need a new alto jazz mouthpiece

[Andrea]

I need a new jazz mpc, which is the best choice between the following:

hard rubber

Selmer
Meyer
Lakey
Vandoren V5
Vandoren V16
Berg Larsen

metal
Otto Link
Meyer
P. Barone



I need something not too bright but quite versatile with a good projection and without intonation problem for big band sax quartet

I'm currently playing on a Meyer 5MM but would like to change

[Dave Dolson]

Andrea: I prefer Selmers in HR (and just picked up a no-name great piece from Kessler Music in Las Vegas - see my posting elsewhere), but all any of us can do is tell you what WE like, not what will work for you. You are the only one who can make that determination. You listed some noted brands, but YOU must play them. DAVE

[super20dan]

addthe runyon jazz custom or the jody jazz to your list

[Johannes Gerber]

For metal you should seriously consider my jazz model, it's responsive, very versatile, free blowing, fantastic projection - my piece is modelled after a Link, but has more material in the roof and a somewhat smaller chamber, rounded sidewalls - unmatched finishing. And the prices are unreal. email me should you decide on a metal piece - saxophones@webmail.co.za - and for pictures. I'll also send you contact info of some who use my jazz alto piece.

[colibri]

Jo Gerber's pieces are all hand made from start to finish. For a custom mouthpiece tailored to your own liking, the price is great. He'll update you everyday with the progress. I got a super charged paint peeler coming from him in a week.

[Morry]

The 50/50 hard rubber/plastic NY copies that Dave Kessler is selling for $59 would be seem to be a great way to get into a nice mpc cheap. Dave Dolson has tried (and bought) one, and others are in the process of reviewing them.

[DaveKessler]

The 50/50 hard rubber/plastic NY copies that Dave Kessler is selling for $59 would be seem to be a great way to get into a nice mpc cheap. Dave Dolson has tried (and bought) one, and others are in the process of reviewing them.

Morry, just a correction, the 50/50NY's I am selling to SOTW users at $39. The "True Hard Rubber" NY models will be $59.00

Dave Dolson is buying the 50/50NY.

[Morry]

My bad. Even better. :D

[Andrea]

Dave,
where can I have some info about your "true Hr NY" pieces?
are they a copy of the old Meyer bros?

>

[DaveKessler]

Dave,
where can I have some info about your "true Hr NY" pieces?
are they a copy of the old Meyer bros?

>

Andrea,

I dont have the true hr mouthpieces yet. We only ordered their production about a week ago.

We copied the tip and the facing of an older New York Meyer 5. We did not copy the chamber. Our mouthpiece is a Straight wall chamber.

If you like, I can let you know when we do get in the true hard rubber ones.

I am primarily getting these hard rubber ones for my Mouthpiece tech. He is the one who did the original prototypes that these are now made from. He has plenty of local players that are always asking him for something like this and this way, he can keep them on hand and re-face them or open them up anyway these players want without them having to modify one of their existing pieces.

[Markus]

Hello Andrea,

I dropped my Meyer on the floor and damaged it. So I had to buy a new one. After several tests I choose a wooden Lebayle Jazz. On my JK SX90R, for me it is a very good mpc, combined with Superials or RJS.
If possible give it a try. The numbering of Meyer and Lebayle Jazz is nearly the same with respect to tip opening.
I play it now for half a year and don't want to switch back to a Meyer.
The sound is fuller, but a bit brighter than a Meyer. Very easy to play.
It is definitely worth a try.

Markus

[Andrea]

Yes Dave, please advise me when you get them, I am very interested in.


for mARKUS:
are the wwoden mpc easy to play? I tried years ago a Wooden lamberson and nad not so success.

maybe I'll give them a try.

[rcwjd]

I have the Barone HR New York model - #8 and I am very pleased with it. Excellent intonation up and down the horn. Ease in the upper register. Brighter than a large chamber mpc, but still sufficiently dark for jazz combo work. Projects very well. I use it on my Buffet SuperDynaction alto. The #8 is a very open mpc and if I had it to do over again, I might consider the #7 instead. I mainly play bari though, so I kind of like the open mpcs.

[colibri]

Also you can try a Morgan jazz model but ignore the "Acousti-match" reed strength chart.

[MBushaw]

I play Barone HR pieces. If I'm playing first, I use a NY 6. If I'm playing 2nd, I use a Jazz 5. I prefer the sound of the Jazz, but the NY gives my sound the authority to lead. The NY has more lower partials (darker?) than the Meyer I had, yet still is able to be heard. The Jazz blends so easily.
I've used these on my Selmer BA alto, and my Buffet S1 alto.
I've been curious about the new Selmer Soloist and Super Session pieces though.

