The most common question I get asked on this blog and in emails is “Steve, which mouthpiece is the best?” “Which one should I buy”. I probably get 3-4 emails a week asking that question. I always feel bad because I wish there was a simple answer to that. The truth is that many of the mouthpieces I review are great. Any of them would sound amazing if I played them for awhile. I haven’t found one that blows the others away. Even if I did……….each person is different and one I think is the best for me, you might totally hate. As an example, all 9 of the mouthpieces below are great playing alto mouthpieces. I would have no problem playing any of them. All of them are different in there own way but all of them play well and are in tune. Some are brighter, some are darker, some are louder, some prettier sounding, some are fatter sounding, some are more focused, some remind me of Cannonball, some of Phil Woods, some of Sanborn…………… The mouthpiece you like the sound of best and that you can play comfortably is the best one for you.
The mouthpieces I like the best are the ones that I form a connection with. It’s more than just feeling comfortable with it. It’s like I feel like the mouthpiece is just an extension of me. What ever I think of and try to play just happens on the mouthpiece. When I have that kind of connection I love it. I feel like I can play 10 times better than I usually do. That connection very rarely happens the minute I play a mouthpiece (Although once in awhile it does……) but it can happen hours or days later as I play it over and over.
OK, So here is a side by side clip comparison of 9 alto mouthpieces that I have on my shelf right now. I have a V16 refaced by Brian Powell with a super long 23 MM facing curve, an Aizen Jazz Master 6, a Ted Klum Acoustimax .080, an Aizen NY Jazz 6, a Mouthpiece Cafe NYC 6, a modern Meyer refaced by the late Jon Van Wie, a Theo Wanne Gaia 6 and a Aizen SO 6. I have played all of these mouthpieces for many hours. The Aizens are the latest that I just received last week.
In each clip, I’m playing a similar idea. The D Major scale, a little blues riff and some bebop lines from my “Mastering the Dominant Bebop Scale” book. Nothing fancy just a simple line so perhaps you can hear better how the mouthpieces sound next to each other. I’m using a 2 1/2 Ishimori Woodstone reed on all the mouthpieces and a Vandoren Optimum ligature. I’m trying really hard to play the same from clip to clip so you can judge by the sound and not just by what I’m playing.
I’m hoping this series of clips will help some of you better decide which mouthpiece is for you. Of course……..you never know until you get it and try it. I’ve written some of my initial thought below each mouthpiece. I will add to those or change them as I listen to the clips more. Please feel free to write any comments or questions you might have below. Thanks, Steve
Vandoren V16 .080 refaced by Brian Powell
Fat spread sound with smooth articulation. Kind of fuzzy around the edges of the tone.
Modern Meyer .075 refaced by JVW
Clear and brighter with a hollowness to the sound. Has a sharpness and clarity to the sound.
LAW MCB Alto Mouthpiece .080 tip
Brighter very centered sound. Laserbeam type focus to the tone.
Aizen Jazz Master 7
A little darker fatter more spread sound with smooth articulation. A round full somewhat smokey tone.
Aizen NY Jazz 7
Nice lively bright bebop type of sound. Nice resistance and dryness to the sound.
Aizen SO 7
A little darker super compact clear and focused sound. Super free blowing.
Mouthpiece Cafe Resin NYC 6
Bright but with a nice roundness and soft edges to the tone. Free blowing.
Ted Klum Acoustimax .080 tip
Thick medium bright sound with character to the tone. Nice resistance to blow against.
Theo Wanne Gaia 6
Brighter tone with a nice character and evenness throughout the horn. Some resistance when blowing.
Let me know what you think below. I am always very interested to hear others views and opinions. If you have any questions feel free to ask and I’ll try to answer…………(just don’t ask me which is the best one that is right for you) Steve
Machado Mijiga says
Thanks for posting this Steve, it really puts these brutes up against each other. You seem to have a pretty similar tone on alto as I do and a pretty similar setup (I play on a CE winds Classic which is to the Reference 54 as an Antigua is to the SA80 II).
