Some advice from Selmer ALTO Series III players

[AltoRuth]

To my great pleasure, I recently acquired this horn, which is very new to me still. I have only two mpcs, Selmer C* and a JJ #5 HR and very limited experience with other mouthpieces on any horns. I'm not satisified with the projection I'm getting from the JJ, but as I'm sure you will point out, I'm still getting acquainted with the horn.

I'm going to be trying some different mpcs for both concert and big band, but since there are so many pieces out there, I appreciate some help from those of you who are familiar with this horn in narrowing down the options. It would be helpful as well if you have opinions about what definately doesn't work well with this horm.

I consider myself an intermediate player and play mainly concert band and big band. Thanks for any advice you can offer.
Ruth

[gary]

Hi Ruth. I realise there's a difference in saxes, so I'll qualify first by letting you know that I play a Serie II alto and a Serie III tenor.

I was playing a JJ HR* 6M on my alto for maybe half a year on principally pop music with recorded background. I switched to it from a Runyon Custom 7. Now I'm back playing in big band and the JJ doesn't have the presence I need, so I'm back on the Runyon. I have also been going back and forth between two Meyers, a 5M and 6M. (The 6M is actually a 5M opened up by Adam Niewood.) The Runyon and Meyers all work well in big band, they just have different characteristics. I'm using the Runyon because that's what I', most familiar with but could easily switch to one of the Meyers in the future.

In wind ensemble I play a Selmer S80 C*. I have a S90 but as much as I would like to use it for a slightly darker sound, it doesn't have the life in it that I get from my C*. However, I've been trying to remove a bit of a buzz from the C* and have just begun using a Rovner dark clarinet lig, which helps.

My advice would be to continue using the C* and buy the Niewood Meyer from me. :D


The last is a semi-joke, because whenever anyone mentions that they, ooh, just coincidentally has the same mpc they are recommending for sale, the credibility is in question. However - the shape of the Meyer and Selmer are similar so that you shouldn't feel any funny difference when you play, like with my Runyon, and also, being a mouthpiece thread, I'm sure you will get plenty of recommendations to the contrary, so you can put this suggestion in a larger context as you see fit. Additionally, while there are many other excellent mpcs, a Meyer 5-7M on alto is a tried-and-true standard big band combination.

[NatureColor]

Congratz on geting the Series III! what you should do first is to get it adjusted and make sure the pads seal and everything, then you're playing and learning experience will be much easier and much enjoyable! I'd play the C* that comes with the horn. it's the best mouthpiece to start on for classical. If you can't play well on it.. you can't play well on anything except if the mouthpiece is chipped or anything.. pretty much your set ups are fine, so get a fresh reed and start practice and enjoy the Series III!

[AltoRuth]

Thanks, Gary and Nature.

I appreciate your advice and will definately proceed slowly. I've been practicing a lot and am feeling more comfortable with the horn every day. Nature, your words on the C* are wise, and indeed I'm pretty OK with that mpc for concert band. I think my wish to try out some different pieces is simply that I have not heretofore done so. I suppose that I've contracted a (hopefully mild) case of GAS from the Forum. It's the JJ that I'm less happy with. As Gary experienced , it doesn't seem to have the "presence" that it had on my previous horn; I'm trying some different reeds to see if that makes a difference, but will most likely order several mpcs to try. I'm looking at a couple of the VanDorens as possibles and other suggestions will be welcomed.

Thanks again for the help.
Ruth

[gary]

I'm looking at a couple of the VanDorens as possibles and other suggestions will be welcomed.
Ruth, in that case make sure you try the Vandoren V16s, probably 5M and 6M. Although your C* is closed and you've been playing a 5M on the JJ, I would also try the 6M. It's a little larger but I don't believe such that you'll find it a problem.

[NatureColor]

I'd recommend to my student C* for classical but if they want something with a different "grain of sound", then I'd recommend them Vandoren A17. I really like it, but I think you might like the Vandoren Optimum better (my sixth sense). As for jazz, try a meyer 5m or 6m. I personally don't like too opened facing; I like to have mroe control over the horn. go to wwbw.com and order some and if u dont like them just send them back within the trial date. good luck. P.S. getting a good ligature helps the production of the sound too! Getting the right equipment will only make the playing more comfortable for you, but it's all about practicing!

