what kind of mouthpiece should I buy

[wout]

Hey There,

I'm the (proud I can say) owner of a silver Rev.C Model 49 alto saxophone. I'm not a very technically skilled player but I make music in a band that mainly plays funky and jazzy self-composed music with a dance beat. Nowadays I play an ebony mouthpiece but I'm considering a change. (maybe a metal mouthpiece?) Any suggestions about the mouthpiece, the ligature and the reeds from the SML-experts to improve the sound while not harming the typical, great SML-sound? Another important thing; I'm an amateur and still a student so my financial means are rather limited...

Thanks everybody!

Wout

PS: I bought my saxophone 5 years ago for just under 1000$. Was that a good deal?

[Mikie F.]

I play a gold SML Gold Medal, with a Vandoren A35 JAVA M.P., and a SL lig. The A35 is more aof a jazzy MP, so judging on what you said, it would probably work out pretty good for you.

[aanz]

I use a Morgan 7M on my Rev.D most of the time. A Meyer 5 or 6 M also works great.

[Robv]

I am using a vintage rubber link 6* on my goldmedal wich gives the sax a fantastic sound. Tried several meyers, vintage, current and limited but the links sounds best.

[Voiceman]

I play a SML Gold Medal I Tenor and have been in the market for a new mouthpiece in the last several weeks, as well... I think I've almost tried every one on the market (lol! or so it seems) in the past 10 days, but it's been kind of fun, actually... I must say, I've learned more about mouthpieces and ligatures than I thought possible in this time (& more than I wanted to? lol!), but have come to realize the intdgral and critical role that these 2 components contribute to the overall "shape" of the sound...

Anyway, I was about to settle on one, having narrowed it down to these three: 1), a nice vintage Otto Links Super Tone Master 7, 2), a Berg silver metal 120/1, or 3), a Dukoff silver metal, when I heard a VERY talented young player here in San Diego pick up my horn and put his own new (relatively) Berg Larsen black ebonite (non-metal!!!) 120/2 on it, with a Rovner leather ligature....and WOW!!!!! What a HUGE difference in sound!

Just totally enhanced the already-great sound of the SML, by giving it the "air" that it needs to "breathe" properly and resonate throughout the entire register....

Needless to say, I was sold, big time, and in my 1 day of non-stop playing of the horn (I've fallen in love again! ha!) have not regretted it! It's a great combination, as the Berg Larsen has an extra large bored-out chamber (like the old, vintage mouthpieces of the same age, but with the advantage of a highly laser-precisioned bore) that provides for VERY easy blowing and delivery of maximum air flow through to the neck and horn, while the Rovner leather ligature provides just superior reed vibration over any other lig I've ever tried....

Just a thought. (By the way, thanks to Pete for his reminder and recommendation to me to stick with a large-chamber (ideally vintage) mouthpiece, commensurate with the design/needs of the horn of that era... He was right on, as I realize that the Berg while new/modern essentially does what the vintage mouthpieces did because of its extra large chamber and exceptional facing...)!

Cheers guys,
Scott