I have been long contemplating buying a new mpc, and this really helps. I personally preferred your tone a bit more on the JVW Meyer and the Acoustimax, but I could tell that you truly do like the GAIA 8 better because it sounded a bit closed when you played on the 6 on both clips (including your review clip) and I actually liked the tone of the 8.
Do you personally feel like refaced pieces play more comfortably when refaced to suit your needs than stock mouthpieces, even if they are incredible?
steve says
I actually sold that 8. I did like it better but I felt like it was more open than I like. Maybe if I just stuck with it and didn’t try all these other smaller tips I would have gotten used to it more. Yes, refaced pieces play much better than the original without a doubt but………….I would never have a mouthpiece refaced that you consider incredible! Big mistake! What you like about the mouthpiece and what you think is incredible about it most likely is tied to the flaw in it if there is one. What I suggest is getting another piece that is like the one you have and having that refaced and see if it can beat the one you have.
Jeff Rzepiela says
I think I liked the Mouthpiece Cafe the best, but I could be biased as that’s what I played on until switching to a Drake NY.
steve says
I wish I still had the Drake NY I tried. That’s another piece that I played that I regret not keeping. I would have liked to see it in this line up.
jlima says
Steve, my personal alto mpc is the TW Gaia 6 and to be honest I think your clip doesn’t do justice to it, it’s probably the reed that’s not the optimum fit for it. Using the same reed on all these mpsc wouldn’t make much sense to me, since they probably have very different facings. Anyway, much to my surprise, I did prefer your sound on the V16, it’s much fuller and richer. My second favorite was the LAW, which sang very nicely. To my ears, some of the others sounded a little “dead” in comparison, especially the Acoustimax and the Aizen SO.
steve says
Yeah, I hear what your saying about the reed. On the other hand I have done clips before with different reeds and people say they don’t know if what they are hearing is the mouthpiece or the reed change. The 2 1/2 worked well on most of the mouthpiece. It was a little soft on the Gaia and the Aizen SO. You can here a harder reed on the SO on the Aizen SO review. The reed felt a touch hard on the Acoustimax for me.It was perfect on all the rest.
simon peat says
i liked the JVW Meyer the best…it had pretty much everything that i like in the sound and sounds like a very versatile piece…..could play ballads or full on funk! JVw’S Work was amazing!! BUT TO BE FAIR YOU SOUND GREAT ON ALL OF THEM!
Mark says
Vandoren,Theo Wanne and Mouthpiece Cafe.
Blend these together into 1 mouthpiece, and I believe
that would be “perfect” lol
To be honest,you sound great on all and the “best” IMO
on the Mouthpiece Cafe model. (I played a Morgan for years,so I’m prejudice)
Ahh! The search never ends 🙂
steve says
I feel like my new JVW Meyer is sorta a blend of those 3. Has a nice mix of aspects of all 3.
ken says
I like v16 compared to all. Just nice.
Martyn Wood-Bevan says
Mouthpiece Cafe, Aizen NY Jazz & Theo Wanne Gaia, in that order. I like the “brighter, with rounded sound” concept, which seems to provide an excellent balance. Some mouthpieces just didn’t quite have this – perhaps a little too mellow or safely one- dimensional.
steve says
Cool. I have the Mouthpiece Cafe mouthpiece still also. I’ll have to try that one again. It’s been sitting in my mouthpiece drawer for a while………………..I really liked that one when I first got it. You nailed the description. I call it bright but fat sounding. That’s how I thing of them. The Gaia is a bit dryer sounding than the Mouthpiece Cafe piece.
nick says
Steve, you have no idea how useful this is. If there was a website like this comparing about 50 of the most common or most sought-after pieces, lai out like this, it would be a godsend. thankyou.
mike hughes says
i think your brian powell V16 sounds great but i think what does it for me is the aizen jazz master and the n.y. with the jazz master just having that bit more richness to the tone than the n.y. cheers mike.
