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Best Practices To Clean a Mouthpiece

November 17, 2010 in Articles

Discovering Google Reader is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because I now am updated on a TREMENDOUS amount of stuff I’m interested in. Curse, because I now monitor SaxontheWeb. Generally, the posts there are…..subpar to be nice. However, there are occasional questions that come up that some try to answer thoughtfully. Like this one on Can Bleach Damage a HR Mouthpiece.

As an owner of a Vintage Meyer Brothers Hard Rubber mouthpiece, and the owner of two Hard Rubber Slant Signature Otto Links, I’d NEVER SOAK my mouthpieces in Bleach. At all. Period. Even diluted. Period. My practices in cleaning a mouthpiece are to use lukewarm water, antibacterial soap, and a old soft toothbrush. I mildly scrub the mouthpiece out with the toothbrush and soap. That lasts maybe 30 seconds. I wash it off, then if there is some calcium deposits, I use Doctor’s Products Mouthpiece cleaner to remove them. This stuff works really well. Then, if I still want to make sure it is clean, I’ll take a Clorox Disinfectant wipe and run it over and through the mouthpiece (these don’t have Bleach).

Done. The short version of cleaning, like when I put on a new reed, is to run a Clorox Disinfectant wipe through the mouthpiece and on the outside. I think every other time (or every few months) I’ll do the more involved cleaning described above.

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Mouthpiece Rack

October 29, 2010 in Articles

Most of the time saxontheweb is annoying, but sometimes a gem comes out. And here is one such gem….a mouthpiece rack.

Wood, brass door stoppers with the tops cut off. Genius. Good job!

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The Joys Of Youtube…..Product Advertising

November 30, 2008 in Articles

Now it seems the world of advertising of products has now reached youtube. Saxgourmet (love em or hate em) has a fuzzy video up pawning his products on the net.

Personally, I hate youtube videos like this. A thought out script, and perhaps high quality still pictures of the mouthpieces with a well written dialogue would have been better than this. Or naked women……..or clothed women……..

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Xmas Guide 2007

December 9, 2007 in Articles

Last year, I didn’t do a Christmas guide. This year, I am going to. What holiday gift would you get your favorite saxophonist(s) this year. Here are some ideas.
Under $100

  • Reeds. Pretty obvious. Should be fairly easy to figure out what they use as well. There will be dead ones in the trash, and ones that are not working strewn all over the place. Cost: $20-$40.
  • Neckstrap. Can never have too many of these. Buggers get misplaced quite a bit. Cost: $10-$40+
  • Books. Walt Weiskopf’s books are always good gifts. As well as Greg Fishman’s books. And Jim Snidero’s books or any book with a recommended tag.
  • Mouthpiece. Probably not the best idea for someone who has been playing for a while. For a new saxophone player, it would be a good thing to get. Good brands to look into would be Meyer, Otto Link, and Berg Larsen. For Alto saxophone, a Meyer 5M is a good gift. For Tenor, an Otto Link 5* is good. (Though unless you get some of these off Ebay, some of these will be over $100. Though Meyer alto mouthpieces go for at $70)
  • CDs. There are so many good artists out there, and people’s taste range widely. I’d suggest getting an iTunes gift card, or a gift certificate to a store and let them pick what they want. Unless you know them well or you can steal a peek at their collection, or load up their iTunes while they are away and see what gets played alot.
  • iLife 08 for Garageband if you don’t already have it. (for Macintosh people) and/or JamPacks.

Up to $300

  • iPod Nano, or an iPod Touch. Don’t bother with some other brands. Believe the hype. The iPod Touch is amazing, and next year, expect games and all kinds of interesting applications. There is a great little game (on your hacked iPhone/iPod touch) called Tap-Tap-Revolution. Music game. Think Dance-Dance revolution, but tapping. I’d expect to see lots of neat applications for it next year.
  • Band in a Box 2007 Pro. Great tool for practicing, ear training, etc. etc.
  • Apple Logic Express. Like Garageband, but way better. ($199)
  • A recorder. The Zoom H2 and H4 recorders get good marks. I’d personally opt for the H4, but that is me.

The Sky Is The Limit

  • Logic Studio is a great deal for serious Musicians. You get 5 JamPacks plus Logic 8 and Soundtrack Pro plus all kinds of other goodies. ($499)
  • Reason. Reason works on both Macs and PCs and is a blast to use. ($399)
  • M-Audio Fast Track Ultra. Great preamps, DSP chip. For a street price of about $350. It’s on my list.
  • Sibelius 5.1. To write out and arrange music. ($499)
  • New horn, or another horn. If your saxophonist plays Alto, get them a Tenor. If they already have a Tenor, get them a soprano. Expensive, yes. Will you feel the love? Yes, you will. This will cost you several hundred, if not thousands, of dollars. Quality brands to look into getting are Yamaha, Yanigasawa, and Selmer for pro and semi-pro players.

Any other gift ideas?

