 The Doublers BBoard
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Author: Ryan Young
Date: 2006-04-22 00:15
Hi everyone.
Im a highschool doubler who plays clarinet in concert band and bari sax for jazz band and marching band. This really wasnt a problem for me during marching season but since jazz season i have noticed that all my notes C5 and up are stuffy and muted compaired the notes below them. I have been playing bari for near a year now and am wanting to improve my tone in this range. I play on Plasticover 3 1/2's and a Yahmaha 5C mouthpiece, and while i would consider trying new reeds if it would help, buying a new mouthpiece for a instrument that is the schools i would only consider if it would be usable in both marching and jazz season and that would be around $40-$45 max. I will appreciate any suggestions and will definately try them out.
Thank you all for the help,
Ryan Young
Post Edited (2006-04-22 00:18)
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2006-04-22 01:30
Ryan,
You can't buy a good bari mouthpiece for $45 or less, I'm afraid. Even the mouthpieces I sell (DISCLAIMER: I'm a mouthpiece refacer and occasionally sell refaced mouthpieces) cost more than that.
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Author: Ryan Young
Date: 2006-04-22 02:16
Yes, thats what i was afraid of. Mostly i think im looking for a playing technique/ reed solution than spending the money for a mouthpiece that might fix the solution. i guess the reason im hesitant to go out and buy a mouthpiece is that since i dont own my bari i dont want to end up with just a mouthpiece when i graduate highschool. however if the mouthpiece that i am currently using is just undoable for what i am trying to do, what mouthpiece would be a suitable jazz/ marching mouthpiece?
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Author: Merlin
Date: 2006-04-22 03:26
If you're looking for a piece for marching and jazz, might I recommend a Rico Royal Graftonite, in a #7 facing? Could quite possibly be had for the requisite fee.
...not that I want to disagree with Dave...
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Author: DougR
Date: 2006-04-23 13:13
You don't say what kind of horn the school has, nor if you intend to stay with the baritone in a serious way after high school. If the horn is a decent semi-pro or pro model, and you DO intend to play baritone seriously after high school, you might consider the mouthpiece an investment in your playing future and shop accordingly, with attention on what works, rather than on the price.
In other words, get a mouthpiece that makes you sound best right now, on the horn you have to use, and consider it part of your future playing arsenal. I still have my high-school clarinet mouthpiece (a Penzel-Mueller George Jenney signature model, which was considered something of a hot setup at the time) and while I haven't used it in a playing situation for some time, I'm delighted to see it when I rummage around in the mouthpiece drawer.
Of course, you might still be able to save yourself from the reed-players' "gearhead" mindset that a drawer full of old mouthpieces is a symptom of. Hopefully not, though!
PS, I'm 50-some years down the road from where you are, and kind of a crank, so take my advice for what it's worth.
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Author: Erdinet
Date: 2006-04-23 21:38
The Rico Graphonite Bari sax mouthpiece is quite good for the money and will fit your requirements very well.
If you want to work out stuffiness or any other tone issues on saxophone (any saxophone), I would reccommend that you do overtone matching exercises. Pick up the Rascher "Top Tones for Saxohone" book. It has everything (and I do mean everything) you will ever need to know about producing a decent sound in all registers of the instrument. Start by learning how to play overtones, then once you can access them at will, match the played / fingered note to the overtone. You will see amazing improvements very quickly.
Adam
"There is a big difference between kneeling down and bending over."
-Frank Zappa
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Author: Merlin
Date: 2006-04-24 17:23
I don't really like them either, but I have to admit that I've heard a few players sound great on them. Bob Leonard, who played with Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass uses one.
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Author: Ryan Young
Date: 2006-04-24 20:06
Well I think i will add that to my next round of reed orders. We are losing a few players out of our section so i will get the 7 to try and add some volume. From what i read the yahmaha 5c i have is comparable to the rico and for the price i dont think i can pass up the deal. thanks for the help,
ryan
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2006-04-25 13:58
I'd start with the cheaper fix: a better reed. If you need a synthetic reed because of problems with cane reeds deteriorating too fast with the type of music you play, or if it's too difficult to keep a cane reed wet and ready to play, can you get Legeres for bari sax? I've tried Plasticover reeds and hated them quite a lot on clarinet. Legere seems much better quality to me. It's not a cheap reed, but it's a whole lot cheaper than a mouthpiece.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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Author: clarinets1
Date: 2006-05-04 16:05
don't forget Fibracells! they are a great synthetic reed. the price is usually is the same range as a Legere or Bari.
JK
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2006-05-08 18:41
I have yet to hear any sax player who sounds really good on a Fibracell (or Legere for that matter). But such players COULD exist, hypothetically......
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Author: Kel
Date: 2006-07-13 19:36
If you can stretch your budget to about $100, the Hite Artist is an excellent piece, and has good clarity in the upper register. I'm quite fond of mine on bari. It does not have quite the low end fullness of a HR Link, though.
If you do try Legere reeds, go at least a full number softer than your cane reeds. The bari Legeres give new meaning to the term "stiff reed". They do have a full, dark sound.
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Author: taylorledak
Date: 2006-07-23 05:35
I am primarily a clarinet player but when I play bari I reach for my Rico Royal Grafonite. A fantastic mouthpiece. I have 2 of them. At a bargain price of $17.95 you can throw it away if you don't like it.
The 7 facing is seriously the loudest mouthpiece I have ever heard. I would get the 5 for general playing though. Excellent for marching band or laying down some funk in jazz band.
http://wwbw.com/Rico-Royal-Graftonite-Bari-Sax-Mouthpiece-i81976.music
Post Edited (2006-07-23 05:41)
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Author: GBK
Date: 2006-07-23 05:45
taylorledak wrote:
> I am primarily a clarinet player but when I play bari I reach
> for my Rico Royal Grafonite. A fantastic mouthpiece. I have 2
> of them. At a bargain price of $17.95 you can throw it away if
> you don't like it.
The Rico Royal Graftonite mouthpieces have to be the ABSOLUTE WORST mouthpieces ever offered for sale, anytime, anywhere, any century.
When first marketed in 1986, they were given out by the thousands - free to band directors, most of whom immediately threw them in the trash.
(I had thought I got rid of all of mine - but just noticed I still have 4 new ones on the shelf in my studio. I truly hope they are not multiplying.)
They were Made from Graftonite™ - a graphite/rubber compound.
They should have left the graphite in the pencils. ![[wink]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie3.gif)
Thick rails, thick tip, very resistant blowing, badly designed facings (the clarinet A7 model had a tip opening of 1.40 and a facing length of 20mm), raised reed table, thin sound - nothing good whatsoever about them, except that they were (sadly) indestructable.
Toss it in the landfill where it belongs.
I think that the the half-life of lead is 22 years...GBK
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Author: Jaysne
Date: 2006-08-09 03:09
I would dump the phony reed and buy a real reed. I can understand why you'd want a plastic reed for marching band, but when you're in a more intimate jazz band setting, it just won't cut the mustard. Yuck!
Van Doren Java is a professional jazz reed and will reap you many rewards.
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Author: BTBob
Date: 2006-08-16 15:50
Just when is jazz season? I play the stuff pretty m uch all year!
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