Dave says
LAW MCB Alto Mouthpiece .080 tip. The preview doesn’t work.
Fantastic resource btw. Love it.
steve says
Thanks. I’ll look into it.
Alan says
Xcuse my ignorance, gents. When you ‘re-face’ a mouthpiece, does that just entail smoothing out any defect/damage to the rails and table,for instance, to ensure the reed lies flat or is it a re-grind/re-shape & polish of the chamber dimension, say. That would make the m/p into a new animal altogether. Nice article though. Thanks
bidemi says
is metal mouthpiece beter or gives a good tone than ?
steve says
You can’t say one is better than the other. It all depends on the player and how they get along with a mouthpiece. I have known players that only play metal and others that only play hard rubber. you have to try them for yourself.
dave says
Curious – on the Vandoren – what’s the difference between medium and small chambers? How does that affect the sound, and what size chamber is the one you demo’d?
Thanks!
steve says
I played the medium chamber. The small chamber is more focused and brighter than the medium chamber. It was too bright for my tastes. I prefer the medium chamber. The tone was fatter and more rich sounding. Some guys will dig the small chamber more if they are looking for a more powerful lead alto type of sound. I like a fatter alto sound though. Hope this helps.
Todd Young says
I have been trying to get as close to the rich full sound of Paul Desmond since my dad took me to see him on his last tour with the original Bruebeck Quartet in 76. I get close on a couple of the Rousseau classical mouthpieces but don’t have nearly the fullness of sound. I found out he played on an MC Gregory 4a18m mouthpiece. I haven’t found one available in an exhaustive search, but did happen to find a copy, made and sold by Gregg Wier, of the same mouthpiece. I took a punt and bought it site unseen from him through E Bay knowing that you like his work. Do you have any experience with this particular piece?
steve says
Hi Todd, No I haven’t even heard of that Greg Wier model. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it once you get it. Sounds interesting.
Craig says
Hey Steve, I thought you sounded FANTASTIC on the LAW MCB and on the Aizen SO… Beautifully focused! Granted, I might be slightly biased, since that is exactly what I try to achieve in my saxophone sound. It was very interesting to hear all of these different pieces side-by-side; it’s incredible how the slightest design difference can have such an enormous affect on the sound.
steve says
Thanks Craig, I used to love that LAW mouthpiece. I ended up selling it but it’s one of the pieces that I miss the most……….
I’m glad you can hear the differences between the mouthpieces on the recordings. When I first started the site I tried doing videos and putting them on youtube but I found that all the differences in sound on the recordings were lost when the video was compressed to youtube. Every once in awhile I get someone who says they can’t hear any difference and I sound the same on all of them which always shocks me…………..
Butch Miller says
Steve,
What mouthpiece is best for me….just kidding. Thanks for taking the time and effort to give us a listen to the different mouthpieces. I haven’t played in 40+ years, used to be pretty good, but now I’m getting back into making that sweet sound again. This has really helped me to decide on which mouthpiece(s) to get. Thank you so very much and God bless!
Alyson Van Alstyne says
Steve, Happy New Year!
I’m just the mom of a 5th grader who somehow got it in his head that he needed a reedless mouthpiece. I never heard of such a thing and was kind of horrified at the thought…but rather than being a snob, I thought I would check around and ask. It sounds like a crutch, and my gut says to convince him to tough it out, but if they are good I have no problem letting him experiment. I just think its too early to introduce different mouthpieces, and don’t want to start him with bad habits.
Thanks
steve says
I don’t believe there is such a thing as a reedless mouthpiece. I have never heard of one anyways………..Maybe it is something new???
Luis says
Hi Steve:
Nice clips, very nice sound and intonation on all mpcs. My top 3 are in preference order:
1- Cafe Resin
2- Meyer
3- Vandoren V16
The sound I donýt like too much is Theo Wanne, I hear it like if you are playing with some kind of mute.
steve says
Thanks for the feedback Luis. The Theo Wanne Gaia has a dryer sound to it. I still have the 3 mouthpieces you chose as the top 3 by the way.
