Otto Link 7* Custom Bari Sax MPC

[JPrince]

Hi guys. I thought I would post here and ask for some playing tips on a new mouthpiece. I am a high school Senior and I usually play my school's Yamaha YBS-52 with the standard Yamaha 5C mouthpiece (Selmer C for concert) and used Vandoren Traditional 3 reeds. In one stroke though, I changed all that. Now I have my own The Martin Baritone (thanks saxmaniac) and now my own Otto Link 7* mouthpiece, and on the advice of my local tech La Voz medium soft reeds. So now within 1 week I have a totally new setup. The Martin bari I played with my old mouthpiece and I can play through her pretty well, except on that mpc the middle notes were sharp. This Otto link fixes that (they are a tad sharp, but nothing I can't adjust) and the La Voz reeds are really great. But I want to know if there are any tips for the Otto Link. I have never used a Metal mpc before, and this one has a custom made baffle (it was done by the Tech) that adds extra projection. Any and all thoughts would be appreciated. Oh, also, is there any particular way to play this open of a mouthpiece, as a 7* is a bit more open. Well, thanks a lot.

[Perfect Pitch]

Sorry to see noone with experience has replied but as I am sure you will find with practice, each mouthpiece comes with its own instruction book...

[king koeller]

It started out as a project...
I started looking at all my Bari friends mouthpieces in Boston and New York city; from big bands, to funk bands, wedding gigs, studios, jazz clubs , recording sessions and lastly at open jams sessions. I tried to see what was the FAVORITE MOUTHPIECE of the pro's.
Guess what?
IT WAS THE HARD RUBBER OTTO LINK TONE EDGE 8, for Baritone saxophone.
The number one mouthpiece that is played and played, OVER AND OVER AGAIN...on the east coast...
I WONDERED WHY? :?
SO I Got one from bw and ww.
It has the round chamber, with hollowed out side walls and a nice roll over baffle. The tone is deep with a lot of fat overtones .
Tons of highs to the mix. It wails up high or down low...
like an old Pepper Adams Jazz Record.
I was using La voz hards, on an old Selmer Mark 6 Bari with a low a,
even though i love the old Bb Baris better. Why?
they play in tune. :treble: :D
The Rubber Link 8 is the real deal.
Also tried it with Rico 4's and Vandoren 4's.
Such a nice round fat ballsy meaty core to the tone.
This is the way a bari was supposed to sound!
Like Cannonball only on Baritone! :line0: :)

[Bob M]

JPrince - Congratulations on getting a "The Martin" bari! As you are discovering, these are great horns with a huge sound (I've had a 1953 for about a year).

Otto Links... My primary pieces on bari are a Tone Edge (HR) and an STM (metal), both in 7*. I also play a link 7* on tenor. By way of some disclosure, I am a middle-aged guy who plays as a hobby (RnR, R&B and big band). I've been playing for more than 35-years.

Making a Link work for you successfully is all about developing your air stream. Once you get used to a Link (it has taken me more than two years) you will find it is the final word in terms of flexibility and creating your sound. On tenor, listen to guys like Ben Webster, Stanley Turrentine, Willis Jackson and Sax Gordon Beadle. All have very personal sounds. In the case of Sax Gordon, he can go from subtoning like Webster, to screaming altissimo like Jr. Walker. Gordon uses a Link 9 or 9* (no added baffle) with very hard reeds. On baritone, Gary Smulyan uses a Link STM 8 and Barry Fleischer, who plays tenor and bari with Roger Cerisi & the AllStarz (a RI based R&B and jump blues horn band, their CD is available from their site) plays a Link STM 8 (I think) on his "The Martin". Barry gets a great sound on baritone, with plenty of projection. Reportedly, Ronnie Cuber used a HR Link before switching to a custom made Francois Louis. King Koeller makes some great comments about Links.

The best way I've found to develop your airstream is lot's of long tones and overtones. You should do this work daily. In my (humble) opinion, you should try to avoid long term dependance on the added baffle to your Link, in order to get the most out of it.

Hope this helps.

[vick]

i played a link for a while on a the martin bari, then i sent it off to have it refaced and have a baffle inserted. honestly i sounded the same after the reface as before the reface, baffle or no baffle, only i played a harder reed with the baffle and could play louder. so the only difference i found was one of volume, not of sound/