Saxophone Forum


by Kitch22
(98 posts)
20 years ago

Jazz Mouthpiece

My private instructor says my tone is too bright, even for jazz(it is probably mostly my silver Custom Z). I am going to order several jazz pieces to try out and eventually purchase a new one. Let me know what u think, considering I want a piece that projects very well and isn't too bright(but brighter than a classical mouthpiece, of course). Some rubber ones I've been thinking about are a Strathon Ajustotone, Otto Link, E. Rousseau, Meyer, Berg Larsen, and Lakey. Tell me what ya know. Thanx!

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  1. by sax_maniac
    (984 posts)

    20 years ago

    Re: Jazz Mouthpiece

    What mouthpiece are you using now? What kind of horn (alto, tenor, etc) That would help steer advice on how to tone things down. Otto Link Super Tone Masters are good for a nice jazz tone without peeling paint off the wall. It's got a very large chamber and isn't highly baffled, which keep things warm. It is metal, though. The Otto Link Tone Edge pieces are also large chambered and don't have a significant baffle. I am personally sold on Selmer Paris Metal mpcs. There's brightness there, but refined brightness - mostly reserved for when you play loudly. Vandoren Jumbo Java would be way too edgy, but the Java pieces are a nice medium ground. I've got a Strathon mpc for bari, and it's definitely on the edgy side of the world (even in it's more mild setting). I don't know how they play on other horns, though.

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    1. by chiamac
      (586 posts)

      20 years ago

      Re: Jazz Mouthpiece

      Otto Link Super Tone Masters are good for a nice jazz tone without peeling paint off the wall. I wish mine had just a little more edge at times. But it gives a really nice smooth deep sound. BUT they can and do play loud if you have to and still sound good.

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      1. by thattenorplayer
        (18 posts)

        20 years ago

        Re: Jazz Mouthpiece

        hey i'm looking for a good jazz mouthpiece and am thinking about getting an otto link super tonemaster i'm playing on a selmer c* right now, which do u think would be better? a 7 or 8 opening? thanks thattenorplayer

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        1. by chiamac
          (586 posts)

          20 years ago

          Re: Jazz Mouthpiece

          I have a 8* and it works great for me... try them both if you can.

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        2. by sax_maniac
          (984 posts)

          20 years ago

          Re: Jazz Mouthpiece

          Try what you can. Leaping from a C* to a 7 or 8 tip will take some geting used to. Be prepared to try some softer/different reeds and practice a lot.

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        3. by chiamac
          (586 posts)

          20 years ago

          Re: Jazz Mouthpiece

          "Try what you can. Leaping from a C* to a 7 or 8 tip will take some geting used to. Be prepared to try some softer/different reeds and practice a lot." oh forgot about that... it took me a good school year to a handel on that thing. actually... what is the best way of trying out those open pieces if a person didn't have any experence with them? other than what I did which was trying the damn thing for pep band my freshmen year... it went something like this. "DAMN this thing is metal and I can play it LOUD! - SWEET" =) whats really funny, no one knew it was a vintage link and no one knows where it came from. hahaha

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        4. by sax_maniac
          (984 posts)

          20 years ago

          Re: Jazz Mouthpiece

          Well, when trying a new mouthipece, there's 2 risks. First, the mouthpiece might be a dog and will not ever sound right unless it is refaced or tuned up (Dukoffs are notorious for needing "help"). Second, there's the money factor. You could maybe do a trial through weinermusic and give yourself a little time with it at minimal expense, or you could do what I do and just buy them outright and after giving them a whirl for a month or two, decide whether it goes in the cigar box or on eBay. Someone trying a more open mouthpiece should be prepared with softer reeds than they are used to. It may or may not be necessary, but if you're used to 3 1/2 on a C* and try out an STM 8, that 3 1/2 is going to sound like crap. Better to have a couple 2 1/2 and 3 reeds handy (soaked and ready to go).

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        5. by golferguy675
          (600 posts)

          20 years ago

          Re: Jazz Mouthpiece

          Hey, does anybody know wether Otto Link made an STM ligature for hard rubber pieces? I'm trying to find one for my hard rubber link, but all the ones I've found are for metal pieces. If so, where are they?

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        6. by sax_maniac
          (984 posts)

          20 years ago

          Re: Jazz Mouthpiece

          Hmmm. The lig on my STM was shaped exactly to the mouthpiece, so I'm not sure it would work on a hard rubber mouthpiece. That groove along the top kind of makes it exclusive, know what I mean? If it's minimal reed contact that you're going after like the STM screw lig, consider the Bonade inverted ligs. They have two thin rails on the lig which minimize contact with the reed. I've got one for tenor that I like. I've also got a vintage Selmer "screw-table" lig/cap that fits the Soloist. I don't know where you would look to buy one, though. Mine's not for sale - sorry.

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        7. by golferguy675
          (600 posts)

          20 years ago

          Re: Jazz Mouthpiece

          Yeah, I have an inverted Bonade lig for my alto. The clarity is fine on it, but the response in the altissimo range is very poor. I switched from that to the Oleg ligature a while ago, and now I'm looking for something different.

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        8. by sax_maniac
          (984 posts)

          20 years ago

          Re: Jazz Mouthpiece

          I'm wondering about the altissimo issue. I'm fairly new to the technique, so I'm no expert, but with altissimo notes at the high end of the spectrum, isn't it more the very tip of the reed in play - rather than the whole reed surface. With that, I'm not sure how a lig would affect altissimo - maybe it does. I haven't messed with it long enough to notice ligs making a difference, but mouthpieces - definitely.

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        9. by golferguy675
          (600 posts)

          20 years ago

          Re: Jazz Mouthpiece

          If you really do altissimo right, how much reed you use should never change, and your eoumbechure change should be extremely minute. Altissimo done correctly involes the throat. I open my throat a lot more, and they pop out fine. The Bonade lig just cuts them of for some reason, that's what I liked about the Oleg lig, it played altissimo great. There's a lot of people that will just get a really hard reed, and bite down hard on the tip to make altissimo notes play, and you shouldn't do that. You'll go through reeds like mad, and just hurt your bottom lip.

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        10. by mr. freakjar
          (11 posts)

          20 years ago

          Re: Jazz Mouthpiece

          try out the francois luis "ultimate ligature". the altissimo is practically effortless. it's getting a lot of play from ome of the big names (mark turner, josh redman, chris potter), and i tried one out recently on my tenor and it sounded great. there wasn't too much difference from the oleg in my opinion, but if i didn't already have the oleg i would've bought the louis.

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