Polly Wingenter says
Steve
You sound realllly great on all the mouthpieces. My favorites were the V16, SO 7 & Café NYC 6. What do you mean when
you say it is free blowing or super free blowing? Is it the same as easy blowing?
Thanks so much.
steve says
Polly, yes, free blowing is like easy blowing. Reeds just seem to blow easier on it and sometimes you need to move up in reed strength on a piece to compensate. I find that if a piece has very little resistance and is too free blowing that it is hard for me to shape and mold the sound the way I want. Every player is different and has different tastes though.
Pia says
Hi Steve,
I’ve got a pro-model Yanagisawa Alto (A-991) that I’ve had for a few years and I was wondering what your opinion is on the standard mouthpieces given with Yanagisawa saxes. Are they any good? What would you recommend for a good jazz mouthpiece?
Thank you for posting this info.
Steve says
Pia, i have never tried a Yanagisawa mouthpiece so I can’t give an opinion about them. All of the alto mouthpieces on my site are good to great pieces in my opinion. It really depends on what kind of sound you want I think. Steve
Jia Jia Zhang says
Hello Steve,
Thanks so much for your demos! I’m an aspiring saxophone player, and I’m just wondering what sax you were playing with in the clips. As a student, what type and brand of alto sax do you also recommend I get? I do wish to continue playing the saxophone and becoming a higher level musician, so I don’t want to purchase a sax that won’t accommodate for maybe intermediate level playing. But then again I am limited in my budget so something under $1000… Oh! And I will mostly be playing classical pieces, and with that in mind what kind of mouthpiece do you recommend?
Thanks so much!
Steve says
Hi Jia,
I played a Selmer Reference 54 saxophone on those clips which I love. They are really expensive though. I think I got mine for 3200 years ago but they are much more now. I’m not sure what to suggest for 1000 as even student model Yamaha YAS23s are more than 1000 now a days I believe. Maybe save up some more and then try to get to a music store where you can try some horns out in person.
As far as mouthpieces, I am not really a classical mouthpiece expert. I usually have alto players play a Vandoren AL3 but there might be other mouthpieces out there that I don’t know about………….Good Luck! Sorry I can’t be of more help. Steve
Ernie Tollar says
I liked the metal one. clarity and core. I play metal otto link on alto, so maybe that’s not a coincidence. I always come back to those. I’ve played rubber links, meyers, early on a beechler. i have 4 metal links. always wanted the coltrane clarity and weight on alto…
you sound great on all. AIZEN jazz master was top. so was V16. i always found a little to much of a nasal higher mid range frequency with those but you sounded great even..
nice post
Michele says
Aizen Jazz Master 7. When you played that “scoop” it was like the mouthpiece reacted to your thought.
Steve says
Thanks Michele. I love when a mouthpiece responds so easily to what you want to do!
Felix says
am a Nigerian Steve,i play sax,but i can’t sight play,and i want to improve,how possible is this?
Steve says
Felix, Learning to read music is a lot like learning to read. You just have to learn the fundamentals from a teacher and then practice a lot. I teach the basics of reading music in my Beginning Sax Lesson Video series. We work out of the Essential Elements 2000 book for alto sax.
Chelsea McNelliey says
Hi Steve,
Thanks for the great article and beautiful sound clips! I really love the refaced Meyer! Just wondering if you specified anything in particular before John Van Wie refaced it? I have a great mouthpiece refacer at my fingertips and a Meyer which I’m keen to get some work done on, and would love if it turned out anything like that one! Also have been playing on a “The Martin” Alto for quite some time now and feel like I need to upgrade – do you have any opinion on this horn? I usually play about 10-15hrs a week… Thanks for your time 🙂
Steve says
Chelsea,
I’m not sure what exactly JVW did to the Meyer. I know he refaced it and when I tried it I really liked it so I bought it. I don’t really know anything more than that as far as the facing curve numbers and all of that.