[trane in training]

when I played some alto in high school, I liked the sound I got out of the Selmer Larry Teal (it's crap for tenor though). However, my sound concepts have since changed, and I doubt I would go for it now. You may want to look into it though.

what lig are you using? Back when I was playing alto I was using a rovner dark and started having some issues. Then I realized that those ligs kinda go bad after 7 months or so...which is a pain...

[pravacon]

Ruth,
I've been playing alto mostly on a III since 2000. I have three favorite pieces:


Selmer S80 D for concert band.
Vandoren V5 35 for outdoor concert band & jazz band (really good projection).
Selmer C* Old Scroll Shank (horseshoe chamber) for orchestra.


YMMV.:)

[macdaddysax26]

Ruth,

Congrats on the III and welcome to the club.

C*'s are pretty good mouthpieces, however I personally dislike the square chambered design that Selmer uses. If you really like the sound of the C* but find yourself having problems with control at some point, I would recommend the S90 series mouthpieces. The S90 170 is about equivalent to the C* in tip opening. These can sound great on a SIII.

I prefer Vandoren mouthpieces over Selmer in general, and my personal favorites are the A17, A28, and AL3. The A17 and AL3 are roughly equivalent to each other, with the AL3 being somewhat more user-friendly but slightly more limited in color palette. The A28 has a huge tonal palette, and I wouldn't recommend it unless you know the exact sound concept you're looking for. In the right hands it can sound amazing, though. All that said, I use my AL3 more than anything else, with Vandoren Blue Box 3.5's.

In the Jazz realm, I stick to a Ponzol HR Traditional 75. It gets a nice vintage sound, but it's got the power to cut through a section when you're playing lead. I usually play it with Vandoren 2.5 ZZs or 3 Javas.

[Demolisher]

Dude, equivalent?
S90 170 is a LOT smaller than the c*!!!
S90 190 is the equivalent to the s80 C*, check the website.

[macdaddysax26]

Wow, that's interesting.

I'd never actually checked the measurements, they simply feel very similar to me. I play the Vandorens about 95% of the time and can really feel the differences in those.

[mlscnr]

I say stick with what you have. Those mpcs should serve you just fine for your playing situations. Play around with reeds before you jump into trying different mpcs.

[Demolisher]

Yah, they do play very similar especially when you compare the change going from a selmer to vandoren. But any reed I use on a s80 feels like straw on a s90. I tried to change to vandoren(A17) a while back but it was in a bad time sort of close to jury time.

[AltoRuth]

Thanks to all of you who replied to my query. I ordered and quickly received 4 mpcs from WWBW and now have them until the weekend and am in a quandary. I have Meyer 6m, Vandoren V 16 A6, and a Rousseau JDx7, and (on a whim based on NatureColors "6th sense", and because the other piece I wanted was out of stock) a Vandoren Optimum. I had expected to like the Meyer and probably the V 16 and, since I was already OK with the C* I have, to be neutral about the Optimum. To my own surprise and discomforture, I really liked the Optimum over my C* for concert band--used it last night at rehearsal and played it again today with same reaction.

As to the others, again to my own surprise, I disliked the Meyer (chirps, squeaks, bad tone to the point that I'm thinking it's a dud piece, not typical of Meyer). The other two play well for me but are different one from the other and I can't decide which I like better. Will try both tomorrow in "real life", i.e. band.

The V16 to my undereducated ear sounds brighter and louder, while the Rousseau is "prettier". I did find that the reed made a bigger difference for me on the Rousseau---a bigger sound from the Alexander DC 3 than from the RSJ 2H. Didn't notice much difference on the V16 between the two reeds.

Sorry for rambling---don't know what I'll end up doing. :? I had no intention of buying two new mpcs; hadn't planned on replacing the C*, but now I want to. And there are so many more that you suggested that I haven't tried!

Curse you, SOTW!!! I've got GAS.

But thanks anyhow for your suggestions. Ruth

[DanPerezSax]

Try a Caravan Large chamber for classical! I recently got one off SOTW and couldn't be happier.