4C mouthpiece

[psyguy]

I am a neophyte playing an 82Z tenor with the Yamaha 4C mouthpiece. My mentor suggested relatively soft reeds for now. Accordingly, I use La Voz Medium-Soft reeds. Is there an ideal reed strength for this mouthpiece (considering the tip opening) and my newbie status?

Stu

[Mike Ruhl]

It's normal for beginners to start with soft reeds on a mouthpiece with a close tip opening. As your embouchure develops you'll want to first increase the reed strength, then the mouthpiece tip opening, to get the most from your 82Z. Be patient, and have fun!

[MS]

You'll notice as you look around the forum, there's a lot of diversity from players as to reed strength (even on similar mps). So without listening and watching you play - suggesting an ideal reed strength for you would be improbable. I suspect the 4C was designed to accomadate a reed strength probably from a 2 1/2 to a 3 1/2 depending on classic or flat cut style of reed. The 4C is a good mps for the price range (I think it's somewhere in the $25 to $35 range).

Hopefully your mentor will suggest reeds to try as your playing develops and what reed you use may help with the extreme low and high registers. This is a balancing act, and with some guidance should present no problem. I have been playing for 47 years and still haven't firmly decided what reed I'll use when I grow up. It's the journey! Have fun. :D

[Buster]

With a 4c I suggest you collect together all the old reeds you can find, make a small heap, set light to them and then put your mouthpiece on top.
Do not try out many reeds trying to find the perfect reed for a mouthpiece which is the worst I have ever played - any other cheap alternative will give a better result.

[Gordon (NZ)]

You can't have played many mouthpieces if a 4C is the worst! Or was the one you tried damaged?

Or perhaps if a player totally lacks any versatility then he cannot get the best out of many mouthpieces.

IMHO there is NOTHING wrong with a 4C for a beginner. Sometimes I mistakenly pick up this for testing instruments after servicing, and it does not let me down. I am no pro but I am certainly no longer a beginner.

Of course another possibility is that a 4C bought in USA is made in USA (or wherever!!), whereas all the 4Cs that I encounter are definitely ex-Japan. Hmmm!

[madsax]

My only complaint is that a professional mouthpiece should be sent out with a new professional saxophone...shame on you Yamaha. (My 62II had a 4C) :(

[averageschmoe]

most people tend to have a pro mouthpiece already when they buy a pro saxophone. for a while i had three alto mouthpieces and no alto. the fact that yamaha puts anything in there at all is a courtesy, it doesn't really cost them anything one way or the other.

[madsax]

Ofcourse I have a pro mouthpiece...

[averageschmoe]

exactly... that's also why many professional mouthpieces don't come with ligatures (which can be frustrating when buying a metal piece when you play just about everything on hard rubber).

[SpooN]

of all the reeds that ive played on, i'd suggest you use a la voz medium. its a fairly high quality reed, putting out a nice tone, but its easy enough to play with when you are just developing your embouchure. another type i would suggest looking into is rico royals. although they are, in my opinion, a poorer sounding reed, it will be easier to play on.

[Goin4DaTone]

When a bought my YAS875 12 years ago I learned 2 things:
1. Even though it is a new horn, it still needs to go to a good tech.
2. Take the 4C and put it into a drawer just in case you want to sell the horn at a later date.
I had nothing but trouble with that mouthpiece.
I went back to the store where I bought it, and tried mouthpieces until I found one that worked on the YAS875.

So, when I pirchased my YTS62S I:
1. Took the horn to my tech
2. Put the 4C in the drawer and started on the mouthpiece quest.

[Silvio Martin]

The 4c is a begginner mouthpiece that, I tell to my students they have to change after several months of practice, and no when they buy the instrument, because they didn´t recognice the difference betwen a study mpc. or a proffessional one. This happens with this 4c on the Yamahas or the mpc. that came with the Selmer Bundy, etc. First of all practice with th 4c, with a medium strengh reed, and no with a softer one. Be happy.

[marton]

I am a neophyte playing an 82Z tenor with the Yamaha 4C mouthpiece. My mentor suggested relatively soft reeds for now. Accordingly, I use La Voz Medium-Soft reeds. Is there an ideal reed strength for this mouthpiece (considering the tip opening) and my newbie status?

Stu

try a couple of different strength reeds and use the one you got a decent sound with. that's what i did initially.

[Dog Pants]

I really don't understand all the posts disparaging the Yamaha 4C mouthpiece.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with them and truth be told a lot of beginners and many intermediate players would sound much better on a 4C than on their current "mouthpiece de jour."

Instead of buying into the BS that as soon as you can play two notes you need a pro mouthpiece, I'd suggest that sticking with, or reverting to, the 4C would instantly solve many problems experienced by many players playing on mouthpieces that are too open for their embouchures and or, too radical in their design to promote good fundamentals of tone production.

Intonation, articulation, dynamics, a centred sound, etc would all be improved playing on the much maligned 4C.

Just my $0.02

[Pete Thomas]

First, the yamaha 4c is an excellent mouthpiece, much better than most I've seen that are included with a new saxophone. As many people have different opinions about mouthpieces of course there will be those who don't like this but they are great for beginners and are still OK for more intermediate and even professional use.

However, the question is not about how good this mouthpiece is but what strength reeds to us on it. Again, opinions differ, it is very subjective. I like to use soft reeds, some people like harder reeds, it's not really a question of as you get better you use harder reeds.

If you and your mentor are happy with medium soft then I think that is the best strength. Sounds to me like all is fine, good luck with the saxophone!

[Silvio Martin]

Hi Mr. Pete thomas. I'm a new member of the forum and an old member of the "saxophone fans". I´m teachin this marvelous instrument since 40 years ago, and performing too, and I´m very happy to talk with all of the persons in this forum. I agree totally with your concepts and congratulate you for your page, that I read and make see to all my students, is incredibly. My country is República Argentina (South América).
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