Looking for a mouthpiece to get thick, warm and dark sound..

[Silhouette]

Hi all, i am new in this forum. i am actually looking for a mouthpiece to achieve a thick, warm and pretty dark sound that can project eg like the tone Kenny G achieve with his tenor sax in songs like northern lights and a year ago.

So which mouthpiece should i try?

[colibri]

Try an RIA. That's what Kenny G uses but I don't see why you want to sound like him.

[Balladeer]

I've got a feeling that the popular dark smooth jazz tone we hear is produceable playing a Guardala Studio mouthpiece at medium soft to medium loud volumes into a microphone at close range. I recall some of Subtone Sam's Guardala mouthpiece sound samples a year ago. He had that sound I think you are looking for. Search the old forum archives under mouthpieces and try to find his post and link to his sound samples (if they're still available).

[Morry]

I, too, like a dark sound. If you like metal pieces, try the Ponzol II-V-I, and the Barone Jazz.

[Ray]

I have an RIA metal piece and with a Hempke reed, I can pretty much reproduce the Kenny G tenor sound. It's a nice mpc, WWand BW have them.

[Silhouette]

Hi Ray so what ligature did u use for your setup?

[Ray]

The ligature I'm using is a Rovner light but it is for a clarinet. The WWand BW person told me which one to get.

[Silhouette]

Hi Ray, WWBW recommend you this ligature?

thanks!

[Ray]

I believe he did, it's been a while. Another point to make is that I didn't get the sound your talking about until about a week after playing around with the mouthpiece. I was testing several and didn't like any of them until one day I put the RIA on my tenor and the sound was there.

[Silhouette]

Hi Ray, i am using the ligature that comes with the mouthpiece, the sound is pretty bright, high notes quite sweet, overall mellow quality. I quite like it.

I am using a 5*. i have been using it for abt 2 days, and there is still lot of the wind "fluffing" sound. I think cos my embrochure still not strong enough to control this piece. Do you have this problem?

Oh also i heard otto links are harder to blow compared to RIA, is that true?

[Ray]

No, I don't seem to have that problem with my RIA, unless I get a reed that needs some tweeking.
In my experience, the metal Link I have takes a little more effort to play but I rarely get it out. When I used to play it more, I didn't notice it much.

[tenor fan]

I heard that the otto link metal was the best for dark, rick sound is this true?

[cmelodysax]

The hard rubber 'Tone Edge' Links (mine are all 60/70's - so not expensive like the 'slants' etc.)) are great for rich/dark on tenor. With LaVoz or Rico Royal reeds they can also get edgy and/or project when needed, a good compromise. But you need a 7* or 8 at least.

I've always found the Metal Links too bland. Elevator music fodder.

Regards, Alan.

[Sigmund451]

The Metal Otto IMO is full and has a rich sound. Its a quite open sound but I would not characterize it as being especially dark. I have one, I like it, but Im looking for a second standard MPC that is darker.

[Saxophoon]

The answer to your search is the Zagar "Cool School" mouthpiece. You can find it at Junkdude.com.

[Sigmund451]

I checked the price of those MPCS.....Zagar.....OUCH!

I spoke with Junkdude and the guys at Morgan and I have decided to go with the Morgan Jazz Large Chamber. Hope its the right choice. The Zagars might be great but I'd have to sleep on the couch if I spent 250 on a MPC.

I will post my results when I get it.

BTW.... Great customer service from the Dave at Junkdude as well as the folks at Morgan. Its something you dont get every day. I hope the mouthpiece is as good as the treatment I received.

Thanks for all the replies guys...as well as all the other good posts on this great forum. Gosh its nice to see a forum on the web worth visiting :D