Best Soprano mouthpiece?

[DanF]

I just bought a cheap Asian soprano but surprisingly it dosen't play that bad. Problem is it came with the crapiest plastic mouthpiece they could find. It has a straight and a curved neck. I'm after a nice mellow tone that plays the whole register. Not interested in spending alot of money right now so I'll limit myself to about 50 bucks. Will probably end up selling this but if I do I want it to play decent and easy. What do you guys recommend? Thanks!

[3saxes]

Go to the Mouthpiece section and follow the thread for Soprano, Bass, and Misc. I am sure you will find a discussion on many, many mouthpieces. I like the Selmer Super Session w/J Facing, but it is closer to $90. well worth the cost. Good Luck!

[Paul Coats]

I have consulted with many saxophonists learning soprano sax, in private instruction situations and by correspondence. I have suggested to them to at least try the Runyon Custom, 6 or 7 facing. It gives good tone, excellent intonation and response (especially in the palm keys), and is moderately priced. So far, about 99% of the players have liked it! :D

[DanF]

OK guys. Thanks for taking the time to help.

[Stencilman]

You can't beat the Rico Graftonite for the price ($15 to $20). The Graftonite B5 would probably be a good choice. There's one on Ebay for $18.95 right now, just search for Graftonite.

[Carl H.]

The BARI esprit sop. kit is a nice setup, about $15 to your door new from a reputable retailer. It has a functional ligature and a cap. I bought one on recommendation of a saxontheweb member and am very happy with it.

http://www.daybreakenterprises.com/Bari_Esprit_Woodwinds-Mouthpieces_Saxophone_Soprano.10-2.15.240.2.htm

[Dave Dolson]

Carl H. makes my continuing point . . . the best soprano (alto? tenor? etc.?) mouthpiece is the mouthpiece that plays best for you. Yes, the Bari Esprit is a nice package (piece, lig and cap for $15 or whatever), and it did play for me, but not nearly as good as some other pieces. That Carl likes his Bari mouthpiece is great . . . but because he likes his doesn't mean I will like it, too.

We are all very different in embouchure, physical attributes/deficiencies, tonal concepts, equipment, etc. that for any of us to claim that Brand X is best is ludicrous.

Should we make recommendations? Yes, if asked, but the person asking should understand that whatever mouthpiece is recommended is a mere recommendation and not necesssarily YOUR hot ticket. It is only a place to start. DAVE

[Carl H.]

My recommendation of the esprit was based on the idea of a reasonable piece for little money, since DanF said he was probably going to sell this soprano anyway. If I could only have 1 soprano mouthpiece the esprit wouldn't be my choice. Nothing against the piece but I am fond of my Link and might choose a Tenney corrected link as my one and only if that was my limit. You may not like the esprit, but for a minimal investment it is an improvement over most stock mouthpieces.

Mouthpiece choice is very personal. For a couple years in college I played clarinet in ensembles and was quite proficient. When I needed a new mouthpiece I tried the standard B45 and found it was totally useless to me. Didn't work at all, but many of my friends sounded fine on one. I love the piece I ended up with, but when I began playing lead in a big band, I had to change pieces again. (Best for appalachian spring in a concert hall will not work on moonlight serenade unamplified outdoors in the sun)

A little more information about what you currently play and your intended use might get you some more helpfull advise about what may do the job for you.

[singlereed]

I play tested heaps of mouthpieces and found the humble Selmer S80 played best for me, in D or E facing. For me, they hold their own in any company and are a reasonable price. You would find a secondhand one (try eBay) inside your budget.

[DanF]

Thanks for the recommendations guys. I have been playing alto, tenor and some bari for about 40 years but never soprano. I understand and agree that no two people can make the same mouthpiece sound the same or have it play as easy as the other guy. I mostly got the soprano for a friend who is a casual player and plays some in church. He always said if I ever got a resonably priced sop to give him a call. He has played a while but is not as experienced as I am and I didn't want to sell him a sax and have him go thru the mouthpiece search. He's not a pro and needs something that will play easy and allow him the full range of the horn.
I have checked the mouthpiece section and I keep finding recommendations for the Bari Esprit. I think I'll give this a shot. Then if he wants to upgrade from there I'll put him onto a Selmer or something else. Again, thanks for your time and knowledge, Dan

[Ctenorman]

I'm sure you've also seen this recommendation a few times as well, but I can't get over what a JodyJazz soprano piece is doing for me, I love the thing to death. Basically a Runyon custom, but with a few modifications, A rovner dark ligature, and play tested by Jody so you know your piece plays very well. I know it's probably a bit expensive if you're just getting it for someone else, but i've managed to make my humble little $700 horn sound far more expensive by spending just a little extra on the front end. There's nothing worse than fighting the instrument and the mouthpiece when playing soprano!! If he's planning on using it in church, he might appreciate the spoiler, it makes it useful for virtually any style of playing. I'm sure the runyon custom would do a great job, but it is nice knowing that with Jody checking it, there's no chance that the mouthpiece is the source of any problems.. All that's left is the reed, and if he used something like a Legere, then it's just a case of getting used to the horn, there's no variable left but the player. Just my 2 cents, but I can't overstate how much I love this JJ piece. Good luck on your Hunt!

[Perfect Pitch]

I play tested heaps of mouthpieces and found the humble Selmer S80 played best for me.

and yet for me the S-80 does not compare to the metal 7 Yani piece I currently favor in response and clarity of tone (Mk VI)

[Saxa]

I didn't see it up there so I have to tell you. I found a Vintage Beechler for my new Selmer Series III soprano, the ligature is an old Harrison. It cost me $25.00 from a local shop. I've seen them at Mouthpieceheaven.com running around $79.00. They play like an old Selmer Soloist.

[guitarbob]

You can't beat the Rico Graftonite for the price ($15 to $20). The Graftonite B5 would probably be a good choice. There's one on Ebay for $18.95 right now, just search for Graftonite.

I agree, but don't forget that it doesn't come with a ligature.

I have a Morgan Protone that I bought from http://www.kesslermusic.com/index.htm when I bought my Antigua sop. It's better in the lower register than the Rico and I like the feel better too. I'm using a Vandoren Classic 3 reed although I may go a little harder I'm having good results.

[Ray]

I've been playing around with the stock mpc my Antigua came with and a Selmer SS that I have and for this horn, the SS is not working as well.
I get the best intonation with the 4C mpc and a Hempke 3 1/2 reed. Most notes are dead on and the others are around 5 cents or less( except D2 ) without any adjustment. D2 is the note I have to lip down on the most. I'm gonna keep trying the SS but I have a trial of a Custom and a Bari .

[goodsax]

For my Conn sop, s/n 119xxx, I've tried a Selmer S80 C*, Beechler 7 metal and a Yanagisawa 5 HR. For my personal needs, the Yani beat the others, hands down. OTOH, I found that a Beechler HR was the best for me on my alto and a Vandoren HR worked best on my baritone. It's whatever works best for you, but these are some you might consider. 8)