Soprano setups

TheHearing

TheHearing

All this talk about our sound makes me curious of the setups the other members are using.

Here is mine:

Selmer Super Action 80 Series II

Selmer S-80 C*

Vandoren Traditional 2 1/2

Bois Ligatures

(I'll soon post my soprano recording)
 
*Buescher TT straight 1928 ([HASHTAG]#237XXX[/HASHTAG])
Buescher TT straight 1928 ([HASHTAG]#233XXX[/HASHTAG])
*Yanagisawa S992
Yanagisawa S901
Yanagisawa SC902
Antigua 590LQ
KUSTOM (MKVI clone)

* more likely to use these horns over the others

Selmer Super Session J's or Morgan Vintage #7 with Java #2 reeds, Selmer standard metal ligs or Rovners

Morgan Vintage #6 with ZZ #2 reeds, same ligs

DAVE
 
BN Barone
S80 C*
Fibracell medium for pit work
Vandoren ? for all other
BG super revelation lig

Backup
Vega - Conn stencil
Red Runyon Custom 7 MOJO
Ramplig Light lig



The Vega has killer tone, but intonation requires thought and the ergonomics are less than optimal. Great for solo work, but a bugger in a section/ensemble.
 
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Pan American Curved 62 M (Identical to Conn, but without the rolled tone holes.)
Keyed to high F
Serial #: 43XXX
Finish: Silver plate with gold wash bell
M/P: Runyon Custom 7 (with spoiler for certain applications)
Ligature: Stock Runyon
Reed: Fibracell 2 ½

Selmer Mark VI with high F# key
Serial #: 266XXX
Finish: Lacquer
M/P: Runyon Custom 7 (with spoiler for certain applications)
Ligature: Stock Runyon
Reed: Fibracell 2 ½
 
Jupiter Artist Soprano

mouthpieces include:

Bilger Gold
Caravan
Meyer 5m
Hite

all of the above played with #3.5 VD blue box

Rascher w/#3 blue box

Vandoren S25 with #3 ZZ or V16

Ligs include VD master, VD optimum, BG revelation, Rovner dark, Bonade reverse and regular in gold plate, Selmer

It depends on my mood and the gig.
 
The soprano I played, with any degree of regularity, was a minty 1960's Mark VI. Sigurd Rascher mouthpiece. Vandoren 3 reeds. I sounded relatively terrible on it, as you can tell from this clip.

The soprano I owned was an approximately 1915 curved Evette-Schaeffer (Buffet) in glorious silver plate. Removeable neck. Alternate keywork. Vintage Buescher mouthpiece that was essentially identical to the Rascher. I sold it before it was ever in playable condition.
 
Sorry. Told you I had pretty awful tone on the VI.

Seriously, the horn I played was a minty 1960's Mark VI. I played a few other straight sopranos, from time to time, and my tone was relatively consistent -- and consistently sub-par. Much improved on a fully-curved horn. I'd probably sound decent on a new curved Yani, although possibly the best would be on a 1920's instrument, as those horns have a more alto-like curve.

Again, for the people who've joined this thread already in progress, I'm *not* saying a curved soprano has some inherent better tone quality, it's that I play one more like saxophone than a clarinet and that changes MY tone.
 
Dave Dolson said:
*Buescher TT straight 1928 (#237XXX)
Buescher TT straight 1928 (#233XXX)

Selmer Super Session J's or Morgan Vintage #7 with Java #2 reeds, Selmer standard metal ligs or Rovners

Morgan Vintage #6 with ZZ #2 reeds, same ligs

DAVE
Click to expand...
Hey, another Buescher TT owner. Mine is older, 1924 (#145xxx) I believe. Have owned only since August 2007, but the more I play it, the more I like it.

How does the Super Session work on it? I've thought about trying it but have not at this point.
 
Early (late 1970s) Yanagisawa curved soprano marked "Martin." I added the newer, less curved neck with underslung octave key later. The palm key pitches got better. I use an off-the shelf, S-80 Selmer F mouthpiece. I can't find anything to beat it, so I keep playing it. It's easier to use with a microphone, and when I pick it up it doesn't feel "strange" even though I play soprano infrequently.
 
