Student page
This is the page where I post general advice and learning points for students and prospective students alike. These snippets of information are usually time limited in the interests of space.
I get asked a lot about the best place to buy saxophones, mouthpieces, ligatures etc. For me there really is only one place and that is Sax.co.uk, based in Crowborough, East Sussex. they have a pretty comprehensive website (link provided on the next page). However, if you get the chance you must visit their store in Crowborough or their London shop, They are the largest and best stocked shop dedicated to saxophones in the UK.
After a recent visit to sax .co.uk in Crowborough I spent time selecting 4 excellent step up alto mouthpieces which I now have available for students to try:
Jody Jazz HR 6M
Aizen Jazz Master 6
Aizen GR 6
Raphael Navarro Maestra 6
These are all excellent mouthpieces, free blowing and capable of broadening tonal range. Combined with Rovner Ligatures and Jazz Select Reeds these offer a great combination.
For those who regularly ask, I am currently playing a Selmer Mark VII Alto and both an Aaron Drake VRJ Mouthpiece or an Aizen GR Mouthpiece depending on the type of style. I only use Jazz Select reeds and usually at strength 2H or 3S with a Rovner Versa ligature. My alto has been with me since new in 1975 and has only once been overhauled and re-padded 5 years ago by the amazing technicians at Sax.co.uk. I have had the opportunity to try many different saxes over the years and thanks again to Sax.co.uk have spent much time in their Crowborough store trialing different set ups. Yet I have remained a Selmer advocate even though the Yanagisawa altos have come close as they are just so free blowing but now we have the Selmer Supreme Alto which I am itching to get my hands on.
I get asked a lot about the best place to buy saxophones, mouthpieces, ligatures etc. For me there really is only one place and that is Sax.co.uk, based in Crowborough, East Sussex. they have a pretty comprehensive website (link provided on the next page). However, if you get the chance you must visit their store in Crowborough or their London shop, They are the largest and best stocked shop dedicated to saxophones in the UK.
After a recent visit to sax .co.uk in Crowborough I spent time selecting 4 excellent step up alto mouthpieces which I now have available for students to try:
Jody Jazz HR 6M
Aizen Jazz Master 6
Aizen GR 6
Raphael Navarro Maestra 6
These are all excellent mouthpieces, free blowing and capable of broadening tonal range. Combined with Rovner Ligatures and Jazz Select Reeds these offer a great combination.
For those who regularly ask, I am currently playing a Selmer Mark VII Alto and both an Aaron Drake VRJ Mouthpiece or an Aizen GR Mouthpiece depending on the type of style. I only use Jazz Select reeds and usually at strength 2H or 3S with a Rovner Versa ligature. My alto has been with me since new in 1975 and has only once been overhauled and re-padded 5 years ago by the amazing technicians at Sax.co.uk. I have had the opportunity to try many different saxes over the years and thanks again to Sax.co.uk have spent much time in their Crowborough store trialing different set ups. Yet I have remained a Selmer advocate even though the Yanagisawa altos have come close as they are just so free blowing but now we have the Selmer Supreme Alto which I am itching to get my hands on.