Question:
When the Lord closes a door...
...he opens a window. I had to sell my Yamaha 62R soprano recently to cover my medical bills, but someone felt sorry for me and sold me a 1967 Buffet SDA Soprano. (I made enough on the Yamaha to pay my bills AND buy this horn) Now, I have some experience with Buffet Super Dynaction horns, but not with the sopranos. I need to find a jazz mouthpiece for this horn, and I'm not sure what to use. Buffets are far darker than the Yamaha, and so I'm thinking that some sort of high baffle piece might be good. Anyone have any experience with these?

Answer:
They're pretty rare. There was some postings past of intonation issues. Are you not happy with the old setup you used with the 62R on the SDA?
BTW, I'd love to see pics :)

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Here's a past thread that maybe helpful to you...


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They are rare...I haven't received it yet. When I do, I'll post pics. I'm actually VERY excited to get this horn! I've heard about the intonation issues, but every soprano I've ever tried needs to be "tamed" as far as that goes. (I've never had too many problems with doing so, although I did have one horn that was seemingly cursed.) I've owned a couple of Buffets before (although never an SDA soprano), so I THINK I know what I'm getting myself into. At least I hope so!
Are you not happy with the old setup you used with the 62R on the SDA?
No, I'm making some assumptions here since the SJ7 was designed for Yamaha horns and the Buffet has a different bore. I figured that if I posted this and everyone said "I had/have one and played/play a Kerfluger mouthpiece" that I would try said "Kerfluger" mouthpiece.

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Did you happen to ask the seller what he/she was using? My tenor and alto SDAs are very mouthpiece friendly. But, as always with a new sax find, I see a future of major GAS for you :) FWIW, the Lamberson Fmaj7 is the best sop mouthpiece I've ever tried for both my newer and vintage sop collection. Not that I'm any expert. I'm sure there are others here who would agree.

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Originally Posted by tjontheroad Did you happen to ask the seller what he/she was using? My tenor and alto SDAs are very mouthpiece friendly. But, as always with a new sax find, I see a future of major GAS for you :) FWIW, the Lamberson Fmaj7 is the best sop mouthpiece I've ever tried for both my newer and vintage sop collection. Not that I'm any expert. I'm sure there are others here who would agree.
Actually, I didn't! The guy I'm buying it from is a (Buffet certified) woodwind repairman, and mostly a clarinet player, so I'm not sure that his opinion on mouthpieces can be trusted ;)
I've heard that the Lambersons are very good, and I might have to try one.

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Originally Posted by J.Max ...he opens a window. I had to sell my Yamaha 62R soprano recently to cover my medical bills, but someone felt sorry for me and sold me a 1967 Buffet SDA Soprano. (I made enough on the Yamaha to pay my bills AND buy this horn) Now, I have some experience with Buffet Super Dynaction horns, but not with the sopranos. I need to find a jazz mouthpiece for this horn, and I'm not sure what to use. Buffets are far darker than the Yamaha, and so I'm thinking that some sort of high baffle piece might be good. Anyone have any experience with these?
Go to my website and pick a HR opening. It's on me, no charge. Just let me know what facing you want. Phil Barone

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Phil!

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J.Max,
I needed a soprano for a double for a show I was playing several years ago. The only instrument I could find that I could afford was a SDA. With the benefit of 20 years of hindsight, it was probably the best deal I ever made on a sax. Yes its dark, as though it were a French alto up a 4th, rather than a Bb hairdryer. I currently use a metal Yani #5 mouthpiece. And I wish I got more calls for soprano. On the other hand, if Mr. Barone wants you to use one of his, no charge........
Lefty

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Phil...I don't know what to say here...you have helped me at two different and important points in my saxophone life, and even though I made a lot of mistakes anyway (like we all do), some of the advice you gave me way back when is stuff that I never forgot...I'll explain the story...
I must have been a junior or so in high school, and I was going through that phase where I tried every mouthpiece looking for "chops in a box"...I had just become aware of Saxophone Journal and the idea that not only could you buy "off the shelf" pieces, but that there were actually people who would make you a CUSTOM mouthpiece. This was a revelation to me! Well, one of the ads was for Phil's company and I called him. After we talked for a bit about the equipment used by the players on Saturday Night Live, I explained that I was a high school student and I was looking for a mouthpiece made for me.
Now, he could have said "Oh, I have this $500 piece that would be just PERFECT for you," (and there was one particular vendor who did EXACTLY that; I'm not going to mention a name.) but instead he said "I'm not selling you anything. My mouthpiece isn't going to help you, and in fact, you should get into the shed and practice. Call me in a couple of years when you're in college if you still decide that you want a mouthpiece."
At the time, I couldn't believe that someone would say something like that...I mean I thought I was hot stuff! But you know what, the more I thought about it, the more I realized he was right. I mean, this was the guy who made the mouthpieces for most of the players that I admired telling me this! And so, I started doing exactly that and I stuck to my Link 7* for a long time after that. I'm sure that he probably hung up the phone and never thought about it again, but it's stuck with me for a long time.
If you wonder why I sometimes tell young players that they need to buy one mouthpiece and stop trying to find the perfect one, it's because of that advice that Phil gave me There are a lot of people in music who will lie and take advantage of you...but straight shooters who say things EVEN THOUGH THEY AREN'T WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR are very rare...Phil's one of those guys, and I've tried to follow that example in MY dealings with younger players.
So, I'd like to publicly thank Phil for that (and for his INCREDIBLE and completely unexpected generosity), and I really am overwhelmed with the spirit of brotherhood that I have felt in the saxophone community and this board in particular!

