doesn't quite make the sound you would expect from a Link :D