I have a "dark" alto (1957 66xxx Mark VI). Your comments seems to suggest that the Connoisseur (which is "brighter" than the standard one) would sound "killer," yet you also state that it "lack(s) complexity [and] depth." So, which "bright" NY Meyer alto pieces DO you like on "darker vintage altos"? Thanks...

@@JeffreySaxophoneTallNewton The best rubber alto mouthpiece I've played is the SK Modus.

@@leanmchungry4735 I'll check those out; thanks.

Most likely his Andy Sheppard autograph

I was thinking the same thing

The original/older numbering system for Meyers was different. Cannonball Adderly played a Meyer 5 but in the modern numbering it is a 7. Which is to say that a modern 5 is much smaller than most of the OG players used, but is a great size for students and for people who like smaller tip opening.

@@lukasalihein I haven't heard of it, but if it is, then it's funny. I do not know where to read about it. I really don't like the sound of the opening 7, it's too big. I do not know why number 5 sounds more correct. I also think it's a mistake to think that the small size of the opening is for students and some strange people. The small opening type sounds better for the old sound, but many persist in using 7, why? I don't understand it.

@@AlexVolkhin13 I didn't say strange people, I said people who prefer small tip openings, which is a valid preference. Of all the possible factors involved in getting a specific sound out of a horn the difference between a 5 and 7 tip opening is a pretty small variable. And if you get upset about what ligatures people are using - and insisting that they use stock Babbitt ligatures, which btw are very poor quality - you are drastically overestimating the importance of ligatures, and of equipment in general. Yes, older generations used smaller tip opening generally speaking but the most famous/classic Meyer alto had a tip opening of about 80 thousandths of an inch. Google it. I'm not telling you this to just disagree with you - I'm trying to get you to take off the blinders of a very narrow and misinformed perspective.

@@lukasalihein I understand what you mean, but I've tried different ligatures and different sizes of mouthpieces. I realized what exactly works and wrote about it. There are a lot of videos where people play at size 80 and I've seen people play at size 80 live. It doesn't sound like that. I do not know what the problem is, but size 5 works better than 7, and this ligature that comes with it, it makes the sound sharper or more compact, it is more interesting. For example, I still consider Yanahgisawa saxophones to be a very bad instrument, the valves open well, but the sound itself is bad. I think it's the magic of marketing, modern saxophones sound really bad. Perhaps there is the same problem as with mouthpieces. Someone believes marketing, someone believes their ears and eyes.

@@AlexVolkhin13 I'm glad you know what works for you, and what you like. I suggest you consider that your preferences are not necessarily the preferences of everyone else though, nor are your experiences as a listener universal. I get a very dark vintage West Coast alto sound (mix of Getz/Pepper/Desmond) on a YAS-23 and a Vandoren V16 A9 (with a tip opening that equates to a Meyer 9), so... As far as ligatures go: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/bM2YgKaau57MhJs.html