Finding the best Alto saxophone mouthpiece can difficult, depending on your level of expertise. It is important to purchase the right mouthpiece to be able to provide the best sound quality possible.
Here are Windysounds.com, we have decades of personal and professional experience in various wind instruments, and we have see what works best. After all, an Alto saxophone player that plays in an orchestra could need different mouthpiece features that an Alto saxophone player that plays on the move.
When reviewing the following mouthpieces, we have thoroughly considered the following:
- Durability of the mouthpiece
- Affordability of the mouthpiece
- Functional efficiency of each mouthpiece
- Quality of the mouthpiece
Our Top Recommended Alto Sax Mouthpieces
- Yamaha Alto Sax Mouthpiece Best Intermediate Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece
- Highly consistent
- Affordability for all stages of players
- Price: See Here!
- Glory Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Kit Best Alto Saxophone Jazz Mouthpiece
- Comes with brass ligature and reed
- Provides quality sound needed for Jazz music
- Price: See Here!
- Yinama Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Best Cheap Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece
- Easily obtains a clear and focused tone in all octaves
- Suitable for both beginner and professional saxophone players
- Price: See Here!
Contents
List of 10 Best Alto Sax Mouthpieces on the Market Today:
1. Yamaha Alto Sax Mouthpiece Best Intermediate Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece
Yamaha provides some of the best saxophone mouthpieces on the market, and their mouthpieces range from beginner designs to professional designs.
Their 4C mouthpiece model is classified as highly consistent, which means that as long as it is used properly and maintained, it will provide a consistent sound, regardless if you are a beginner or professional Alto saxophone player.
It is designed to provide a quality focused tone, regardless of the octave, and it is easily balanced.
It is made out of quality materials Yamaha is known for using, and it is affordable, which makes it ideal for beginners, but the quality of the construction of the mouthpiece also works well for professional and intermediate alto saxophone players.
- Highly consistent
- Affordability for all stages of players
- Provides focused and clear tone
- Some difficulty with octaves when used with non-Yamaha saxophones
Most consumers tend to enjoy this mouthpiece, and they generally do not have a quality issue, but a few have reported complaints about its functionality when used with saxophones not made by Yamaha.
This might be the best intermediate Alto saxophone mouthpiece, due to its overall sound quality and consistency. Order this mouthpiece today for a quality intermediate playing experience.
2. Glory Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Kit Best Alto Saxophone Jazz Mouthpiece
When looking for a Jazz Alto saxophone mouthpiece, in this price range, there is no other mouthpiece that compares. It is manufactured by Glory, and it comes with a protective plastic cover to keep the mouthpiece and reed safe, during travel.
This kit also comes with a single reed. It provides a quality sound, and it is ideal for beginners, due to its functionality and price. It comes with a brass guard, which is used to help hold the reed firmly in place.
- Comes with brass ligature and reed
- Provides quality sound needed for Jazz music
- Designed and ideal for beginners
- Doesn’t provide quality sound above a beginners level
Many consumers enjoy this mouthpiece, but there are some that have had issues with the quality of the mouthpiece.
It is recommended for beginners, but when looking for a mouthpiece to grow with you, consumers have found that this one usually has to be replaced to grow in experience level.
Order this mouthpiece as a beginner to start your journey in jazz music, because it is the best Alto saxophone jazz mouthpiece available for beginners.
3. Yinama Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Best Cheap Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece
Yinama is known for providing quality wind instrument mouthpieces, and this 4C model has a number of excellent qualities that put it above many others in the same price range.
Unlike other mouthpieces, this 4C model is capable of being used on all types of saxophones, due to having a standard hole diameter. Its design also provides a clear response from the player, which makes it easy to blow air throughout the Alto saxophone.
- Easily obtains a clear and focused tone in all octaves
- Suitable for both beginner and professional saxophone players
- Standard hole diameter
- Not the best for intermediate level players
Overall, consumers agree that this is a quality mouthpiece for beginners who are learning to play, but there is some controversy on the quality of this mouthpiece for high levels of experienced players.
Purchase this mouthpiece for yourself or as a gift for a beginner saxophone player that needs a cheap Alto saxophone mouthpiece option.
4. Vandoren SM711 AL3 Optimum Series Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece – Best Alto Sax Mouthpiece for Classical Music
The SM711 AL3 Optimum series is designed and manufactured by Vandoren, and it is meant for performing classical music. It has a rounded shape and a medium long facing. It is compatible with reeds, but it is meant to be used with Vandoren #2.5 – #4 reeds.
- Nice rounded shape for playing classical music
- Provides a smooth sound
- Medium long facing to comfort
- Little expensive side
- Doesn’t play the altissimo register well
Overall, consumers have responded favorably towards this mouthpiece model. The only major complaint is that it is not able to play in the altissimo register, all that well, but it still provides quality sound for playing classical music.
Classical music takes a special finesse, and it needs a quality mouthpiece to ensure that it plays properly. So, order this mouthpiece model if your interests are focused on playing and enjoying classical music.
5. J&D Hite H117 Premiere Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece – Best Alto Sax Mouthpiece for Beginners
J&D Hite is known for making quality saxophone mouthpieces for Alto saxophones, and their H117 is an excellent example of their craftsmanship. This model is made out of a hard plastic quality, which makes it excellent for students, due to its pricing range.
