Looking for a darker Soprano sound

**Martinman** · 10-27-2007, 08:33 PM

Originally Posted by Dave Dolson

Ah, but they WERE Italian a while back . . . three Rampones (tipped bell sop, sopranino, R1 alto).

Yes, I know I have a lot of horns, but there are others here who have a HUGE number of saxophones. DAVE

Yea, isn't there a guy who owns like, 80 altos?

**Drumroll** · 11-20-2007, 03:44 AM

I have a Yani SC 902 that I use a Ponzol metal M1 mouthpiece with.I have tried a bunch of hard rubber pieces but none can compare to the big bottom of the Ponzol metal.I think the metal is a more spread tone as well.Anybody have any luck with rubber mouthpieces on the Yani SC 902?

**Dave Dolson** · 11-20-2007, 03:54 AM

Drumroll: Yes. That's all I play on my SC902 - Super Session J, Morgan Vintage 7, S-80 G and J, to name a few. Huge sound, warm tone, great intonation. We are all different in what mouthpieces work for us and on what horns. There are no rules. DAVE

**king koeller** · 11-20-2007, 03:56 AM

My curved Conn Soprano(1926) is not dark at all, but very lively and total responsive. I'm using a Morgan Jazz 7J soprano mouthpiece with Vandoren 4's(blue box), This set up works for dixieland combo (ala... the Welk sax section) or playing big band lead alto and subbing soprano for the clarinet leads. (Miller, Woody, Old Octavo stocks, Spud Murphy). I've played concerts of standards and this piece is so well suited to the horn they are a marriage made in heaven. (I still have the old Conn Eagle stock piece that came with the horn, but the tip opening is like a .048".
Forget it, I would need a 6 reed to make a chirp...
I won't ruin it however and have it refaced. It totally needs to stay original, just for the sake of how rare these are getting to be nowadays.

**DanSax64** · 11-22-2007, 01:16 PM

Lorenzo: you might want to try different reeds on that Morgan piece. I don't have the same 7 opened as yours, yet on my vintage 5, I found that Hemke and SR reeds darken the sounds a whole lot, compared to my regular ZZ reeds.
Just a thought...

**cann0nba11** · 11-22-2007, 03:25 PM

Just turn out the lights.

**Giganova** · 11-22-2007, 03:34 PM

Originally Posted by Lorenzo Muan

my sound on soprano seems too bright (and maybe a tad thin).

Get a bari sax!

But seriously, these kind of threads pop up on a regular basis, but I never got it: Why do you play soprano if you want a dark(er) sound? Isn't that missing the entire point of playing soprano? Can't we just love sopranos for what they are: high-pitched instruments!?

It's like marrying a thin girl and then complaining that she is too thin!

**cann0nba11** · 11-22-2007, 03:57 PM

Beauty is just a light switch away.

**sax1st** · 11-22-2007, 11:36 PM

Lorenzo, I don't know if you've tried the Tenney perfected HR Link 7* available from Saxquest.com? If not it's well worth a try. A beautifully easy mouthpiece to play with a sound that is most certainly on the darker side. It's very flexible and I use it exclusively for all of my work. I thoroughly recommend them.
Alex

**Giganova** · 11-23-2007, 04:26 AM

I play a Link Tone Edge 7 which is a wonderful mouthpiece with a rather dark-ish sound.

**calisax** · 11-23-2007, 04:53 AM

Try switching to clarinet... Does anybody really take soprano sax seriously anymore?

**GHawk** · 12-17-2007, 02:12 AM

For a dark sound try a Berg HR.

**Ben Marrow** · 12-17-2007, 02:17 AM

Maybe a dark rovner lig would help.

**Hurling Frootmig** · 12-17-2007, 03:13 AM

I like the Caravan idea. I play on a vintage Buescher blank that was unfinished. Minimal baffle.

**harmonizerNJ** · 12-18-2007, 02:13 AM

Anyone have any advice on how a ligature might have an effect on how bright or dark one's sound might be on a soprano sax?

**Grumps** · 12-18-2007, 02:30 AM

I use Rovner darks with both my sopranos (with different mouthpieces). With some mouthpieces (tenor, especially) I find these ligatures dampen the sound a bit, but for some reason on soprano, they seem liberating.

**nitrosax** · 12-21-2007, 08:31 AM

Ligatures don't affect the brightness or darkness of your tone by themselves...they only change the response of the reed and thus they way you blow the horn...Steve Neff did a project on ligatures...it confirmed what I always thought...changing ligatures helps with playability of reeds and FEEL for the player...but the sound is only minimally changed from the listeners viewpoint...

Horns and necks and reeds on the other hand can blow darker or brighter...

2 cents..
Out

PS--I like a dark sound on sop as well...it's like having a thin girlfriend with big t......

the total package....

later

**J.Max** · 12-21-2007, 02:46 PM

Originally Posted by calisax

Try switching to clarinet... Does anybody really take soprano sax seriously anymore?

Yes. Especially in classical circles. Why would you even say something like this? You know it will provoke a negative response.

**BeyondSax** · 01-31-2008, 10:03 AM

L.

If you can find one, you might try a vintage unmodified Buescher or Woodwind Co. or Otto Link slant signature. Then get a good mp tech to open it slightly. I opened the tip of a previously unmodified Buescher large chamber mouthpiece from the late 20s or early 30s and it is very warm and rich sounding. Also very easy to play throughout the register. My fallback mp is a Morgan Vintage or Meyer.

**jazzhue** · 02-17-2008, 12:01 PM

Hi

First of all the finish on your soprano is of importance of tone. A silver laquered soprano sounds darker than a usual brass laquer.
I changed the ligature on my soprano an it changed my tone completely. I bought a Francois Louis..