i need one new alto mouthpiece

[lobertz]

hi everyone! i've been playing alto sax for about a year and a half with my YAS-23 and its stock 4C mouthpiece. i'm currently looking for a new mouthpiece to grow on. since there aren't any good music stores where i live, i'll ask my friend to buy it for me when he goes to the US later early next month.

what alto mouthpiece/s would you guys/gals recommend for me given that i can't try the mouthpieces for myself and my budget is $100-150? i know trying the mouthpiece itself is the best way to find a mouthpiece that suits you but given my situation, i don't really have a choice.

i was leaning towards getting a meyer 6m before but i've read that it's quite inconsistent lately so i'm a bit hesistant getting it since i won't be able to try it out myself.

thanks!:)

[SearjeantSax]

try getting something second hand off this forum perhaps?

meyers, HR links, morgans and JJ pieces are probably a good idea to try.

[Twombles62]

Heaps of info in these forums. But most people will recommend a MeYer for you. If you like brighter pieces then mabey a JodyJazz HR, but that won't be as versatile.

[Kelpie]

I have a Hite Premier 117 on order. When it gets here I'll tell you how it works. I'm basically in the same situation as I can't try out mouthpieces, so for 25 bucks I figure it's worth a try. I now play on a S-80 C* and the Hite supposedly has a C** opening with a slightly larger chamber. I'm taking mouthpiece sizes in baby steps, because I tried a Rico Royal Graftonite B-5 and it was too open for me.

[SuperAction80]

I'm not usually a fan of hard rubber pieces as they feel more cumbersome than the metal pieces I'm used to. I do however like the Meyers, and oddly enough I'll still go to a 4C from time to time.

[AltoRuth]

You don't say where/what kind of music you are playing, but if you are playing mainly concert band, the Selmer C* is the standard step-up mpc. The above recommendations are all good suggestions, but some might not blend well in a concert band setting. If you have a teacher or director, ask her/him for a recommendation.
Enjoy your playing! Ruth

[gary]

Once you've digested all the mpc info and have narrowed your search, if you're interested,
I've got the following mpcs I might part with (one, not all):

a Morgan Protone https://www.junkdude.com/ProductGroup.aspx?group=mouthpieces&id_prodcat=37
a Jody Jazz HR6* http://www.jodyjazz.com/hr.alto.html
Selmer S90 190
or maybe even a Meyer 5M. Just PM me.

[cjpts]

I tried a Rico Royal Graftonite B-5 and it was too open for me.

These are just shockingly bad mouthpieces!! I had one of those as my first mouthpiece and struggled on it for years, it really held me back. Unfortunately my first few teachers didn't know about the differences in sax mouthpieces so that wasn't considered until I'd been playing for 5 years. I've still never found a teacher who can make one play reasonably.

I've not tried the Hite but if you're starting out you can't go wrong with the Yamaha 4C. Upgrading from there will completely depend on what sort of music you're likely to play and what sort of sound you're after

[Mick Stuppguy]

I've got a Beechler metal (7) with original lig and cap that I'll sell ya for $75, shipping included. It came with a tenor that I bought from a non-musician. Seems in good shape. I can send pictures if interested. Let me know.

[zxcvbnm]

We need to know what kind of music you play, what sound you are looking for, etc.

[lobertz]

thanks everyone for all the help and advice! i was able to get a new mouthpiece just recently. my teacher lent me an old ponzol mouthpiece and i think i'll use this for now. it seems to be a pretty good mouthpiece for me so far. even from the first try, i got a clearer and better sounding tone (at least from my point of view. hehe) and better control. so i think i'll use this mouthpiece in the coming months (or years, who knows?) and grow on it. i don't know what the specs of the mouthpiece are though. the markings faded out. even the ponzol name faded. i initially thought it was ponzo, but after some research found out it was ponzol. hehe. i've read some good things about ponzol mouthpieces, so it's encouraging. anyway, thanks again for all the comments and suggestions! =) keep up the playing everyone!

[SaxyJ]

I, too, use a Yas-23. I can definitely say that its a moderately bright saxophone. Pairing it with a moderately dark mouthpiece helps balance out the sound and also gives me the same, but wanted result as when I was using my Selmer SAII copy matched with large chambered pieces. (A dark, thick yet vibrant tone that still has massive projection)

For specified, moderately dark pieces, I would recommend mouthpieces similar to the Selmer C*. Some notable ones include:

Hite Premiere
Clark Fobes Debut
Yamaha 5C
Woodwind Series II
Morgan Protone

[SaxMoose]

I got the Selmer S80 C* as my first non stock mouthpiece. A lot of teachers reccommend that to their beginning students. I'm not saying that it's just a beginner mouthpiece though. I know some pros who use it for jazz, but it's not really a "jazz" mouthpiece. Argh dunno how to word it right lol.

[themacintrasher]

hi everyone! i've been playing alto sax for about a year and a half with my YAS-23 and its stock 4C mouthpiece. i'm currently looking for a new mouthpiece to grow on. since there aren't any good music stores where i live, i'll ask my friend to buy it for me when he goes to the US later early next month.

what alto mouthpiece/s would you guys/gals recommend for me given that i can't try the mouthpieces for myself and my budget is $100-150? i know trying the mouthpiece itself is the best way to find a mouthpiece that suits you but given my situation, i don't really have a choice.

i was leaning towards getting a meyer 6m before but i've read that it's quite inconsistent lately so i'm a bit hesistant getting it since i won't be able to try it out myself.

thanks!:)
I have a fobes debut for tenor, it's awesome.

[DetroitDave]

Before you buy off the shelf, please talk to Phil at http://www.phil-tone.com/index.html. Or send a Private Message to him here on SOTW; His username is Sigmund451. His custom made mouthpieces are very close to your price range and he also often has others in that range that he can reface to order for you. But talk to him in any case; he won't try to sell you something that won't work for you and the email conversation will be very helpful in determining what is right for you, even if you end up buying something somewhere else.

Also, check out some of the other expert mouthpiece artist/refacers here on SOTW. I've also worked with and had excellent results from Mojobari. See: http://www.mojomouthpiecework.com. He also has a significant number of used pieces for sale at his site. The FAQ and the Forum at mojo's site should be required reading for anyone -- especially newer players -- who is thinking about changing mouthpieces.

These guys --and I'm sure this applies to the other expert refacer/artisans on this site -- know what questions to ask you and can be a huge help guiding you in the right direction. Don't be intimidated into thinking that they will only work with long-time pros and won't want to help you because you're a "newer" player. Nothing could be further from the truth. They will take the time to share their extensive knowledge with you and it is quite illuminating. They also won't try to sell you something you don't need or that won't help you.