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Whats your Alto Setup?

439K views 1K replies 804 participants last post by  rhythmisking 
#1 ·
After seeing how popular this thread was in the Tenor section. Why don't we give it a shot here?
My alto setup is as follows:
Selmer Mark VI Alto
Early Babbit Otto Link 6* mouthpiece
Francois Louis "Ultimate" ligature and smart cap
Runyon Palm Key Risers
Vandoren or Rigotti Reeds
Oleg Ergonomic Sax strap.
 
#663 ·
Axe: Yani 992
Legit Setup: Selmer S80 C* (stock lig) & Vandoren Trads
Jazz Setup: Beechler Bellite 7 (stock lig) & La Voz
 
#666 ·
Selmer Balanced Action, 25xxx, 1937
Ernie Northway custom mp / Claude Lakey 6*3 for big band
Selmer 2-screw lig
Hemke premium 2.5 reeds
 
#667 ·
Selmer AS500
Meyer 5M
Vandoran ZZ 3.5 - 4
standard meyer ligurature, but soon getting an ultimate
 
#671 ·
Cannonball Brute Stone Series
Classical:
Hawkins "Sinta" mouthpiece with a Mojo Shank, Harrison ligature, Vandoren Blue 5's.
Acoustic Jazz:
Theo Wanne Amma 9, Legere Signature 2.25's, Harrison Ligature.
Pop and Latin:
Theo Wanne Durga 9, Fibracell 3.5's, Harrison tenor ligature.
Yes, I have lots of Harrisons.
 
#672 ·
Mouthpiece changed on my backup alto, Rico again, for a classical sound:
Jupiter JAS-769-767
Mouthpiece: Rico Graftonite A7
Ligature: GF-System III
Reed: Alexander NY 2.0

This setup gives me a quite nice mimicry of the Selmer SuperAction 80II's sound with the ARB Great Neck Original 7S... Not as refined and flexible, but pretty close.

M.
 
#674 ·
For classical...
Soprano is Super action 80 series II. selmer c*/c**. size 3 blue box vandoren.
alto is SA 80 Series III. selmer C* soloist from 1970. that is a HUGE difference from C*'s made now.
size 4 and 5 blue box vandoren.

For a classical sound, i specifically use selmer soloists from 1970 and back, they are made completely different than selmer mthpcs now and they create an amazing sound.
 
#681 ·
My Setup:

Bundy II Alto
Meyer 7M Mouthpiece
I use unfiled Rico strength 2.5 reeds, sometimes I use rico royal strength 3 reeds, and other times I use Vandoren bluebox Strength 2 reeds..
As for ligatures, I use a bonade ligature, sometimes I use the rovner leather ligature.
 
#683 ·
Theo Wanne Durga 8
Man, I've been wanting to try out Theo's pieces for a while now, but no one round here seems to have them. There's a bloke in Sydney who sells them, but that's about it (and I never seem to have to go to there). How are you liking it?

Anyway, I changed my set up about 3 months ago (new mouthpiece and lig) and am loving the flexibility I'm getting in my sound. This set up certainly isn't going to be for everyone (I just tend to play dark, even on the brightest of mouthpieces) but I've been using it for everything with great results, even for the occasional classical piece.

Julius Keilwerth SX90R
JodyJazz DV 9*
Rico H-Ligature
LaVoz Medium reeds.
 
#684 ·
Mark VI Alto
Vandoren Java Red and Green 3.5
Meyer 7M
DeJacques Strap
Walt Johnson Case

King Tenor (Student Model, just got it..)
Metal Ottolink, Been worked on.
Not sure on reeds yet.. Using the new ones that were in the case.. vandoren 2s...

Maybe Ill post some sounds soon and kill your ears..
 
#688 ·
1960's satin silver Mark VI
Rigotti gold reeds 3 soft
Vandoren Optimum Ligature w/ no.1 plate or original 1960's nickel plated 2 screw selmer lig.
1990's Otto link tone edge 5* refaced by Jon Van Wie shortly before he passed away.

It's the first mpc I ever bought and was a real dog before Jon did his magic on it. I don't know what the tip measures now but it was opened up slightly. I tried many mpcs since but recently came back to this very sweet sounding piece. All this time I thought it was wimpy in the volume department but it just needed a harder reed to give it oomph. This setup is really doing it for me! Wish I hadn't spent so much $$$ on pieces over the last 10 years because I'm right back where I started.
 
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