RC: The Super Session J, Morgan Vintage 6 and Morgan Vintage 7 all work fine on it. I've also used Selmer S-80's (from C* to J), Beechlers, and STM Links. They work fine, also.

For the longer pieces (Morgans, S-80s, and Guardala come to mind), I've had to have the barrels shortened so they shove on far enough to come to pitch, otherwise the longer pieces butt up against the upper-octave vent's rib. The SS-(J) is short enough so as to not require any shortening.

I don't think any playing issues have much to do with the horn as much as they have to do with your embouchure. DAVE
 
My current setup for soprano is a Yani 901 with a Selmer Super Session I, Selmer Paris Stock Ligature and LaVox Med. Reeds. Alternate mouthpiece is a Yani Metal 7 with stock ligature and LaVoz Med. Reeds.
 
Dave Dolson said:
*Buescher TT straight 1928 (#237XXX)
Buescher TT straight 1928 (#233XXX)
*Yanagisawa S992
Yanagisawa S901
Yanagisawa SC902
Antigua 590LQ
KUSTOM (MKVI clone)

* more likely to use these horns over the others

Selmer Super Session J's or Morgan Vintage #7 with Java #2 reeds, Selmer standard metal ligs or Rovners

Morgan Vintage #6 with ZZ #2 reeds, same ligs

DAVE
Click to expand...


Hey Dave, where did you get your KUSTOM Mark VI clone - I did a search on the internet and can't find them. I love the Mark VI but don't like the prices and noticed that the new Kenny G pro soprano is selling for nearly $4K, which is ridiculous.
 
sxplr06: I bought the KUSTOM a few years back from a guy on SOTW - Frank Ballatore. He bought it from another SOTW'r who's known as super20dan.

I couldn't learn anything about the KUSTOM, either. I had e-mail with both previous owners and our Pete (admin here on the forum), as well as Dave Kessler in Las Vegas, and a Japanese fellow at Yanagisawa. No one knew of the horn's maker or origin. The best guess was that it was Taiwanese at least 25 years old, and probably made by the same folks who make Antiguas.

The horn is typical of MKVI sopranos (awkward palm keys and a difficult scale but it does have a very nice tone). It has no other markings other than the brand name and a serial number. It is CLEAN and dent-free. I can play it in public but stay away from the top end which is horribly flat unless I play some different fingerings for those notes at B3 and above.

I used to own a real MKVI soprano but sold it years ago and never looked back. This horn meets all of my MKVI needs except for the heavy investment.

I played two of the Kenny G sopranos at this year's NAMM Show. I know Rheuben Allen (the brain behind the new Kenny G soprano) and trust that what he brings to market will be a good product. If my playing of those two show-examples is any indicator, I think the Kenny G soprano will be a wonderful horn. But I think $4K is STEEP for any Chinese saxophone, let alone the top-o-the-line brands like Selmer and Yanagisawa. At least Rheuben changed those awful palm keys! DAVE
 
But I think $4K is STEEP for any Chinese saxophone, let alone the top-o-the-line brands like Selmer and Yanagisawa. At least Rheuben changed those awful palm keys! DAVE[/quote] I noticed that the professional model, the G Series, was for sale for nearly 2000 pounds at saxophones.co.uk. Sam Ash carries the E model for $1500 US, which is the intermediate model, but don't list the G series for sale. They must have rightly decided that it was way too expensive to try to sell any Chinese made horn to be in the Selmer price range.

Obviously the uk distributor believes having Kenny G's name attached will be the trick - it may be a great horn but someone is making a heck of a margin if they sell them.

The Mark VI soprano certainly has a lot of detractors but if you find a good one they have an amazing tone quality - plus I like one piece sopranos.
 
Thanks for the kind words.

I know there are two versions of that horn (Rheuben Allen's import). I recall playing the less expensive model, too, but wasn't as impressed as I was with the top-end model. I'm anxious to see the actual selling price of the Kenny G model. We all know that band instruments are highly discounted.

Many love their MKVI's, but I think they are just another soprano, even the good ones. If you hear one that sounds really good it is most likely the player and the set-up he/she choses, and not necessarily the MKVI. Give that same horn to some inexperienced player and I doubt that it will sound very good. Admittedly, the subject of tone is very subjective. DAVE
 
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