I'm starting a page of soprano mouthpiece reviews and clips on my blog. The first one is my main piece for the last 6-7 years. A Selmer Super Session J.
I did the best I could with recording so I hope it's OK and an accurate representation of the sound. Next up I have to Ceramic Drake pieces that I will put up clips of. I'm also hoping to get some Jody Jazz piece in to try. Let me know what you think. I don't play too much soprano and I'm finding that I really don't have as defined a sound concept as I do on alto and tenor. One those I can play a mouthpiece for 10 seconds and know if I like it or not. On soprano I'm finding it a lot harder...........anyways I hope this will help some of you out there in the long run. Steve
Once again thanks Steve. Based on posts from experienced players in other threads, I think mouthpieces make a big difference on soprano. In any case, I heard what seemed like bigger differences in your soprano output than I usually do in your tenor clips. FWIW, my favorites are the Warburton and Morgan - though they sound different to me - followed by the large chamber Drake.
With my slow dial-up connection, listening to files like these takes a lot of time so I don't do it much. I have also had the experience of hearing a piece come down in short bits and then losing the file before I get a complete song. But I just listened to the Warburton clip and it sounded very good. It was very close to an alto sound - interesting. I must also say your web code for listening works great. On his Broadway Hits album, Dave Koz sounds like that. Don't know what he used, but the sound was also very good.
It has not seemed worthwhile to make the upgrade. I would lose a free web site and would not be able to use my old desktop computer. (My web site is used to give away modifications to Flight Simulator aircraft files. http://home.hiwaay.net/~goodrick/Downloads.html) I could use my laptop to go online but then all files I might want to upload or download would be on the wrong computer. But my need for more speed is rare.
Back on topic, MOJO, what is your opinion on this Warburton sound bite. I see the Warburton as a cleaned-up Otto Link with a good sound. Do you find it more like an alto sound?
...if anyone has read my posts,im really a trumpet player...... and anyone ive ever talked to tells me to stay away from the soprano for a while(as ive not been playing sax too long).....i got the gaia 2 weeks ago,loved it but havent had any reason to play soprano....
did a recording session yesterday.....nailed just about everything pretty much first take with perfect intonation.......are you kidding me??? this piece is AMAZING!!
i was a little leery of the size 8 when i got it,but it was the only one that was available....NO PROBLEM p.s. im playing it with a titanium reed plate
so ive played a total of 2 hours soprano in my life,and just walked out of a 2 hour recording session with no problem.....im giving the mouthpiece the credit!!!!
That sounds great. Glad you are lovin it. You mention the plate and............well I don't want to open a can of worms but do you notice a difference between it and the regular plate? If so what differences?
Hey Steve,
you sound great on the Lamberson, I have to say that out of all the soprano pieces that you reviewed that Lamberson has something special to it.
and you mentioned the Riffault blank, and I'm really interested in how it sounds. could you do a review of the one you have?
I have been listening to several of the clips and , to me, the best sound is the Super Session J sound , not strange really, I play one too although a smaller F . Yesterday I have acquired an old Selmer Solist short shank C which is even rounder and mellower than the Super Session. I read the comments and obviously most players here appreciate a different soprano than I do sound since they go for much brighter sounds.
This has been one of my favorite mouthpieces to play on soprano. Up to this point my Gaia has been my favorite because it is so easy to play and has loads of power. The missing link is very different. A bit darker and rounder sounding. The intonation is right on with it. Joe's opinion is that smaller tip opening work better on the Yamaha 62 soprano's. I found that interesting as I had never heard that before. This Missing Link at .057 certainly plays beautifully on it. You can check out the review for more details and to hear what it sounds like for me.
So far, what I am enjoying most about your project is the different colors that each mouthpiece can coax out of the soprano. I've always known there was an oboe-like sound, which seems to come from the Drakes and a few others; there's a flute-like sound from Caravan (not on your site, but probably familiar), and now a clarinet-like sound from the Ishimoris. To my ear, the Sopranoplanet Missing Link does the best job of carving out a saxophone-like sound that is distinct from the other three instruments. Thank you for the interesting comparisons!
I'd say it leans oboe, but not very much. I'm thinking the Drake Son of Slant (which I used to use, by the way) has a sound clip that most clearly illustrates the oboe-like sound. There are hints of that on the Gaia as well, but usually at the end of phrases, when you're lowering the volume. In the middle of the phrases it sounds more like the Sopranoplanet.
Actually, if we could get several participants, I'd be willing to run the statistics to puzzle out how many dimensions there are to the sounds of these different mouthpieces. It'd be worth my while to put something concrete on the different terms we all use, like "warm" and "bright."
I'd say it leans oboe, but not very much. I'm thinking the Drake Son of Slant (which I used to use, by the way) has a sound clip that most clearly illustrates the oboe-like sound. There are hints of that on the Gaia as well, but usually at the end of phrases, when you're lowering the volume. In the middle of the phrases it sounds more like the Sopranoplanet.
Actually, if we could get several participants, I'd be willing to run the statistics to puzzle out how many dimensions there are to the sounds of these different mouthpieces. It'd be worth my while to put something concrete on the different terms we all use, like "warm" and "bright."
Thanks, that's interesting. I never thought of relating the soprano sound to other instruments although I have at times hear a soprano that sounds like an oboe or a tenor that sounds like a bassoon. I've actually been thinking of going through my sound clips and trying to pick out clips that are examples of descriptive terms. Bright, dark, hollow, rich,fat, thin, ect...........
Wow, It's been a long time since my last soprano mouthpiece review. I put up one tonight of a Absolute Soprano + mouthpiece which I really enjoyed a lot. Great playing mouthpiece. It has a very unique and cool sound to it. It reminds me a lot of Bill Evans when you really blow although I didn't do too much of that in the sample clip. I felt it leaned more toward that Bill Evans type soprano sound..........http://www.neffmusic.com/blog/2013/12/absolute-soprano-saxophone-mouthpiece/
Posted a review and sound clip of the new Gaia 2 soprano saxophone mouthpiece by Theo Wanne today. In my opinion Theo has really done something incredible with the Gaia and Gaia 2 large chamber mouthpieces for the soprano sax. I don't think I will ever go back to one of those pea shooter type chambers again...........
A bunch of you that have Gaia soprano mouthpieces asked me to do a heads up comparison of the Gaia with the Gaia 2. I was able to do that this morning. Hope it helps! I am interested in what you think before I have to send these back to Theo.........
Thanks Dave. I decided to keep the Gaia 2. I'll play it for a month and see where it takes me and then try the Gaia 1 again to see what's what............
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