I haven't tried a Bamboo sax yet :(  but I found that my Grafton
Acrylic 
alto which I played in the 60's (as did Bird & Ornette) had soft tonal
characteristics.  Advertised as a TONE POEM in IVORY and GOLD.
In my naivete and with limited knowledge of mouthpiece technology, I
tried a metal mouthpiece and found that it made all the difference.
      Now, if Toby is correct, it was not the metal that did the
trick, but the characteristics of the MPC design.   I think it was a
large bore Link copy.
                  My theory is and it is just that, a theory  The
instrument has a far bigger effect on the tone than the mouthpiece
MATERIAL. 
      The sound generated by the mouthpiece and player would be
magnified by the effect of the conical bore and this range of complex
harmonics would be further enhanced by resonance with the metal of the
sax body, or otherwise, as was the case  with the plastic sax. 
                 Try this test :-)   Place a large pebble in a plastic
 container and rattle it around.   Do the same with a metal
container. 
     No prize for guessing which is loudest and has more overtones.  
  Eddie 

This html message parsed with html2text ---------------------------I haven't tried putting a pebble in my mouthpiece yet, but if it will make it
louder, with more overtones I'm all for it. What diameter pebble is
recommended? :)  
  
JR  
  
  
At 11:21 AM 4/11/2005, you wrote:  
  

> `I haven't tried a Bamboo sax yet :( but I found that my Grafton  
>  Acrylic  
>  alto which I played in the 60's (as did Bird & Ornette) had soft tonal  
>  characteristics. Advertised as a TONE POEM in IVORY and GOLD.  
>  In my naivete and with limited knowledge of mouthpiece technology, I  
>  tried a metal mouthpiece and found that it made all the difference.  
>  Now, if Toby is correct, it was not the metal that did the  
>  trick, but the characteristics of the MPC design. I think it was a  
>  large bore Link copy.  
>  My theory is and it is just that, a theory The  
>  instrument has a far bigger effect on the tone than the mouthpiece  
>  MATERIAL.  
>  The sound generated by the mouthpiece and player would be  
>  magnified by the effect of the conical bore and this range of complex  
>  harmonics would be further enhanced by resonance with the metal of the  
>  sax body, or otherwise, as was the case with the plastic sax.  
>  Try this test :-) Place a large pebble in a plastic  
>  container and rattle it around. Do the same with a metal  
>  container.  
>  No prize for guessing which is loudest and has more overtones.  
>  Eddie  
>  
>  
>  
>  `  
>  
>  `Got a Mouthpiece Work question? Send it to MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com  
>  
>  Visit the site at [
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MouthpieceWork](http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MouthpieceWork)
> to see the Files, Photos and Bookmarks relating to Mouthpiece Work.  
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That theory has been reaffirmed over and over again by rigorous scientific testing for the last 150 years. When you are talking about wind instruments it is the internal bore dimensions and not the material (of both mpc and instrument) that affect the tonal characteristics and response. After that comes bore smoothness. Vibration of the walls contribute less than 1/10000 the radiated sound energy.

Your rattle test is completely tangential to the argument. It involves elliptical deformation of the tube--something that doesn't happen at all with a round bore when you are playing. I'd be happy to post the relevant section in Fletcher and Rossing's book if anyone is interested.

Toby
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Edward McLean 
  To: MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2005 12:21 AM
  Subject: [MouthpieceWork] Mouthpiece / Sax material



  I haven't tried a Bamboo sax yet :(  but I found that my Grafton
  Acrylic 
  alto which I played in the 60's (as did Bird & Ornette) had soft tonal
  characteristics.  Advertised as a TONE POEM in IVORY and GOLD.
  In my naivete and with limited knowledge of mouthpiece technology, I
  tried a metal mouthpiece and found that it made all the difference.
        Now, if Toby is correct, it was not the metal that did the
  trick, but the characteristics of the MPC design.   I think it was a
  large bore Link copy.
                    My theory is and it is just that, a theory  The
  instrument has a far bigger effect on the tone than the mouthpiece
  MATERIAL. 
        The sound generated by the mouthpiece and player would be
  magnified by the effect of the conical bore and this range of complex
  harmonics would be further enhanced by resonance with the metal of the
  sax body, or otherwise, as was the case  with the plastic sax. 
                   Try this test :-)   Place a large pebble in a plastic
  container and rattle it around.   Do the same with a metal
  container. 
       No prize for guessing which is loudest and has more overtones.  
    Eddie 





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