Whats the best classical mouthpiece to buy for tenor.

[saxy_wayne]

Im semi-pro and about to compete for a scholarship. I can not go in there with my jazz mouthpiece to play a tchakoski piece LOL. whats is your opinion on a mouthpiece to buy> trying to stay under $150

[saxy_wayne]

Im thinking of getting a selmer larry teal

[srcsax]

Morgan 5L, Meyer 6M, Rubber Otto link 5 or 5* work well, especially if you are transitioning from jazz to classical.

The old Rousseau 5 is nice.

Don't feel as though you need to play a real close facing on tenor. A C* on tenor does not play like a C* on alto.

The Larry Teal and Caravan pieces are very nice, however, if you go back and forth between one of these and a jazz mouthpiece you may run into control difficulties.

For what it is worth, James Houlik uses a mouthpiece with a .095 facing (about a 6)

[Hurling Frootmig]

I use a Morgan 3C on tenor and really like the results. It's a pretty free blowing piece and works well with a variety of reeds. They are handmade pieces and the attention to detail and finishing are near perfect. I also play on a 7L when I want a brighter sound but I understand that some people play on the 5L and 6L for classical. The 3C will not get as loud as the 7L but is easier to control.

When I play Selmer's I sometimes play on a vintage Selmer Soloist E with very nice results.

I think that the Larry Teal's are too closed for tenor and would stay away from them. I think you would be much happier with either a new Soloist D or S80 D if you don't go with the Morgan.

See if you can find out something about who you will be auditioning for and what their equipment might be. In college, they may tell you they want you to think for yourself but they generally don't mean it. :D

[Mike Ruhl]

The Hite 128.

http://www.jdhite.com/mouthpieces/saxmpc.htm#tenor

http://www.wwbw.com/Item/?itemno=81925

[saxy_wayne]

well I want a round chamber so I dont wanna go with the selmer c*

[saxy_wayne]

and im not transitioning. Im a very versitile player. I just have a jazz mouthpiece, thats it.

[Mike Ruhl]

The Hite has a round chamber. Just out of curiousity, what is your "jazz" mouthpiece?

[singlereed]

I have used a Vandoren T25 (good if you want a round chamber - T15 and T20 available if you weant a closer facing), Yanagisawa HR 5 (similar to Vandoren, darker sound) an old red Vandoren '77' - which is similar to a Selmer S80 and around a C8 facing despite the number 77. However, my total favourite is a second hand Selmer Soloist C* with horseshoe chamber, I picked it up mint on Ebay for about $50 and it plays really well - definitely my fave for classical. Fortunately, the closer facings are less in demand and need not cost the earth. I use an old Metal Classic in C** as well, and find these older ones are fine in these facings, though as someone above said, the current tenor C* in S80 is not equivalent to an alto C*. other than that, try a few of the new Soloists, several pro player I know use those for classical but have said they found they varied from one example to the next.

[saxy_wayne]

I play on an otto link 7*....do the Rousseau mouthpiece have a round chamber?

[CodyW]

Caravan

[Morry]

Im thinking of getting a selmer larry teal

I have a brand new Larry Teal mouthpiece that's been played for about 10 minutes that you can have for $50.

[CMS]

I've had great luck with Morgans and some success with Rousseaus. However, choose the Rousseau carefully, they have terrible quality control at the factory. They would pass any doorstop that is black for a sax mouthpiece!

[Roger Aldridge]

Saxy_Wayne,

I agree with Hurlings comments about the Morgan 3C. It is truly an exceptional mouthpiece and for the life of me I don't understand why it's not being used more by classical players....as well as jazz players for that matter. It has a very large chamber. But, unlike other large chamber mouthpieces I've used, the 3C plays easily with not too much resistance. It's sound is BIG -- really big -- round and warm. Response and control throughout the range of the horn is superb.

Now here's something that's really interesting about the 3C.... I also use it for jazz on my True Tone tenor. When I'm using this set up in our local big band there are times when it seems to me that my "classical" set up is getting swallowed up by the rest of the section. BUT, the director sometimes motions to me to play softer. Isn't that a hoot?! Thus, it appears that the 3C has a different kind of projection than the jazz mouthpieces that the other guys in the section are using. A few weeks ago I tried my 3C on a new Yani tenor that several of the guys were trying out. The 3C produced a much BIGGER sound on the Yani than what the others were getting with their mouthpieces.

This is definitely a mouthpiece to try.

[paulwl]

Saxy_Wayne,

I agree with Hurlings comments about the Morgan 3C. It is truly an exceptional mouthpiece and for the life of me I don't understand why it's not being used more by classical players....as well as jazz players for that matter.
Because the 3C, as admirable a piece as it is, has an image problem. Maybe it's a "feel" problem – the sensations you get as you play that are only tangential to your sound. I personally found it too velvety-elegant for my jazz playing, and too freeblowing and unresistant for dark classical.

It could be used intelligently in either style, but it wouldn't give you the secure feeling of "belonging" to one or the other.

There is no longer any all-purpose saxophone mouthpiece, but the 3C comes close. Maybe too close.

[Merlin]

I have a 3C (that I got from paulwl) and it's a great piece. I'd use it for concert band, since it's a really good all round piece. However, for me my Otto Link HR #5 makes a much better classical piece.

[Roger Aldridge]

Paulwl,

Given your experience with a 3C, I wonder if opening the mouthpiece to a larger tip opening -- perhaps a 5 -- would give it the amount of resistance you're looking for? Ralph could make a 5C, or whatever facing you want, as a special order. He recently made a new c-melody mouthpiece for me. I originally asked Ralph for a 3C. However, in talking with him about it he suggested that it would be too small for the #2.5 Classique reeds I like to use. So, we settled on a 6C. It turned out to be a great match for my curved neck Conn c-melody. It's a huge improvement over the original c-mel mouthpiece Ralph made for me 3 years ago. Ralph was right about the facing. 3 would have been too narrow for my c-mel set up. 6 is just right.

Roger

[MojoBari]

Ah, when talking "freeblowing" do you mean the sound responds with minimal blowing or do you mean it takes a lot of air without closing off? If you mean the latter, going to a larger tip will require even more air. I think most players consider "freeblowing" as responsive.

[paulwl]

I guess I mean too slippery or maneuverable somehow...too "easy"...hard to keep from rattling that tiny bit at soft volumes that make it just a shade too edgy. I guess I'm more the type that wants the mpc to get me "pret' near" and then focus on the reed to really get me home.

(Just a quick response...little reflection and no playing involved.)

[phathorn]

The old Vandoren T101 is a good one if you can find it. (If you can, also try to find the one that $#%^#$^%# stole from me!!!)

[MojoBari]

I get you. "Slippery" paints a good picture. Trimming up the reed a little might help you work a little harder and give you "traction". But I'm sure you tried this or you could tell that the piece was not close enough to your needs to work with it. I just find "free blowing" insights and opinions interesting.

Most refacers correct a piece to make it as free blowing as possible. Since Ralph's pieces are hand faced, they are already there. Things can be done with facing curve to to add some resistance without adding defects to the piece (like uneven rails). A short facing is one way. Another is a section with a tighter radius as your get near the tip.