[Markus]

Hello Andrea,

for me the wooden Lebayle is easy to play from pp to ff.
Good intonation - but find the right tip opening for you. I first tried
a larger tip opening and had problems with intonation. Now these
problems are gone.
The mpc is really easy to play and sounds great.

Markus

[JS]

For alto, I would suggest checking out either a Morgan Jazz mouthpiece (the L chamber), a Vandoren A28, or a Lamberson Fmaj7. All three mouthpieces are very versatile, have plenty of projection and character, and aren't too bright - you shouldn't have any trouble blending in a section with these mouthpieces. The Vandoren A28, although it's marketed as a "classical" mouthpiece, is one of the best mass-produced mouthpieces (IMHO) available today - very warm and vibrant. The Morgans have been talked about extensively on this forum, and for good reason - they work! I happen to have a love affair with the Lamberson mouthpieces (I use them on my tenor and soprano - and I'm waiting for an alto Fmaj7 to arrive at Roberto's right now!). The other option is to have your Meyer tweaked by a knowledgeable refacer, like Theo Wanne (once he starts taking new orders again)...good luck! :D

[king koeller]

It's very important to try out as many as you can. so you can get a feel for what works for you. Many people have great ideas and personal testimonies about what mouthpiece they like but you have to find your own way. For Me, The Morgan Excalibur Alto 6 is so versatile, from big band lead alto to jazz rock fusion to acid jazz to G.B. gigs., it can do it all.
A good reed to start with on this piece is The Vandoren Java 3 1/2 .
He hand makes every piece and hand cuts the facing curve to 1/10000 of an inch in accuracy. His extensive experience and knowledge of facing curves make him a true legend in the world of mouthpiece manufacture. He was friends with Otto Link and the Meyer Brother's too! I love his attention to details like the roll over baffles and the hollowed out sidewalls that you don't see on other mouthpieces. He believes in round chambers not square, like the ones used on S-80's Selmers. Have you ever seen a square saxophone? He uses the same type of hard rubber that the old rubber links used. Warm but alive with that "pop" that he talks about . The fact that the air is compressed into a round venturi before it hits the chamber for true projection without the use of wedges or spoilers, which can make the tone thin,edgy and nasil. But please,don't listen to me, the Morgans speak for themselves.

[MojoBari]

Have you ever seen a round reed? :)

[DaveKessler]

Yes Dave, please advise me when you get them, I am very interested in.


Just an update,

My true hard rubber mouthpieces will be a round chamber and not a straight wall like my plastic and 50/50 ones are.

We just ordered a few of the production prototypes of the round chamber today so we should have those in 1-2 weeks for our evaluation.

[colibri]

He hand makes every piece and hand cuts the facing curve to 1/10000 of an inch in accuracy.

I'm not sure about the "1/10000" thing. The new Morgan 8M I bought has side rails that are much thicker than the other 2 Morgans that I had, and they're uneven. Nevertheless, it'a an easy playing mouthpiece.

[Bootman]

Johannes Gerber in South Africa has some very interesting alto mpcs, they would definitely be worth checking out. The JJ ESP is great too, very flexible and warm for a more contempoary jazz alto sound. Play as many mpcs as youcanget your hands on, it is often the mpc that you would least expect that will prove to be the best option for yourself.

[kennyj]

Everyone will have a favorite, as you are witnessing. I will refer you to a website: www.junkdude.com Please go to his Morgan section and read the two articles posted there from the Saxophone Journal. You will see a great article on mouthpiece compositions (metals, hard rubber, etc). Also, you can read about my personal preference as being the best available handcrafted mouthpiece, the Morgan.

kenny j

[Morry]

Sorry, King, but I would argue that it is impossible for a human to do anything by hand that results in a tolerance of 1/10000th of an inch.

[kevvieg]

I have a Vandoren V16 6M and a Barone NY6. I only use he V16 as a backup now. I love Phil's NY rubber pieces. I can get as dark or as bright as I need - very flexible. I had a chance to try one of Johannes Gerber's alto pieces. It played very well, but I am not a fan of metal pieces on alto. I'd love to try one of his tenor pieces in an open facing or (if available) a Gerber baritone piece.

[colibri]

Definitely check out Jo Gerber's hand made pieces. I received one recently. I haven't used it in gigs yet (it's the brightest, edgiest thing I ever played) but it is extremely well made. It projects well, plays easy from bottom to altissimo, plays in tune and most importantly, sounds good. He'll update you everyday with the progress, from a mouthpiece blank to the finished product. For a custom tailored piece, the price is great.

[Johannes Gerber]

Thank you colibri,

for the record it is an alto high baffle piece with 0.110 tip.

[conntenor]

Try a metal selmer they are better for jazz than the hard rubber mouthpieces. I have a rubber selmer on my alto and it is more for classical music.