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Do you like ZAGAR Mouthpieces ?

16K views 45 replies 26 participants last post by  Saxopholia 
#1 ·
Do you like ZAGAR Mouthpiece ?
 
#35 ·
Unfortunately very often sincere people looking for the most innovative solutions are thwarted and criticized for the sole reason that they do not adhere to marketing standards, for their views that propaganda, other than that made by saxophonists is only an illusion, even a poison. . . Dan South France.
 
#36 ·
I absolutely freaking love my Zagar SBB 8* after 4 years of playing on a day to day basis. Great for Jazz,'free blowing piece and doesn't feel like it's big tip opening.I struggle with altissimo ( of which I have been forewarned by previous owner as got it second hand) but this is something that can be worked on.Just don't have time always to practice before I play in public.
 
#38 ·
Here's what the Zagar Sax Mouthpieces site has to say about their current bronze alto piece: "Unicrystal Resonance Technology (URT) creates a unique Baffle-free mouthpiece that outperforms all conventional designs. A highly resonant mouthpiece with a precise response over all registers. This excellent mouthpiece delivers smooth equal power with perfect intonation over the whole range of the instrument. In particular, the mid-range notes (D, D# and E) are brilliant, resonant and free-blowing. Zagar's unique Unicrystal Resonance Technology - brilliance and response is supreme."

Without any bias against the mouthpiece maker, I find the quoted text non-credible. First of all, it's loaded with superlatives that are either empty, subjective, or impossible to verify: unique, outperforms all, excellent, perfect, brilliant/brilliance.

Secondly, the text contains phrases seemingly selected to push sax players' hot-buttons: precise response, smooth equal power, resonant and free-blowing. If there's truth to these attributes, it needs substantiation in plausible detail, without hype.

Thirdly, what exactly is resonating -- the mouthpiece, or the air? Why would making an entire mouthpiece out of a single metallic crystal have any bearing on sax tone? We've all seen claims about unicrystalline copper in electrical wire used for audio applications, but how would this apply to vibrations in air?

I believe those who say that the mouthpiece does not vibrate -- at least not audibly in the frequency range of music -- and that therefore, claims about the sonic superiority of this material or that must be bogus.

With that said, I also believe that the choice of material & method of manufacture can influence both the shape of the air passage within the mouthpiece and the feel of the piece in the player's mouth, thus affecting tone.

I'm neither a metallurgist nor an engineer. I'm just a sax player with an interest in musical tools, their design & their history. I want credible information from the real world; verifiable facts, not hyped-up, mystical lingo. When Zagar's official mouthpiece descriptions start crediting the reader with intelligence & common sense, I'll start taking an interest in their mouthpieces.

And here's a plea to mouthpiece makers in general -- not all of you, just the guilty ones; please stop telling me how some micro-layer of plating provides "focus" or "purity" or whatever. If you plated the piece to mitigate corrosion, or to make it look prettier, or to justify increasing the price, just say so! We potential mouthpiece purchasers will appreciate the honesty.
 
#40 ·
Our dear friend Sop Sax may be right from a theoretical point of view, but the most important for us saxophonists is practice! When we played a Zagar mpc, the words and the lyrics are tasteless, it's like the pudding, you have to taste it to know the taste. . . Also, I have an 8 * Series 500, a 8 * vintage no: 143 and a custom custom blue note 8 * model from this year. These mpc's are so easy that I chose more open. The subtones are really extraordinary, no breath, no resistance, and for the rest serious, medium, treble and over-treble it's also perfect! The custom blue note is typed Otto Link Florida no USA but better (to my taste) the sbb is a little brighter and the bronze vintage darker. Tenor Series III Zagar Custom 9 Rigotti Gold Jazz reeds 3Light Gold 3Medium and Vintage Classic saxophone ligature shop.
 
#41 ·
I will want to say one last thing before to take my Tenor seriously (playing Jazz seems not important, but this is very important at the moment, not for my ego, but to participate to a positive vibration , and God knows that the World needs it at this time destabilization and conflict) This remark concerns the ligatures concerning the Tenor sbb and the Tenor Customs. I find the Rovner star series not bad but a little stuffy. In this style there is much better, the ligatures GF System, these are the ligatures provided with mpc Guardala. These ligatures GF System are at a ridiculous price 25 € on Thomann Germany. It is an inverted screw system from which a uniform tightening. But for me the one that suits me perfectly is the ligature of Pat Morisson on Saxophone Boutique, the Vintage Classic raw brass (a weight of 50 G). the result is without appeal. . . Dan from Montpellier (South France).
 
#42 ·
Thanks for your advise on ligatures, Saxopholia!
Since 2013 I have gone through number of ligatures:
first one was Vandoren Masters Clarinet ligature, which I used up until earlier this year; after one screw broke I put Brancher semi-rigid ligature that fits Otto Links (same deal as Rovner with one screw) and most recently I came across Marc Jean Silver plated ligature for Theo Wanne Gaia that fits perfectly well ( a bit pricy though).
 
#43 ·
At your pleasure, dear Balticband. I forgot to specify the price of the Classic Vintage ligature (see saxophone boutique) The person who makes it is Pat Morisson, he lives in France too. It is also excellent for the refacing of MPCs. Its price is 78 € the model for tenor sbb and customs Zagar. If you have a Zagar sbb, it already knows the exact size corresponding to your sbb. This because I have in the past sent a sbb no: 517 (specification 500) to make a custom ligature. He is a real craftsman and especially a tenor player.
 
#44 ·
I must say that I've been using the Vintage Classic ligature for many months, I did not think a ligature could have so many benefits, a deeper and warm sound, more complexity , more fat, more projection and a more fast articulation. The support on the reed is excellent because it covers a long length on the heel. I want to say that my goal is not to flatter the ego of Mr Pat Morisson, nor that of a commercial approach, but that of a passionate wanting to share his passion. . . . Dan. Selmer Tenor series III - Zagar Tenor Custom blue note 8 * - Rigotti Gold Jazz 3Light Gold 3Medium- Roberto's Reeds 3Soft- Pat Morisson Ligature Vintage Classic. Dan
 
#45 ·
Very interesting.
I am fine with Brancher ligature and Rovner type ligs in general on all my horns. I got Marc Jean ligature as a back up and it fetched 95 Canadian Dollars in Long&McQuade in Vancouver - roughly 93 US$ after taxation. Comparatively the same as Vintage Classic I guess.
Steve Neff - Nefertiti on this forum - mentioned once that he does not like ligatures that change your sound in one dimension (or direction).He was commenting on Marc Jean particularly. So that was my impression on it:
with my inner ear I heard my sound became darker, whilst one audient and keyboard player from my band on a first night I used new lig told me that I was actually overpowering guitarist or sounded as if I was using mike. In fact I was not amplified at all!So it proved the fact that silver plating gave some buzz and helped me cut through. I am not very decided about this ligature yet but it will do the job in a meantime.
I use Vandoren V16 and Rico Jazz Select reeds.
 
#46 ·
I'm basically in agreement with you, I was not trying to convince you to buy this ligature, I also use the ligature GF system (synthetic with a screw system double screw thread Vandoren optimum) which gives perhaps more warmer, a little less brilliant than the classic vintage but the classic vintage giving a little more brighter sound, on my custom 8 * this little surplus of shine is beneficial for this mpc; It must be said that your sbb is certainly brighter than my custom, this custom Zagar is rather typed Otto Link double ring or Florida Link no usa, your sbb and the 2 sbb 8* that I have are rather typical Link florida usa or early babbit otto Link . For my 2 sbb I use GF system ligature.
 
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