Finding the right equipment is a very important aspect of one's musical life. Trying to find and understand the tools that help to inspire and facilitate better execution and expression of the music you play is a major area of attention. Sometimes with luck, we feel extremely comfortable with elements we have used for a long time and sometimes there is a need for a continuing search and discovery - in my case, on different instruments, there has been a little of both. That can be a good combination in the right amounts. I feel very blessed to have had the gift to play on great instruments all my musical life. I share this equipment info to let people know what I use in hopes that what is helping me might also help you.
I am now playing the Mauriat saxophone on both alto and tenor. They have been a great find for me. The alto is a 67R (rolled tone hole) model. I find the 67R helps me to produce a big expressive sound with a lot of personality with a lot more lows present than in other horns I have played. The horn is even and powerful in all registers and its lower range is especially rich. The response throughout is extremely gratifying. I've received many positive comments from sound engineers, other musicians, and listeners about the sound the 67R produces. It’s a great alto.
These are my other two altos that I occasionally play. My Yamaha EX, which is unlacquered and sandblasted. To my knowledge this is the only EX alto Yamaha ever finished like this. It was an experiment. It's a very free blowing instrument with a great scale from top to bottom. This is my old Mark VI with a newer silver Mark VI neck. It is a fine vintage instrument. A lot has been written about the VI. I'm always very thankful for how incredibly lucky I am to own several wonderful instruments.
My tenor is a Mauriat System 76 model. This is the best tenor I have ever played. As a doubler it has simply made playing tenor a lot easier and more enjoyable for me. It has a huge but also focused sound. The scale of the instrument is even and very in tune throughout. The altissimo is absolutely the easiest and most immediately responsive of any tenor I've ever played. It's an inspiring instrument. I have to say the Mauriat 66R (rolled tone hole) tenor is also a great instrument and delivered, for me, the biggest and broadest sound that I've ever produced. Its response is remarkable. It is a hard choice between the two.
My soprano is a straight Yamaha 62 that I've owned for 25 years. I love it. I think the 62 soprano has become thought of as a great instrument in saxophone development and is much sought after.
Below I've pictured the mouthpieces I use. All saxophonists can attest to what a search find the right mouthpiece can be. Starting with alto - While I definitely play on all the pieces pictured here for different situations the ARB 6 is "my default setting". This mouthpiece, along with my ears, cranium, and lungs is responsible for the alto sound on most of my recordings. The ARB is a lot like the old Brillhart Level Aire. It produces a bright, soloistic, powerful sound. It's a very responsive, loud mouthpiece and certainly isn't middle of the road. The ARB helps make articulation easy and it's a lot of fun to play. I have been playing this piece for my entire professional career. As important parts of "my team" I really enjoy playing my Beechler 7 which produces a fuller, rounder sound than the ARB but still provides a lot of power. I think, for me, my Beechler produces a bit less unique or distinctive sound than the ARB but one which is more applicable in some "jazz" or section situations. I also love my Brancher B24 alto piece. It is a powerful contemporary piece with a high baffle and unique chamber that is really beautifully made. Comparatively it provides a somewhat more "spread" and darker sound with a slightly less penetrating core sound than my ARB.
Ultimately I sound like me on all of these but I do find each piece to guide my playing in slightly different directions. All of these pieces are around .90 - .95.
On tenor I'm playing a Brancher B29 which is a beautiful contemporary piece with a full and incisive sound. I also play a Guardala Studio model. I like them both a lot. Both produce a sound that is more contemporary in nature but they are also flexible mouthpieces and allow for a wide range of expression. Maybe on any given day a reed works better on one than the other and so that one then sits on the neck for the next several weeks. They are both around .112 in the tip opening give or take...
On soprano I've played an old Couf / Runyon 7 or 7* since I got my first Soprano as a student in Boston. My first Couf cracked and was then held together for years with a plumbing brace! I have some excellent, fantastic soprano mouthpieces that work great in all areas made by Beechler and Brancher. I think all my soprano pieces are around .68 - .70. I love every piece I’ve pictured here.
Over the years from time to time I have had some work done on mouthpieces. A lot of players sometimes feel this is necessary to get to all the potential a piece may have in it. This can be very important and can sometimes really transform an already good mouthpiece into a great and very personal one. I've had excellent results from both Norbert Statchel at Purple Room Productions in New York and Erik Greiffenhagen at www.mouthpieceguys.com in Ohio.
My reeds are all Brancher Jazz Reeds. They have been absolutely great for me. I've found them to be consistent, full and very responsive in all registers. I think they are wonderful for both contemporary and jazz playing. I use # 3's on alto and 3 1/2 on both tenor and soprano. These are all approximately medium in strength. Whenever other players see my neck strap they always want to know what kind it is. It’s also a Brancher. They're very comfortable, beautiful and safe straps. I'm able to use the same strap while switching between alto and tenor.
My flute is a Yamaha 618H with a Drelinger Air Max Headjoint. I've owned my flute right along with my soprano for 25 years from my days in New York. Since owning it I've never even looked at another instrument. I've just been very happy with it. The Yamaha 618 has always been a great instrument for me in every way, and while not being the most expensive "custom" flute has always helped me and never held me back in any of my pursuits as a flutist - my first instrument.
My piccolo is also a Yamaha...Yep, owned it for 25 years. I love playing piccolo, a nimble and noble voice at the top of the spectrum. This is a great and I think "practical" piccolo, a workhorse and a great mid price instrument.
I'm playing Drelinger headjoints on both flute and picollo and I think they are really incredible. They "add another gear" where the engine of the sound is concerned and have taken my abilities of execution and expressiveness on flute to another level. They are extremely powerful and soloistic, but also colorful and lend themselves to broadly shaping and giving nuance to the sound. I find them to record extremely well. My own confidence as a flutist has been greatly enhanced because of them.
Some people who have been invaluable along the way where my instruments are concerned have been Bud Diflori, Jim Murphy, Mike Lutley, Keisuke Tanaka, Roger Greenberg, Sandy Drelinger, Pascal Brancher, Judy Beechler, Kurt Sterling, Terry Seines, Norbert Statchel, and Erik Greiffenhagen. It is an extraordinary honor and privilege to benefit from the expertise and care these individuals represent.