I haven’t played a Martin alto ever. Sorry. Steve
Sheryl says
All of the mouthpieces sound great in their own way, just depends on the type of sound you want and style of music you are playing. I was particularly impressed with the Aizen mouthpieces though. Just love the sound. I thought that I might prefer the SO 7, but there was something about the Jazz master 7 that really caught my attention. A somewhat dark, meaty sound, but yet somewhat vibrant, not too dry. Makes me really want to find out more about these mouthpieces. I’m also considering a refaced Meyer, perhaps a G series. I know that Phil Engleman does a nice job with refacing Meyers and he also has some really nice mouthpieces as well. So many choices. Thank you for all of the recordings. I know that we don’t all sound as great as you, but it does give us an idea of what these mouthpieces sound like and may make that endless search through thousands of mouthpieces a bit easier to narrow down. Looking for something that works well with my Eastman 52nd Street alto. Something somewhat “Meyerish” I suppose.
Lori Calhoun says
So in researching the Vandoren V16 series, I see both small and medium chamber on A5-A6-A7-A8 & A9….. what’s the difference and which did you play? Gotta get me one. That Vandoren is way sexy.
Steve says
Lori, I review both a Vandoren small chamber and a medium chamber on my site. On this 9 alto mouthpiece poll it’s a medium chamber………
Roberto Rojas says
Steve, thanks so much for investing the time to educate people like me. I appreciated each one of the clips. If I should have the luxury of choosing one of these mouthpieces I’d go for the Aizen NY Jazz 7, but it is not something I can afford. Then, the closest to my budget is definitely the Vandoren. Thanks again for including this Vando clip. Blessings on you!
Nolie says
Have you ever tried a Lebayle hard rubber mouthpiece? I love your reviews, and I am eager to hear your opinion on Lebayle mouthpieces or hard rubber pieces in general. Thank you in advance!
Steve says
Nolie,
I have only tried one Lebayle alto mouthpiece that I bought used and it wasn’t very good for me. I ended up sending it out to get refaced but still didn’t like it very much. I have heard they can be great mouthpieces so if I run across another one I’ll put up a review. Steve
Gerry Smith says
Hi Steve,
Have you tried the Aizen GR yet? I’m very curious as to how it compares with the Solstice – for getting ‘that sound’ but also versatility – projection when you need it etc.
Gerry
Steve says
Hi Gerry,
I haven’t tried an Aizen GR yet. Maybe I can review it later this year. Thanks, Steve
Gerry Smith says
Thanks Steve. I’ll probably try one in the next few weeks but it’s very hard to find a Solstice here in UK so I won’t be able to make that comparison.
Gerry
Malko G says
Hola Steve,
Just playing again after a few years. Back with my old 1960 The Martin Alto with my original Martin mouthpiece and 2 1/2 Ricos. I also have a mid 60’s (I think) Vandoren Paris, not numbers on it so not sure of the type. Very dark and kind of thin sound. What reeds and horn are you playing with these mouthpieces? Looking for a new mouthpiece for swing and jazz. My reeds are not holding up like they use to. Have you used any of the plastic reeds? Great info on your site, thanks much for your insight.
