Klarinet Archive - Posting 000328.txt from 1999/07

From: "Kevin Fay (LCA)" <kevinfay@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Alto Sax Mouthpieces
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 1999 12:43:03 -0400

Dave wanted to know about alto sax mouthpieces. I must pontificate.

You can spend much more on a saxophone mouthpiece than a clarinet
mouthpiece--I have seen tenor mpces in the catalogs for over six hundred
bucks. IMHO, this is insane.

Fortunately, there are some good ol' pieces that are dirt cheap and work
great.

I second the emotion towards the Meyer #5. It has been a "standard" for
many years. Of course, the Meyer 5 sold new today is not the same
mouthpiece that Phil Woods & Cannonball played on (and bought in the '50s);
it now is a bit more open with a smaller bore. It's still a great
mouthpiece for a mellow big band or the pit.

You can go much cheaper, however, and get as good a sound. The Brilhart 3*
plays very much like the Meyer 5, with a bit less of an edge to the sound.
It's great for high school players, because it can be used for both stage
and concert band. Maceo Parker used one for years backing James Brown--it's
hardly a small sound. AND it costs about thirty bucks through a catalog.
(FWIW, I use a Brilhart 5* for "commercial" stuff, even though I have a
drawer full of more expensive mouthpieces.)

If you need more "pop" (i.e., play in a band that has a lot of electric
stuff) you could spend much more and not sound any better than the Brilhart
Level-aire. It's metal, has a removable insert making the baffle even
smaller (if you absolutely need to sound like a chain saw) and isn't much
more than $100.

For "legit" saxophoning, you have 2 basic choices. If you are like me, and
are of the belief that Sigurd Rascher's approach is the way a saxophone
should sound, the *only* mouthpiece to have is -- you guessed it -- the
Sigurd Rascher. It's a copy of an early 20th century Buescher, has a huge
bore and small tip opening. (Of course, if you can find a 1920s Buescher,
use it). This is a quasi-religious knee-jerk reaction on my part, please
note.

The "other" school of "classical" sax is the "French" school -- Marcel Mule
and progeny. While many, many, many of these people use the venerable
Selmer C* (old model, similar to today's "Larry Teal"), you can also use
Bilgers, Rousseaus etc. The VAST majority of "legit" saxophone players
are of this school. (I find the sound that these folks get to be too bright
for my tastes, however--listen to Sigurd Rascher.)

One caveat--you should note that both the Brilhart and Rascher mouthpieces
are made out of plastic, not hard rubber. Consequently, if you want them to
last any time at all, you need to use a mouthpiece cushion. I would anyway,
so this is not a problem for me.

kjf

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