Sax Selmer

Sax Selmer

Mouthpiece, Alto Sax, S-80 Selmer Paris, C* Tip Opening: Med Close 1.70 / Facing Length: Med 22.00

I had been thinking with regards to altering my tenor sax for a while. I had purchased my bronze Yanagasawa T992 in regards to five years ago after attempting all the professional level tenors on the market at the time. My Yanagasawa served me in truth well. It went with me all through my music degree and some band performances spanning all the genres from jazz to an on tour rock and roll show. I now play (mainly tenor, but also baritone sax and flute) in one of the North East’s top function bands. Working with such a outstanding band of musicians I wanted to check the market again to make utterly sure that my instrument was making the best possible sound.

When I need to exploration saxophones I visit the Sax Emporium, Newcastle upon Tyne. The proprietor, John Silvester has magnificent specialist cognition and there is always a good range of new and used instruments to try. I played all the professional level tenor saxophones new and used, including the latest Yanagasawa and Selmer models. Although the Mk6 and Reference 36 Selmer models and the Yanagasawa were good, the Selmer Reference 54 actually stood out from the rest and far exceeded my expectations. I had no hesitation in going in front with a trade-in purchase.

Coincidentally, I had seen this precise sax being played on stage at the Sage, Gateshead only days before in the ‘Back to Basie’ huge band. When I saw it close to and played it myself I without delay fell in love with it. The beauteous yet strange ageold finish is so cleverly done, but most significantly the Reference 54 delivers a full strong fat sound at the lower end, it has fantastic key action and allows me to play sub-tones with a quality I had never been capable to achieve before. The precision of the sax’s action likewise decreases the likelihood of tuning issues at a gig. The band I work in has an exceedingly wide repertoire and requires me to play a range of timbres and harmonics to give rise to dissimilar moods. From deep creamy textures to rasping tones and badly sounds this sax has it all and it is just outstanding to play on. Oh, and there’s a bonus – a great case which even has a business card holder on the front!

If you may afford to make the investment, this tenor sax is a ought to to undertake for any professional.

Sax Selmer Image

Sax Selmer Image

Sax Selmer Photo

Sax Selmer Picture

Most helpful client reviews

74 of 75 humans found the following review helpful.
Selmer = industry standard
By P. Petersen
As a professional woodwind instructor and player, I ordinarily commend the Selmer C* mouthpiece to all of my students as their basi “step up” from the beginner’s mouthpiece that came with their horn. When they buy or rent a saxophone, specially these cheap new Chinese/Taiwanese horns like “First Act” or other brands, the mouthpiece that comes with the horn is ordinarily substandard, normally plastic, and is scarcely sufficient for the beginner to get a sound out of the horn. Even so, a good mouthpiece may assuage a lot of of the troubles caused by an el-cheapo instrument.

Obviously, each student must always have the best possible instrumentation at his/her disposal, but even if the cost prohibits a student from buying a top-of-the-line pro horn, they must still invest the cash in a top quality mouthpiece. The mouthpiece and embochure form the foundation to tone production, and a good mouthpiece will make it possible to learn to invent a decent tone on even the worst-quality instrument. Conversely, the best instrument in the world is only going to sound intermediate if the mouthpiece is sub-standard. Garbage in, Garbage out.

Selmer has always had a good reputation for quality, and this piece is no exception. I’m not sure why they decisive to modify their nomenclature from C* to C1, but as far as everything I may find to read with regards to them, this is the standard model S80 C*. The letter C refers to the tip opening, which ranges from A (narrowest) to H (widest) and the star refers to little deviations in tip opening that aren’t sufficient to warrant a whole letter. This mouthpiece, the C1 or C*, has a tip opening of sixty-five thousandths of an inch, which is a good mid-range intermediate which will give students a outstanding deal of control over the full range of the horn without sounding too bright (as with wider tip openings) or too dark (as with narrower openings). Most other mouthpiece manufacturers use numbers rather of letters, ordinarily 1 to 10, with 10 being the widest tip opening. The C and C* Selmers are roughly equivalent to regarding a 5, so just regarding medium. For this reason they’re good for students who are still constructing their sound – this piece will give them the most skillfulness and “growing room” for their money.

As with any purchase, each student will have to spend a heap of time playing a new mouthpiece BEFORE buying it to see if it’s right for them. Every mouth is shaped differently, and so a great deal of mouths will naturally take to the shape of the Selmer while others might find a Meyer or Otto Link more to their liking. No matter what you read in regards to how this or that mouthpiece is the one, THE TRUE TEST IS IN THE PLAYING, no matter what. Copy the following phrase down and memorize it:

The idealisti mouthpiece is the one that makes it easiest to achieve the sound you want with the minimum of effort.

Notice I didn’t say that this or that mouthpiece will make you sound like this or that. YOU are the major factor in what you sound like. Any player with sufficient control over their chops may make any saxophone sound like anything if they contort their face into the right position to make it occur through embouchure. The mouthpiece is shaped to make it posing no difficulty or harder to achieve a queer sound with less or more crusade based on what the rest of your mouth is doing. But the overall tone quality is something YOU control by embochure, breath control, and concept.

So – when choosing a mouthpiece, it’s vitally indispensable to have an idea of what you want your tone to sound like FIRST, then try assorted dissimilar mouthpieces and compensate attention to how hard you’re having to work to get that desired tone. Some of the mouthpieces will make it posing no difficulty to get your Preferred Sound, galore will make it harder. The one you want is the one that lets you sound like you with the least amount of “shape changing” of your embouchure.

With that in mind, it’s crucial to say that if you’re planning on buying a mouthpiece through mail-order, be sure you’re not affrighted to take vantage of the company’s return/exchange policy if need be. If you plunk down cash for a good mmouthpiece, and then you get it and play it and it’s not making it posing no difficulty for you to sound like what you want to sound like, don’t be afraid to send it back and interchange it for a better one. Sometimes it’s as simple as altering to a dissimilar facing. If a C1 doesn’t feel right, try a C2, etc.

And – don’t be scared to ask the counsel of a pro and take a lesson if you’re necessitating help. That’s what we’re here for.

4 of 4 persons found the following review helpful.
THE BEST
By Rudolph B. Jackson
Great mouthpiece for playing all types of music surperb shipping too! Great for intermediate player and pro’s.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
GREAT MOUTH PIECE
By designomatic
Finally, my initial review… Shipping was lightning fast and this mouth piece actually sings. I was told my assorted alto players that this was a outstanding piece. Sure enough, it unquestionably beats my generic mouth piece that came with the alto. It plays well with 2 1/2!

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