Ok so I need to pick your brains again!!

About a year ago we bought our eldest a Yam Student Sax, it's her second Instrument after clarinet so doesn't get that much use. The mouthpiece has started to discolour and looks a little "soft" compared to her Clarinet Mouthpiece. I've promised to buy her a new one but there's not much point, if this is a good one and it's been caused through biting etc.

The question is do Yam Student Sax's usually come with good quality mouthpieces?

Her Clari Mouthpiece is a Vandoren B series (don't know the number off hand).

I think Yamaha saxes usually come with a Yamaha 4C mouthpiece - these are regarded as decent student mouthpieces. The only surprising thing is that it's the hard rubber mouthpieces that tend to discolour (especially if you wash them in hot water), and the mouthpiece that comes with Yamaha student saxes is plastic. The discolouration doesn't affect how they play.

Have a look at the mouthpiece and see if it says Yamaha and 4C somewhere on it.

The Yamaha 4C mouthpiece isn't bad for beginners. I've found their clarinet mouthpieces quite soft and show teeth marks despite very minimal biting.

Thanks!

It's a plastic as opposed to hard rubber one and it's not been washed in anything. It's probabaly the slight biting causing it. It looks like I will replace it with a Vandoren at some point soon.



I'll definately do this.

Any particular reason why Vandoren?

The most common advice on buying a new mouthpiece is to try a selection and see what suits you, otherwise the "standard upgrade" mouthpiece for an alto sax would be a Selmer C*. I'm sure Vandoren sax mouthpieces are very good, just curious as to why you've made that choice.

It may not end up being a Vandoren, assumed it might be as that is what she uses on her Clarinet. What I intend to do is take her to the Woodwind Specialists and let her try out mouthpieces. That's what we did last time, he let us sit in his lounge whilst she tried them!

Trying out mouthpieces is definitely the best way, and great fun. I've spent longer selecting a mouthpiece for my sax than I have deciding on a house to buy!

Don't be too surprised if Vandoren isn't the mouthpiece of choice, what she likes on clarinet won't necessarily transfer to sax. I have different mouthpieces on my alto and tenor saxes.

If you put it in hot water it will discolour if it's made of hard rubber. Mine went a greenish colour!! I need a new sax mouthpiece... don't know when I will have time to test or to afford one!!

But the discolouration doesn't mean that it's damaged playing-wise, it just looks a bit odd....