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Originally Posted by J.Max ...he could have said "Oh, I have this $500 piece that would be just PERFECT for you," (and there was one particular vendor who did EXACTLY that; I'm not going to mention a name.) but instead he said "I'm not selling you anything. My mouthpiece isn't going to help you, and in fact, you should get into the shed and practice. Call me in a couple of years when you're in college if you still decide that you want a mouthpiece." Integrity!!!
Bless you, Phil! :salute:

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Good guy award!

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Originally Posted by J.Max Phil...I don't know what to say here...you have helped me at two different and important points in my saxophone life, and even though I made a lot of mistakes anyway (like we all do), some of the advice you gave me way back when is stuff that I never forgot...I'll explain the story...
I must have been a junior or so in high school, and I was going through that phase where I tried every mouthpiece looking for "chops in a box"...I had just become aware of Saxophone Journal and the idea that not only could you buy "off the shelf" pieces, but that there were actually people who would make you a CUSTOM mouthpiece. This was a revelation to me! Well, one of the ads was for Phil's company and I called him. After we talked for a bit about the equipment used by the players on Saturday Night Live, I explained that I was a high school student and I was looking for a mouthpiece made for me.
Now, he could have said "Oh, I have this $500 piece that would be just PERFECT for you," (and there was one particular vendor who did EXACTLY that; I'm not going to mention a name.) but instead he said "I'm not selling you anything. My mouthpiece isn't going to help you, and in fact, you should get into the shed and practice. Call me in a couple of years when you're in college if you still decide that you want a mouthpiece."
At the time, I couldn't believe that someone would say something like that...I mean I thought I was hot stuff! But you know what, the more I thought about it, the more I realized he was right. I mean, this was the guy who made the mouthpieces for most of the players that I admired telling me this! And so, I started doing exactly that and I stuck to my Link 7* for a long time after that. I'm sure that he probably hung up the phone and never thought about it again, but it's stuck with me for a long time.
If you wonder why I sometimes tell young players that they need to buy one mouthpiece and stop trying to find the perfect one, it's because of that advice that Phil gave me There are a lot of people in music who will lie and take advantage of you...but straight shooters who say things EVEN THOUGH THEY AREN'T WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR are very rare...Phil's one of those guys, and I've tried to follow that example in MY dealings with younger players.
So, I'd like to publicly thank Phil for that (and for his INCREDIBLE and completely unexpected generosity), and I really am overwhelmed with the spirit of brotherhood that I have felt in the saxophone community and this board in particular!
Im happy to help in any way I can; I don't make much bread from it so I might as well get some kind of satisfaction. Considering you also play alto and tenor you should get something more on the open side or you might overblow it too easily. Play with a relaxed embochure and use your diaphram for support. I'm writing a little book and it will be done in a month or two so send me your address and I'll send you a copy. Phil

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I have a similar "Phil Story". When I went to buy a sax, Tim Glesmann (Sax Alley) listened to my tone and asked me if I'd ever taken any lessons. I told him that I'd only taken Bassoon lessons for 2 years. His silence afterward let me know I needed to do some shedding. I recorded myself in January '06 with my old tenor and thought "Man, who would want to listen to that!". Well, the recordings are getting much better simply due to the fact that a respected, honest and well-meaning man had the guts to tell a potential customer to get some hours behind a music stand.
However, he didn't offer to do what Phil has done!
Phil, you have restored a little more of my faith in mankind. There are still good, honest people out there who do the right thing. Now it's up to all of us to Pass it On, Pay it Forward, be a good Samaritan. One way we can do that is to donate a mouthpiece to SOTW...or to a deserving SOTW member who sold his beloved 62R to "do the right thing" for his family.

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I want to make sure to direct everyone to Phil's thread about his friend, Frank Vicari:
It's really sad what has happened to Mr. Vicari, and the only people who can take care of musicians are other musicians.

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Sometimes doors close and stay closed for a while. I'm currently in the poorhouse until I start getting paid for a teaching gig out-of-state every Saturday morning. Which might not be until JANUARY. Ugh!!