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Good mouthpiece for 59' Zephyr Alto?

4K views 14 replies 11 participants last post by  sthsquid 
#1 ·
Hi, I recently bought a 1959 King Zephyr Alto and I'm looking for suggestions for a good mouthpiece to compliment it. So far I have used a Selmer S80 D and the original King mouthpiece that must have come with the sax when it was new. The Selmer doesn't sound too good, a bit too thin for my liking. The King sounds better, full and creamy kind of tone. Trouble with the King is that it is not very free blowing. Has anyone hit on a good combination they could share?

Thanks in advance, Ben
 
#3 ·
Same here. No stuffiness whatsoever with my Zephyrs and Super 20s. Leaks can cause that in an otherwise free blowing horn, that is for sure.

I use a 1950's era Brilhart Tonalite called a Powertone (these were made for sale in the U.K.), and a same era Tonaline on my late 40's and early 50's Zephyr and Super 20 altos with great success.

I've also had great luck with a 50's era Runyon Model 22, which I have paired with some of my other King altos. The vintage 1950's version of this mouthpiece, like the one Parker used, is quite different than the current, student model with the same name however. The rails and tip on my c. 1950's one are nice and thin, but the new ones are quite wide.
 
#5 · (Edited)
QUOTE=Hi, I recently bought a 1959 King Zephyr Alto and I'm looking for suggestions for a good mouthpiece to compliment it. So far I have used a Selmer S80 D and the original King mouthpiece -- end QUOTE

I had a 1951 for a year and really liked it. Try the round chambered Selmer D or E instead of the square chambered S80 D.
In good inexpensive mpcs, try the Rico Royal C5 or C7. I really liked my Phil-tone Meyer on the Zephyr. Mine is a 6 medium, but a 5 medium would probably be great.
Sax Magic
 
#7 ·
The original King MPC is definitely a nice mouthpiece. I recently bought a Meyer 5 which I use with a standard Vandoren 3 reed. I am much happier with the tone I am getting now. Currently the Zephyr is being overhauled and I can't wait to get it back!
 
#11 ·
Blowing the dust off this old thread, I recently picked up a '49 Zephyr alto from Jaye, who graciously threw in an old Babbit piece that gave the best intonation, as this particular Z's a bit picky. I've also had some luck with an old white plastic King piece (maybe like the one it would have originally shipped with?); a Runyon Custom Jazz 7; and a red Art Pepper model Runyon Custom 6, worked on by Paul Coats--the loudest and most focused piece I've ever played.

But I'm still keeping an eye out for a used Super Session D. That, or a replacement silver underslung double-socket neck, whichever comes along first.
 
#12 ·
Get a Jody Jazz DV, and you won't need or want another mouthpiece. I am using a 6 on my silversonic, and here are two clips of it:



 
#13 ·
Thanks for the tip Yellowhorn, but I've mostly settled on a Ted Klum Focustone Acoustimax 6. Played with a nice Rigotti Gold 2.5 strong, it really brings out both the sweet & the nasty in this old horn. Not bad with my other altos either.

Though for that dry West Coast vibe, I still like my Phil-Tone Solstice 6 with a Legere Signature 2.5. And I do have an older Theo Wanne Gaia 6 en route, so will look forward to another taste test soon.

Also, feel free to ship me your Silversonic sometime for an A-B with my Zephyr. :bluewink2:
 
#15 ·
Ressurecting this because I've got a '55 Zephyr coming. But from what it sounds, I'd be probably fine (i've got a week trial period on the horn) with my Meyer 5m. I could shell out for a couple more mpc's and get them delivered quickly, but maybe the better bet it just to do what I can with the Meyer. I'll know from that whether the horn is a keeper, I think....
 
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