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Rico Metalites coming back in the next 12 months
- Thread starter Ed
- Start date
I've had SATB and Clarinet metalites. I could never got over the feeling of that stepped table.
Of the bunch, the soprano was decent, none of the others did much for me and I strongly disliked the clarinet one. I've still got my S,A and T pieces if anybody wants one, drop me a line.
Of the bunch, the soprano was decent, none of the others did much for me and I strongly disliked the clarinet one. I've still got my S,A and T pieces if anybody wants one, drop me a line.
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Rico has now completed the entire Metalite re-release with the Alto finally being released back in July.
We have them in stock as either just the mouthpiece or an even better value bundled with a Rico H-Ligature.
Full listing with prices and measurements here: http://www.kesslermusic.com/rico/metalite/mouthpieces.html
We have them in stock as either just the mouthpiece or an even better value bundled with a Rico H-Ligature.
Full listing with prices and measurements here: http://www.kesslermusic.com/rico/metalite/mouthpieces.html
@Helen , I know you mentioned this 16 years ago. I have had good luck with the Rico Graftonite B5's on my soprano and baritone saxes. They have sufficient penetration, and on my early 1950's Beaugnier Vito Low Bb baritone made it a joy to play, ditto with my sop.
Recently I found an available B5 for my tenor, and with a #2 Rico Jazz Select reed found that it also worked well with it.
Yet on other saxophone forums seems to be a real hate for any expression of truth regarding using these Graftonites and even Metalites. I got comments like, "Stop wasting your money on cheep mouthpieces, go spend a couple hundred dollars for a real mouthpiece and go practice with that".
With exception of this forum and the Saxophone Museum, I'm giving up on forums. It is difficult to have a simple, objective discussion, unfortunately.
Recently I bought a couple Metalite mouthpieces, they are the next for me to try.
Hey there ghostler, thank you! The staff at the WF try to keep this a friendly and helpful place full of knowledgeable, and helpful people.
If you carefully look at who is saying what on forums, it's more often than not people who know
about the topic they're talking about. Keyboard warriors about many topics, experts on none.There are lots of really knowledgeable people still on places like SOTW, but many of them have also left b/c of exactly what you mention. I stopped frequenting the site years ago. I still pop in from time to time, but long gone are the days of me spending hours talking with the people on there.
I do appreciate Cafe Saxophone more, b/c the crowd is much more civil. That's where many players have landed over the years.
As far as the Rico Metalite and Graftonite MP goes, they have always had their detractors. People have long held the belief that the more $$$$ you spend on a MP, the better you'll sound.
I've written articles about this over the years, but people don't learn. Hey, who am I to tell them that they shouldn't spend buckets of cash unnecessarily?
People will spend hundreds on vintage Brilhart MPs, but won't give a MP designed by Brilhart a chance.
But in the same breath, people complain about the price the Theo Wanne's MPs. They claim they should be less. Go figure.
You are welcome, Helen. This is why I enjoy WF and also why I was glad to find your posts giving a truthful assessment of the Rico's.Hey there ghostler, thank you! The staff at the WF try to keep this a friendly and helpful place full of knowledgeable, and helpful people.
That is basically the issue in a nutshell, which also contributed to me closing my SOTW account.If you carefully look at who is saying what on forums, it's more often than not people who know
I gravitated to CS two years ago. However, the same SOTW gang frequent CS with the same
on mouthpieces, hence my frustration.Yup, the same false mantras.As far as the Rico Metalite and Graftonite MP goes, they have always had their detractors. People have long held the belief that the more $$$$ you spend on a MP, the better you'll sound.
Example, last Fall I bought a Bari (brand name) Esprit mouthpiece (high quality polished construction, manufactured in US) complete with lig and cap for $21 from Sweetwater.
In the community band, I can play soft with the Esprit to balance the upper woodwinds. I can get that soft breathy classical tenor tone with it. Spec wise - tip gap, face length, etc., roughly comparable to the Yamaha 5C.
But a noob claimed that the Esprit was "too bright", it was unsuitable to his playing style, had it a short time and sold it a couple weeks later, had a better tone with his expensive mouthpiece.
My first thoughts went back to the basics in reed selection and embouchure to make a mouthpiece do work. Yet echoes the same mantra.
True, it's their money. I've finally come to the conclusion that I am better off helping the upcoming junior high and high school reed players with their sax and clarinet playing, continue with the community band, focus on our local community music programs with the Salvation Army (I taught ukulele lessons for 2 years), and stop wasting my time dealing with
spread by these keyboard warriors.
