Low Eh!

I’ve had the bass saxophone for three months, and in that time I’ve loved playing it more and more. I’ve used it on jazz gigs, saxophone choirs, and some recording sessions for movies and tv, and in these varied settings, I have changed up some of my gear.

The first piece of gear that I’ve changed is the mouthpiece. I ended up purchasing the Vandoren V5 bass saxophone mouthpiece. I was using my metal Otto Link, and it was good, but I found that it was a little too buzzy, and the stock mouthpiece was too closed for me. The Vandoren piece seems to split the difference – enough volume for any situation, and I can shape the sound the way I need for each musical situation. I may end up getting this piece opened up a little bit in the future for more flexibility, but as of now, I’m happy with the way the setup speaks. I think one other important aspect of this piece is that I can still use baritone saxophone reeds (my Gonzalez Jazz Local 627’s play really well with this piece).

The second piece of gear that I acquired was the Gard bass saxophone gig bag. One of the only issues that I’ve had with the Thomann bass saxophone is the case. I love the wheels (they are super smooth – I’d love for BAM to use these wheels on their Hitech baritone saxophone case), but the handles are sewn into the exterior fabric of the case, and they were starting to pull off already. In addition to that, on Fridays, I’m playing both baritone and bass saxophones, so I wanted to make the load a little lighter. The gig bag is huge, but it’s really convenient, and surprisingly sturdy – I haven’t used many gig bags. It goes into the back of my SUV comfortably, and I feel like the horn is protected enough to not worry.

The last piece of gear is the Balam harness from Boston Sax Shop. I’ve had this harness for a few years, and it works beautifully – the weight is distributed evenly on my shoulders. I was toughing it out with a neck strap when I had to stand, but since the switch to the Balam, my neck and back have been much happier. I’m actually using it on baritone sax as well again, and I feel like I can stand for longer.

These have been the gear updates for this new adventure in low woodwinds. There may be more in the future, but I’m pretty happy with these setups right now!