Steve says
Malko, I use a Selmer reference alto and usually use Rigotti Gold reeds. i have a whole bunch of different sizes from 2 1/2 medium up to 3 1/2 light. The ones I use depend on what mouthpiece I am using. I don’t use plastic reeds in general although I did a review of Forestone Hinoki reeds which I thought were pretty good. I have a couple of the alto reeds in my desk but haven’t tried them as of yet. Steve
Seif Karim says
what mouthpiece would you say is really good for mellowing and really darkening up and rounding you sound
Steve says
I tend to go for a more medium alto tone as I like some sparkle and highs in the sound. For a more mellow and darker sound you could try a classical type mouthpiece. I got a pretty dark sound out of a Vandoren AL3 Optimum Series Alto mouthpiece that a student of mine had at one time. Steve
Gerry Smith says
I ended up buying a Navarro Maestra 6 for alto. I found I could get the warm mellow sound I was looking for but it has plenty of punch when you push it – quite a brassy sound on my Yani 902, which I needed badly for projecting over a loud band. I did try the Aizen GR, but I didn’t like it so much, seemed a bit resistant and I didn’t get as rich a sound. For me the Maestra’s not very forgiving, it’s taking some work to get used it (not necessarily a bad thing, I’m having to improve my technique), and on Raphael’s recommendation I changed to a Rico H ligature. It really stood out against all the pieces I tried, I’m really enjoying it. Getting a lot of good comments from other players too. Looking forward to seeing what the tenor Maestra will do sometime.
– Gerry
Axel Senge says
Hi Steve, very nice overview of the different mpc-sounds. Thanks for that. My first impression is, the V16 sounds best for me…..It has an very open sound with a little edge in it which I like a lot…..the Aizen NY sounds a little similar to me, but the openess of the V16 is the best to me….I play the V16´s for years now and have also tried nearly every great alto mpc on the market….but I always returned to the V16, 5 with small chamber. And the price is very very low in comparison high-price “handmade” mpcs…and also I stick with my old Meyer Bros. mpc….but thanks for the interesting sound overview!!…..
best wishes–Axel
Ronald Mascucchini says
how do you rate the meyer Richie Cole to these others
Jessyca says
I’m just in love with Gaia so much, but it’s so expensive! I’m nowhere near to be a pro, but I’m in love with the dark old vintage sound. I think it’s too late, I’ll be dreaming of this one… I’m also curious on how a size 7 would sound. I also preferred the 8 on the reviews you made Steve. I just sync with me so much, like a big comfortable blanket or comfort food. It’s my “comfort sound”.
Greta Berna says
My daughter’s high school band director has asked her by a better mouthpiece for her alto sax and to change her reed brand to vandoran. Can you please give me some advice what would be considered a better mouthpiece for her alto sax? She purchased the alto sax through her school music program back in 5th grade and is still currently using it in her freshman year of high school
Mr Theys van Rooyen says
I AM A SAXOPHONIST PLAYING TENOR AND SOPRANO B FLAT AND ALTO E FLAT.
I HAVE TRIED VARIOUS MOUTHPIECES LIKE THE VANDOREN JUMBO, THE MEYER, BERG LARSEN BUT I FIND IT DIFFICULT WITH BERG LARSEN AND ALL OTHER METAL MOUTHPIECES EXCEPT THE OTTO LINK. THE SOUND I LIKE IS A DARK ROUND MELLOW SOUND AND BRIGHT SOUND OF WHICH I GET FROM THE FIRST TWO THE VANDOREN AND MEYER BUT TELL ME IS IT NOT SOMETIMES THAT MY EMBOUCHER IS NOT SUITABLE FOR SOME OF THE MOUTHPIECES THAT I MENTIONED I LIKE TO PLAY WITH A TWO AND HALF REED I PLAY WITH MK VI , BEUCHER ELKHART TRUE TONE BUT IT IS STRANGE, I am very much impressed with an old chinese alto horn name parrit of which I GET THE SOUND WHICH I DONT GET WITH EXPENSIVE HORNS
Mr Theys van Rooyen says
THANK YOU FOR YOUR RESPONSE ON MY COMMENT AND WHAT I READ REGARDING THE MEYER AND VANDOREN MOUTHPIECES THEY ARE THE MOUTHPIECES THAT I GET THE SOUND I LIKE . I ALSO AGREE WITH YOU I HAVE PLAYED ON VARIUOS MOUTHPIECES BUT DONT LIKE BRIGHT SOUNDS . I ALSO DISCOVERED THAT IF MY TEETH REST ON THE TOP OF THE MOUTHPIECE THEN IT CAUSES A VIBRATION THAT TEND TO SOUND BRIGHT BUT IF I PUT A RUBBER STICKER ON IT AND USE A LEATHER LIGATURE RATHER THEN A METAL LIGATURE THEN I GET THE DARK SOUND I WANT WITH THE TWO MOUTHPIECES I AM REFERRING TO PLEASE GIVE SOME MORE ADVICE I FORGOT TO SAY THAT I AM A SOUTH AFRICAN LIVING IN JOHANNESBURG
Angelyn C. Dorn says
Played a Meyer 5 and 7. Currently playing a Selmer CS 90 because it seems more versatile for what I play, but reeds of course make so much difference as well. Want to invest in a new jazz mouthpiece. Thanks for sound clips. I seem to prefer the Theo Wanne Gaia 6. So many choices, but really it is more about what is between your ears and of course how you “voice” your sound.