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I am *not* qualified to recommend mouthpieces to friends although I am constantly called upon to do so. Sometimes I just point to this forum. I mean, I know what works for me but I'm an middle-grade amateur. I will note that many who recommended Rico Metalites to me are *much* strong players that I am. So much so that I bought and tried one. Didn't work for me but doesn't mean that I won't recommend them to the right musicians. YMMV is a very strong ethic in my world. And both you and Helen have ten times the playing experience when compared to me. So when y'all speak, I listen.
IMHO, saxophone players are simply a whiny bunch. I have used this example a hundred times, but I used to work in jazz bands with an upright bass player who played in the symphony. His bow cost more than a ANY pro model horn on the market. Period. Full stop.
Flutes are another example. Why do flute players not have a problem with dropping boatloads of cash on the best flutes in the world? Yes, there are even flutes still made in the USA b/c flute players are willing to pay for them.
We--the sax-playing community--have no one to blame but ourselves. We have caused this race to the bottom.
We bitch and moan about the costs of everything. EG: We complain that we can't get a new bass saxophone for <25K, yet why should we? Then we end up with absolute crap bass saxophones produced being produced by Chinese companies for cheap (5-10K), and we still demand that they are too expensive, so over time their cost comes down.
These days you can get Selmer-style bass saxophones for so little money that of course something has to give. What gives? Quality. But people don't give a crap about that anymore. Why have 1 actual pro model sax, when you can get 4 or 5 so-called "pro models" for the same as 1?
MPs and necks are the same. Players whine about Theo's MPs being too expensive, and Gloger necks being so expensive, etc. etc. Conversely, they also slam what their in their mind are "cheap" MPs, and factory necks.
If players would spend more time actually working on tone production techniques--long tones, etc--and on their playing overall, and stop chasing gear, not only would their skill/tone/intonation/etc, improve, so would their satisfaction.
I made a couple of diagrams about this years ago that kind of poked fun at this concept. They were a hit with the SOTW crowd back when I put them together. Today's group there wouldn't see the humour in it I suspect.
Flutes are another example. Why do flute players not have a problem with dropping boatloads of cash on the best flutes in the world? Yes, there are even flutes still made in the USA b/c flute players are willing to pay for them.
We--the sax-playing community--have no one to blame but ourselves. We have caused this race to the bottom.
We bitch and moan about the costs of everything. EG: We complain that we can't get a new bass saxophone for <25K, yet why should we? Then we end up with absolute crap bass saxophones produced being produced by Chinese companies for cheap (5-10K), and we still demand that they are too expensive, so over time their cost comes down.
These days you can get Selmer-style bass saxophones for so little money that of course something has to give. What gives? Quality. But people don't give a crap about that anymore. Why have 1 actual pro model sax, when you can get 4 or 5 so-called "pro models" for the same as 1?
MPs and necks are the same. Players whine about Theo's MPs being too expensive, and Gloger necks being so expensive, etc. etc. Conversely, they also slam what their in their mind are "cheap" MPs, and factory necks.
If players would spend more time actually working on tone production techniques--long tones, etc--and on their playing overall, and stop chasing gear, not only would their skill/tone/intonation/etc, improve, so would their satisfaction.
I made a couple of diagrams about this years ago that kind of poked fun at this concept. They were a hit with the SOTW crowd back when I put them together. Today's group there wouldn't see the humour in it I suspect.
MPs are such a personal thing. I liken them to shoes. Just b/c everyone is wearing round-toed Blundstones, doesn't mean they will work for me. Personally, I find them quite uncomfortable. I prefer the chisel toe. They simply fit better for my foot.
MPs also have to work with a particular horn. Rico Metalite/Graftonite MPs work fantastically on my Mark VI bari, but didn't work at all on my Couf. No bari pieces I had would play in tune over the horn's entire range, or provide me with the right response on the full range (the vintage SS Berg I have came the closest).
For my Couf, I did have to get a Durga that Theo made specifically for me. The Durga not only is perfect for the Couf, but takes both my Committee III, and my Mark VI to the next level in tone and projection--should I ever need them to have that capability.
BTW, you are no slouch of a player yourself. Don't sell yourself short.
Sadly these days I am not getting to do much bari or bass playing.I am subbing Tenor 1 in a swing band for the next 6 months. Tons of tenor solos, which is great, since I am not a fan of reading music.
And best part, my new Shadow gets to come out and play with me weekly, although I will likely rotate through my tenors a bit just to get them playing in public again. But for the performances, most definitely my Shadow will be my horn of choice.