Not sure about my Otto link NY I bought.

[eagleknight]

Ok, so I made the step up, errr or thought I did. After much searching and reading the forums for opinions on mouthpieces I settled on a link NY 7*.I also purchased some Vandoren V16 #3 reeds. I had been using a Brilhart 3 mouthpiece and Lavas medium hard reeds since high school, but with more recent playing I am looking for a bit a of a different sound. I been playing more smooth jazz and Kirk Whalum toons. I like the sound in the high range on the new link, but I am getting a bit of an airy tone. It seems like it takes more work to get a sound out. I'm looking for a nice tone. Should I have went with the non NY version? Any suggestions on where to go from here. This is on a Selmer paris Mark VI

[Mike Cesati]

I think it's because you may have got too big a tip opening.
The 3 Brillhart would be a closer tip unless it's be opened up. The 7* is a .105 and with a 3 1/2 reed you need well developed chops. It's most likely a real different feel for you and the air in the sound seeems to indicate too open /too stiff a reed. Experiment with a 2 1/2 or 3 reed

[Mike Cesati]

I'm sorry I missed that you were using a 3. maybe a 2 1/2 is better. I did read the post but thought you bought 3 1/2's

[Chris Mickel]

The NY Otto link has a large chamber and has a darker sound, because of this you'll really need alot of air support. But Links are good pieces (they work well on VI's) and a 7* is a good facing to work with and #3 reeds should work well with it.

The best thing I can reccomend is to play alot of long tones and overtones so you can really get some control on the piece. Then you can make is sound the way you want. Any new piece will require an adjustment period.

Though there are quality control issues with Links these days. Some are good others are not. Many people have them worked on and tweaked. That may be a good thing to do. There are people on this forum that do that kind of work. You might want to consider contacting one of them. A bad link is terrible but if you get one worked it will be a great piece.

Chris

[EZ]

Go with a Hemke 2.5

If that doesn't work after 3 months, then there may be other issues.

[king koeller]

Also the V-16 Reed might not be perfect for you and your chops.
Remember in order of thickness of the vamp...
Thickest-Blue Box Classical
less thick... -V-16's
Thiner...- ZZ's
Thinnest yet...(American Jazz Cut) Java Green Box
FOR YEARS(12) I used a Metal Link 7* with Java 3.5's
please try out the Java 3's on your piece.
I fell these are more suiter to the metal Link.
Just look at a Dexter Gordon Video, he blew Rico reeds.
Rico reeds are American Jazz cut and tear it up.
But the Rico cane doesn't as long.
Vandoren came along and made the same cut, but with far Superior cane!!

[gsaxman100]

Where did you buy it? If it's from one of the on-line retailers that allow home trials, you could have one that's been rejected by many and sent back. I've tried some real dogs that way, hard to play. I've become a believer that life's too short to fight your mouthpiece. When you have a good mouthpiece you usually know it unless you're a real novice. It may not be perfect right away, and you may need to practice and adapt, but get something that feels like it's going to work. I know people talk about how you should just tough it out and practice until it works for you. My philosophy (for what it's worth) is get a piece that's a pleasure to play and not one you have to triumph over.

[eagleknight]

I stopped at the local music store and hoping to find the java 3's like koeller recommended. The only thing close they had were ZZ 2.5. So I picked up the only reed they had left. Wow what a difference! I am going to still order a few other veriations to try. Gosh for that single reed it was $5.50!

I bought the mouthpiece from wwbw.com gsaxman.

[Master.America]

Yeah, they're expensive, but they last just as long as the V16s. The ZZs and Javas aren't too dissimilar, but either reed is thinner than the V16s. I'd suggest you stick with 2.5 as opposed to the 3; learning to control the tone on a thinner reed can be very beneficial. Thicker reeds tend to create the more "airy" tone, such as the tone you had before, and they tend to make the lower range more difficult to play, particularly when trying to play softly or trying to play subtones. You might even want to try a size 2; who knows, it might be the perfect fit.

[Grumps]

Any suggestions on where to go from here.

Yeah... look inside the mouthpiece, right underneath the reed table, just under the opening. See those chinks and/or gashes in the metal? Now call WWBW and tell them you're sending them back a defective product and you expect them to refund your shipping both ways.

Who knows... it's probably the one I sent back over three years ago.

[eagleknight]

Thanks for all the suggestions everyones. Much appreciated.

No chinks or gashes... I just checked Grumps hehe.

[Grumps]

No chinks or gashes... I just checked Grumps hehe.
Now that's surprising... are you sure you're looking in the right place?
It would be just underneath the bottom edge of the U shape of the window. Not the shank end, but at the slot of the windway.

[EZ]

He must have one made from two perfectly matched halves.

RARE!