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Beechler vs Larsen

August 18, 2007 in Articles

Saxcessful writes “I have been playing a Berg 100/0 on my tenor with various reeds, depending on the mood. Recently I have been offered (on the net) a Beechler Bellite 8 which is about the same lay but I have no idea about what sort of sound they produce. I am familiar with a Lawton 6 (a friends) and also play a modified Otto 7. I like all the sounds that I can get out of these mouthpieces but “the” sound alludes me. I would appreciate comments about the Beechler as they are not too common here in NZ and they are rather expensive. Thanks….”

Yes. “the sound”. We all know what you mean. You can’t describe it, but you know what it is. I haven’t used a Beechler since………..um……..Clinton was in the White House. Beechlers, as I remember them, were really punchy mouthpieces. I would describe them as similar to a metal Berg Larsen, but without the body (or tone). I would really suggest trying one before buying it, otherwise you might be stuck with something you don’t use. I mean, I think we all have that mouthpiece box (or boxes) of various pieces you liked for a week or two, then discarded.

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Metal Mouthpieces and Spoilers

October 17, 2005 in Articles

pika writes “What do people think about the metal mouthpieces with spoilers? How much louder do they make you sound(tener sax) because i was thinking about getting one for marching band. Email me if you know anything.”

First off, we don’t “email me if you know anything”. That also goes for people who “please email your XXXX arrangement”. You won’t believe how many times a week I get that. It is so Middle School.

Back to your question. A baffle indeed makes your mouthpiece louder. I think that is what you mean by “spoiler”. It would make a metal mouthpiece louder obviously. However, it does change the quality of the tone you get out of the mouthpiece. I tried Power Tone Baffles briefly on alto, and did not care for them. I got more volume, but the tone just didn’t sound good.

There is another thing you could try. If you put some paper underneath the reed (where the reed and mouthpiece contact), that will give you a little more buzz and power.

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RIP Jey Clark

August 10, 2005 in News

From Steve Goodson:

"Jey Clark, owner of Saxology in Berkeley, Ca, passed away last night after suffering a massive stroke on Sunday. I have no other details at this time, but the information was confirmed this afternoon in a conversation with his friend. Jey was a long time friend, a frequent visitor to my home, played his ass off, and made me laugh. I'll miss him."

Once upon a time I tried out some mouthpieces from him (when he ran Four Winds). I believe I have a vintage Berg Larsen alto mouthpiece I bought from his shop over ten years ago. Good guy to deal with as I remember.

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What Type Of Reeds Do You Like?

March 26, 2005 in Articles

We’ve covered a number of Reed topics before. The Perfect Reed, What Reeds Are The Best?, The Never Ending Search For A Good Reed, and even Reed Cryogenics. I bring this topic up because I recently saw that Vandoren has recently introduced Flow Pack reeds. These reeds are sealed from the factory. Anyone tried these? Or the other huge selection of Vandoren Reeds (ZZ, V16, Java)? How about some of these other brands?

I’m currently using Rico Plasticovered Reeds on Alto and Tenor. On soprano I was using them, but I’ve switched back to Rico Jazz Select reeds (filed).

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Don Menza “Duel Chamber”?

February 27, 2005 in Articles

huskyman writes “I heard a rumor about some crazy Duel Chamber mouthpiece that Don Menza used. It supposedly had two chambers within the mouthpiece to split harmonics and give him that crazy altissimo. I havnt been able to find much on it…maybe u guys know something?”

Dual or Duel? I’ve seen (or rather heard of) a Gregory mouthpiece that had a third rail down the chamber.

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Crystal Mouthpieces

January 26, 2005 in Articles

mattgros writes “Any one have insight on a crystal mouthpiece? It is a clear alto mouthpiece, I think made by Pomarico. They look pretty snazzy, but are they comparible to other good jazz mouthpieces?”

Are you more concerned with how a mouthpiece looks, or how it sounds? Are people going to go “ooo, look at that sax player, he’s got a snazzy mouthpiece, he must be awesome”? I doubt it.

That being said, I have yet to ever see or play with anyone who uses a clear mouthpiece. Most everyone I see/know/know of plays either a hard rubber or Metal mouthpiece.

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Modern Substitute For A Vintage Meyer

December 6, 2004 in Articles

Ok, so, there was this guy on Ebay that was hinting at giving you information on a mouthpiece that plays better than the 1980s on out Meyer mouthpieces. It was included as a bonus for winning the item on Ebay. So, I won the item on Ebay. I’m very happy with the item. Its great. The information though is, well, subject to one’s opinion. I didn’t agree that the mouthpiece this guy recommended was as good as a Good Meyer. But then again, I was assuming a Vintage Meyer.

From what I know, the Meyers to get are like the OLD ones, from like the 60s and 70s. I own a Vintage Meyer brothers (non-diamond stamp on the bottom, like the icon on this article. That is actually a picture of it ;-) ) that I got like 5 years ago, and had refaced by the late and great Jon Van Wie. It’s a great mouthpiece. Different than the current Meyers. I would describe it as it resonates different. It sounds different.

