Whats your Alto Setup?

[jacobeid]

Some people put things in their bell (commonly mouthpiece caps) if they experience any gurgling of the low notes. It supposedly helps stabilize the notes. I'd be afraid to leave it in there though and have the cap go up into the body and getting stuck.

[SpeckledLemon]

It supposedly helps stabilize the notes.\

For me, only slightly. It still sucks...no control down there.

[kaplac]

I don't notice any difference when I put a mouthpiece cap or wine cork in my bell.

But currently I'm playing a yamaha YAS 52 with a 7* ralph morgan refaced florida link. For classical, I just switch to a Rousseau 4R

And I have a Conn NW one coming in right now with a rousseau 5* metal jazz I think.

I'm kind of having a spending spree lately, I just bought the florida link a couple months ago, and the new sax, and a couple months before that I bought a link stm for tenor as well.

my setup will all come together eventually.

[CountSpatula]

I had a reference 54 that on a low C quietly it did that "gurgle" or "warble" thing people talk about, putting a mouthpiece cap in the bell some how worked, but it took out something in the sound I liked...but I think it's a matter of too loose of an embouchure...some horns deal with it some won't...

[Allthatjazz]

Dropping a cork or a body cap into the Mark VI bell helps stabilize low notes because Mark VI altos typically had bells with large interior volume and the cap, etc. lessened it. I recently dropped a champagne cork into the bell. That works well also. But none of it is really essential. Extended practice on low-note long tones will eventually eliminate the warble and you'll be the better player for it.

ATJ

[qwerty]

Selmer MKVI Alto 140,xxx

Classical:
60's Selmer C* Scroll Shank perfected by Ed Zentera
Vandoren blue box 3.5's
Vandoren Optimum Ligature

Jazz/Show:
RPC 90
Link opened to .095 (mild baffle too) by Ed Zentera
Vandoren Java 2.5's
Vandoren Optimum Ligature

Steve

[functionband.com]

Brancher Mouthpiece
Selmer Super Action 80 series 2
Rico jazz select filed reeds

I'm not getting on with my super action 80 - I think I must have a bad one.

www.functionband.com

[young651]

S80II
Rousseau NC4/Vandoren A17/AL3/S80C** I should really pick a mouthpiece
Blue Box 3.5

[Tharruff]

1963 Mark VI with a Morgan 7EL and a single screw inverted Clarinet ligature. Rico Royal # 3 reeds. I have owned and played the horn since 1978...my mouthpiece choice has changed a couple of times over the years.

[Andrew]

NY USA Meyer refaced by JVW (.083) w/Vandoren Java 3.
Selmer Mark VI Original Silver Plate (89,xxx)

I use this set up for everything from big band, to cover band gigs, to classical gigs. Why learn to use more than one mouthpiece when you can just learn all the styles on one mouthpiece

[devinmac2k08]

Selmer Series III

Classical

Rousseau NC5 refaced by Todd Gentzel
Lebayle Scala Ligature
Gonzalez 3 3/4 reeds

Jazz

Meyer G 7M
Rovner Dark Ligature
Rico Jazz Select 3S

[kaplac]

Ok I got the conn so my new set up is as follows:

Jazz: Conn New Wonder series I
60's(?) Florida link 5 refaced to a 7* by Ralph Morgan
Vandoren V16 3 1/2 reeds

Legit: Yamaha 52
Rousseau 4R
Vandoren blue box 4s

[tinpalaceroach]

Most of the time Brilhart hr Personalines in a .85 tip. i have a nice Zentera Meyer .85 tip. Two Selmer Soloists one is an .88 tip and the other a .90 tip all refaced. Reeds are always La Voz mediums and an occaisional Alexander's Superial yellow tin. works for me but the Selmer's seem more free blowing.

[pc1234]

NY USA Meyer refaced by JVW (.083) w/Vandoren Java 3.
Selmer Mark VI Original Silver Plate (89,xxx)

I use this set up for everything from big band, to cover band gigs, to classical gigs. Why learn to use more than one mouthpiece when you can just learn all the styles on one mouthpiece

Yay! I agree with you. There's too much dogma out there to the effect of "you must used a closed, stuffy piece for classical music..." I think if a good player can control a more open piece, his/her opportunities for expression in a classical context should be much greater.

[harmonizerNJ]

Here is my setup:

Selmer Mark VI 238,xxx.
Meyer 10M hard rubber mpc (update: in July 2008 replaced this with an RPC 90R)
"Harrison" ligature (thin "H"-shaped piece of metal is all that contacts the reed).
(update: in April 2009 changed to a Rico H lig, after my Harrison lig broke after 30 years of use).
LaVoz Medium reeds.
(update: switched to RJS 2H in early 2008, then to RJS 2M filed after I got the RPC 90R).

As of March 2009, I am using a Barone neck.

Funny story: When I was a teenager, just a year or two after having gotten my VI (new), I was in one of the region bands in NJ, sitting next to another guy who had a Mark VI Alto whose serial number was less than 10 off from mine (probably made on the same day). *Both* of our horns had gotten the same defect, where one of the welds holding the protective metal "fence" over the low C key had failed. The repair weld was visible on his horn, just as it is with mine.

[RegSopAlto]

#1 Buescher Bu-4
Meyer
Vandoren Optimum Ligature
Vandoren V16's 2.5 reeds sometimes 3
Strap Cannonball

#2 Lyric Vintage
Berg Larsen .95 0 baffel
2 1/2 Rico Royal

[Alexk]

Alto - Buescher 400, purchased new in 1974
Mpc - Lawton 6B
Reeds- Vandoren ZZ 2.5
Strap - some cheap old thing that has a really secure catch type hook

Music styles - Jazz, blues, covers

No facility for recording at home.

[AG]

Mark VII alto M255XXX

early Meyer NY USA 7 (Zentera tweaked)
Pompano Beach STM 6*

La Voz med hard

[yana_reed]

Mark VI (53.XXX)
Meyer 7M
Bay Ligature
Superial/ Superial DC #3

[dpmusic]

Yay! I agree with you. There's too much dogma out there to the effect of "you must used a closed, stuffy piece for classical music..." I think if a good player can control a more open piece, his/her opportunities for expression in a classical context should be much greater.

i want to agree with you, because i'm lazy and take as little effort as possible to do things effectively.... but it's simply not possible to have the level of control on a .80 tip opening that you can have on a .70 or less tip opening. therefore, despite how good you might get on that meyer, you could still be more stable on a classical piece. i think the inability to produce clear, precise articulation is the biggest problem if you try to use a more open piece. it's also much more difficult to play softly....and if you're a serious classical player you need to be able to play as soft as a clarinet or strings can play, with perfect tone and intonation of course. good luck with that on a meyer.!

on the other hand, if you aren't trying to perform on a high level, it won't matter. in that case, meyer it up.