Balladeer
06-19-2003, 10:43 PM
MOUTHPIECE TEST/COMPARISON
I play tested three new alto sax mouthpieces by Dave Kessler:
C* (plastic)
C* (hard rubber)
NY (plastic)
The instrument used for testing was a Selmer Mark VI (61xxx). Reeds were Superial, strength 3. Ligature was Rovner Mark III. I played scales, arpeggios, melodic phrases at varied tempo and volume, altissimo, and subtones.
My personal favorite is the hard rubber C*. This mouthpiece would be an excellent choice for the 1st chair symphonic band student looking for an easy playing mouthpiece and a bright tone with a round bottom.
The plastic C* plays similar to the hard rubber version. The differences being a slight decrease in overall frequency response (less highs, less lows) and somewhat less smooth/responsive. This mouthpiece seemed almost as good as the hard rubber version.
The plastic NY model blows with too much resistance for me. It seemed to require 25% more air than the C*. This mouthpiece did not produce any brilliance for me. The tone is more applicable to blending with other saxes, french horns, etc.
It is remarkable that mouthpieces of this quality are available at prices this low.
Here are my test ratings on a scale of 1-5 where '1' means "not so good" or "very little of" and '5' means "excellent" or "has a lot of".
Hard Rubber C* Model
Intonation.......5 (excellent)
altissimo........5 (easy altissimo)
subtones.........4 (easy subtones)
Free Blowing.....5 (excellent)
Resistance.......1 (very little)
Brilliance.......4 (has more than average brilliance)
Depth............4 (has more than average depth)
Smoothness.......4 (is smooth)
Responsiveness...4 (is responsive)
Clarity..........5 (very clear)
Plastic C* Model
Intonation.......5
altissimo........4
subtones.........3
Free Blowing.....4
Resistance.......1
Brilliance.......3
Depth............3
Smoothness.......3
Responsiveness...2
Clarity..........4
Plastic NY Model
Intonation.......5 (excellent intonation)
altissimo........4 (easy altissimo)
subtones.........4 (easy subtones)
Free Blowing.....1 (not very free blowing)
Resistance.......4 (very resistant)
Brilliance.......2 (little brilliance)
Depth............4 (more than average depth)
Smoothness.......4 (quite smooth)
Responsiveness...2 (not as responsive)
Clarity..........3 (average clarity)
I play tested three new alto sax mouthpieces by Dave Kessler:
C* (plastic)
C* (hard rubber)
NY (plastic)
The instrument used for testing was a Selmer Mark VI (61xxx). Reeds were Superial, strength 3. Ligature was Rovner Mark III. I played scales, arpeggios, melodic phrases at varied tempo and volume, altissimo, and subtones.
My personal favorite is the hard rubber C*. This mouthpiece would be an excellent choice for the 1st chair symphonic band student looking for an easy playing mouthpiece and a bright tone with a round bottom.
The plastic C* plays similar to the hard rubber version. The differences being a slight decrease in overall frequency response (less highs, less lows) and somewhat less smooth/responsive. This mouthpiece seemed almost as good as the hard rubber version.
The plastic NY model blows with too much resistance for me. It seemed to require 25% more air than the C*. This mouthpiece did not produce any brilliance for me. The tone is more applicable to blending with other saxes, french horns, etc.
It is remarkable that mouthpieces of this quality are available at prices this low.
Here are my test ratings on a scale of 1-5 where '1' means "not so good" or "very little of" and '5' means "excellent" or "has a lot of".
Hard Rubber C* Model
Intonation.......5 (excellent)
altissimo........5 (easy altissimo)
subtones.........4 (easy subtones)
Free Blowing.....5 (excellent)
Resistance.......1 (very little)
Brilliance.......4 (has more than average brilliance)
Depth............4 (has more than average depth)
Smoothness.......4 (is smooth)
Responsiveness...4 (is responsive)
Clarity..........5 (very clear)
Plastic C* Model
Intonation.......5
altissimo........4
subtones.........3
Free Blowing.....4
Resistance.......1
Brilliance.......3
Depth............3
Smoothness.......3
Responsiveness...2
Clarity..........4
Plastic NY Model
Intonation.......5 (excellent intonation)
altissimo........4 (easy altissimo)
subtones.........4 (easy subtones)
Free Blowing.....1 (not very free blowing)
Resistance.......4 (very resistant)
Brilliance.......2 (little brilliance)
Depth............4 (more than average depth)
Smoothness.......4 (quite smooth)
Responsiveness...2 (not as responsive)
Clarity..........3 (average clarity)