Are there mouthpieces out there that are as good as a Vintage Meyer Brothers? Jon Van Wie used to offer this service where he could make a new Meyer play and sound like the old ones. I have no idea what he did to it, but a number of players spoke highly of it. Ideas? Opinions?

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H. Ferris Mouthpiece

August 26, 2004 in Articles

About 7 or 8 years ago I bought a H. Ferris Alto Mouthpiece. It was advertised as being a vintage Meyer knock-off. I played it briefly until I actually got a Vintage Meyer.

I tried it out the other day, and its a great mouthpiece. Anyone have the history or details about these pieces? Maybe where to get another?

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Geoff Lawton Dies

January 19, 2004 in News

One of the many lists that I follow recently had a post that Geoff Lawton, the mouthpiece maker, has died. Anyone have word on the exact details? And maybe what this means to his line of mouthpieces?

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Mouthpiece Prices

September 28, 2003 in Articles

doc jaxx writes “What is the story with the prices on vintage mouthpieces? I am seeing prices for handmade Guardalas over 1000$. Are there people out there buying mouthpieces for this much? ‘Fess up, people’ because if these are the real prices you are paying then I will not feel like I am the only one getting ripped off.”

You can’t really put a price on something that you like. That being said, I will admit that I spent a lot of money on a vintage Meyer Brothers Alto Mouthpiece…..

How much? $500 if I remember correctly. Then I had the late Jon Van Wie reface and open it from a 4 to a 6 opening.

Why? Honestly, for a long time I thought the whole “vintage mouthpiece” thing was a bunch of crap. However, one day in the store where I work, the owner wanted be to look at an old Conn Tenor he had bought. It was nice, but what caught my eye was a rubber slant signature Otto Link mouthpiece. Whoa, one of those fabled mouthpieces. I immediately tried it out against a new Otto Link mouthpiece I had. Night and day. The old one resonated better, had a richer and more complex tone. It was heaven. I think I ended up swapping the owner $50 and my new Otto Link to get the old one. Do I use it now? No, I’m using a Berg 110/2 rubber, but I do have 2 (yes 2) Slant Ligature 5 opening Otto Links if I choose to use them.

But, this whole thing made me think about the Meyer Brothers thing on Alto. Was it really BS? I seriously had some facts about the Otto Link mouthpieces, so, I assumed that it would be the same for the Meyers. Perhaps even more so.

So I started perusing Ebay for Meyer Brothers Alto Mouthpieces. It’s sometimes hard to tell if its a real one or not. Well, as luck would have it, I ended up with some extra money (a gig that came up and paid a lot), and a Meyer Brothers NY came up on Ebay. I won it. When it arrived it was not playable. To small an opening. So, I immediately sent it to Jon Van Wie to open up and reface. It came back, and it was heaven. It resonates and sounds different than the current production Meyers (from about 4 years ago, I have not tried the G series or the limited edition NY ones that they made recently).

Would I do it again? Would I spend the money on it? Absolutely. It’s my vocation and advocation. I like the sound I get from it, and plan on playing it for many many years (it’s been about 4 right now).

Now, the Guardalas. I have one that is supposed to be a Brecker model. Do I like it? Not really. It’s really bright and the opening is huge. When we had Brecker as a guest artist in college, one of the dweeby underclassmen who I let use the Guardala showed it to Brecker and he said it didn’t look like his at all. So, I don’t know about Guardala lines. I just know the vintage Meyer Brothers Alto and Rubber Slant Signature Links for Tenor. I have yet to try one of the “sought after” vintage metal Links on Tenor….

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Jumbo Java Sound Required

March 14, 2003 in Articles

I found this in alt.music.saxophone. It’s funny! It is in reference to this guy ordering overseas a mouthpiece from the Woodwind/Brasswind and not getting it in time.


sopranoplayer@hotmail.com wrote in message
news:4ccd93fc.0303122123.513f1ae8@posting.google.com...


I played two gigs today that would require the sound of the Jumbo Java, but I still haven't receive the mouthpiece so I was stuck with a Meyer, which obviously did not work well. This is the worst experience I've ever had. I know I'll be taking my business elsewhere.

from fundoc@nycap.rr.com is the reply:


And well you should. I can only imagine the horrified responses of the listeners.


Listener One: "What the hell's that!?"

Listener Two: "I dunno, but it sounds like shit."

Listener One: "What the hell IS that!?"

Listener Two: "You know what? I think that guy's playing a Meyer!"

Listener One: "What? A Meyer? Doesn't he know this gig requires the sound of a Jumbo Java factory blank?"

Listener Two: "Evidently not. I cannot tell you how often the instrumentalist's erroneous mouthpiece choice has destroyed my aesthetic listening experience."

Listen One: "No kidding, I mean a Meyer. What the hell is he thinking?"

Listener Two: "This kind of thing really chafes my ass."

Listener One: "Indeed. This is the worst experience I've ever had."

And so on, until they stomped out in discust.

Priceless. Absolutely priceless. Thanks guys!

Stop SOPA