Ian P Murphy says
Holy crap, i can’t tell the difference to any of them despite listening to each one 5x
🙁
Steve says
Ian, Do you have good computer speakers? I know that on my laptop I can barely hear a difference but on my desktop that is connected to pretty good speakers I can hear the differences pretty distinctly. Steve
Arya Boustani says
Hi there Steve. I was looking for a mouthpiece that offers a lively (but not thin sounding) alto mouthpiece. I acquired a Yamaha YAS-480 and I’m trying to find a good match for the lively setup. I can do classical with Yamaha 4C and Selmer C* but I’m trying to have a R&B, Jazz, etc. covered for later on. Since I was a tenor player for a few years, I try to avoid the mid-range spike since alto already has a lot of that naturally. I got a metal Berg Larsen 85/1 but I think it is a tad too open for me. It works Ok with 2 1/2 reed but I’m trying to pick one that works with #3 reed. Also that one is not the best responding mpc (needs a bit of refacing I think). So far from the sound, V16 has that kind of middle scooped frequency (has the low and low mid frequency i.e. the fatness but also has the buzz (high frequency) so it’s a good complement and to balance out the alto. What is your alto sax? Yamaha YAS-480 is vibrant but in a slightly dark and tame way. A lot of Yamaha saxes I’ve tried have that kind of tendency (not too in the face) as far as body resonation goes. So what do you think could be possible balancing act mouthpieces? Something lively and exciting but not thin and piercing.
Thanks a lot, Arya.
Andres Gonzalez says
Looking to play some funk, liked the LAW MCB the best 🙂 Thanks for the demos!
Steve says
Andres, Good luck finding one. He doesn’t make them anymore so you would have to find one used……..
Matthew N says
Hi I am after a easy blowing mouth piece that has a sweet soft tone when playing the high notes nothing to sharp but also packs a punch for the low notes. Any recommendations? And what reed would you pair it up with?
Steve says
Matthew, The first that come to mind are the Phil-Tone Solstice or Novella? Maybe check out those sound clips. I think of those when you say “sweet”. They have a kind of Paul Desmond type vibe to them. As far as reeds, I think you just have to experiment after you get the mouthpiece. A lot depends on the tip opening and how you play. Steve
John Smith says
Hi Steve, I’m looking for a really ‘fuzzy’ sounding mouthpiece. The type of sound you might associate more with tenor saxes than alto. Any suggestions?
Steve says
John, Sorry, I can’t think of any I have tried that make an alto sound like a tenor. Steve
Giuseppe says
First: modern Meyer, second: Cafe resin, third: Aizen ny jazz.
For my taste in the last place the Vandoren
Giuseppe says
I prefer first modern Meyer, second Cafe resin, third Aizen Ny jazz!
For my taste in last place Vandoren.
Giuseppe says
Sorry, I did not see the comment appear and so, by mistake, I posted it again!
Glaucia Gondin says
Hi, did you try the Aizen GR Mouthpiece? I’m curious about it!
Steve says
Glaucia, No, I have not tried the Aizen GR mouthpiece yet. Steve