It provides a quality tone, and it can play most octaves, which makes it excellent for beginning saxophone players to get a feel for the type of music that they will prefer to play in the long run.
- Made of quality platic
- Provides a solid clear sound
- Can reach most aoctaves
- Doesn’t include ligature
Consumers that have commented on this particular mouthpiece agree that overall it is a quality mouthpiece and the best Alto sax mouthpiece for beginners, due to its sound quality and price range.
Purchase this mouthpiece if you are looking for a beginning mouthpiece for an Alto saxophone player. It will provide the best overall outcome for the beginner.
6. Meyer MR-402-5MM Rubber Alto Sax Mouthpiece – Good Alto Sax Jazz Mouthpiece
The MR-402-5MM is designed and manufactured by Meyer for players who are looking for an Alto sax jazz mouthpiece. It is made out of quality materials, which assist in providing a clear and solid sound.
It also comes with a protective cap and ligature included, and it can easily provide various quality sound from low notes up to altissimo note.
- Mouthpiece cap and ligature included
- Provides clear response ranging from low notes to altissimo
- Made from quality rubber material
- Shank hole is small resulting in extra cork grease
- Not recommended for beginners
According to consumers, this mouthpiece is best used for those of intermediate levels and higher, because it can be difficult for beginners to control the range of notes it produces.
Purchase this mouthpiece if you are an experienced Alto saxophone player that is interested in playing jazz music.
7. SELMER S-80 C Mouthpiece for Alto Saxophone – Good Professional Alto Sax Mouthpiece
The S-80 C mouthpiece is a good professional option for alto saxophone players. It is manufactured by SELMER, and it is an ideal choice for someone that is looking to upgrade their mouthpiece from a beginner design.
It is designed with a square cross section in the chamber, which is meant to help provide a clearer and more focused tune. It also makes playing in different octaves a lot easier than with other alto sax mouthpieces.
- Ideal as a step up mouthpiece
- Has square cross section in chamber
- Provides quality sound in different octaves
- Doesn’t come with ligature or reeds
Consumers have reported that this mouth piece is an excellent choice if you are looking to upgrade your mouthpiece from a beginner’s design to a higher playing level. The only thing they reported as a downside is that it does not come with a ligture or reeds.
Purchase this mouthpiece if you have outgrown your old one and need an upgrade that will provide better results. Just remember to also purchase a ligature to go with it.
Furthermore , do you know how to clean a saxophone mouthpiece, it will be interesting for you .
8. Clark W Fobes Debut Student Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece – Professional Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece
This Alto saxophone mouthpiece is manufactured by Clark W Fobes, and it is designed for professional Alto saxophone players. It is designed with a new type of tip, and each mouthpiece is hand finished to help ensure consistency in sound, when using it.
Unlike many other mouthpieces, this one is designed to allow you to play in both low and high registries, which is often times needed by professional Alto saxophone players.
- Hand finished to ensure consistency
- Newly designed tip
- Easier to play in both low and high registries
- Depending on sax, might be hard to fit properly
- Doesn’t include ligature
Consumers agree that this is an excellent choice for anyone who is at the professional level, but it does not come with a ligature, which is a minor detail for most people.
Also, they have reported that, depending on the saxophone, this mouthpiece could be hard to make fit, meaning it has to be put on carefully.
Buy this mouthpiece today if you are wanting a great professional upgraded Alto saxophone mouthpiece.
9. Rico Metalite Alto Sax Mouthpiece, M5 – Best Alto Sax Mouthpieces
The Metalite Alto sax mouthpiece is manufactured by Rico, which is one of the top manufacturers of saxophone mouthpieces. This model is made out of top quality materials, and it is highly resistant to getting chips and cracks.
One thing that makes this the best Alto sax mouthpiece is the fact you can choose between two tip opening options, giving you the best options for your personal needs.
- Manufactured with top quality materials
- High durable to resist cracks and chips
- Can be purchased with two tip openings
- Requires a lot of cork grease
- Issues with lower registry notes
According to consumers, this mouthpiece does provide a professional tone, but there are a few issues with beginners using this mouthpiece when trying to play lower registry notes. They also recommend using extra cork grease to ensure that you don’t strip the cork when attaching the mouthpiece.
Purchase the M5 Rico mouthpiece if you are looking for a quality and durable Alto sax mouthpiece.
10. E. Rousseau ER20024N New Classic Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece – Great Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece Reviews
The ER20024N alto saxophone mouthpiece is manufactured by E. Rousseau, and it has received great alto saxophone mouthpiece reviews, especially if you hope to play classical jazz music. It has a new chamber design that is meant to help provide a centered tone.
It has a longer shape design, which is meant to make it easier to tune saxophones, and it is meant to meet the playing demands of some of the world’s top Alto saxophone players.
- New chamber design for better centered tone
- Longer shape to provide easier tuning
- Meets demands of world’s top Alto saxophone players
- Craftsmanship could be better
- Easily breaks if dropped
Consumers agree that it has an excellent design and it does assist with tuning a saxophone, but there have been some complaints with the craftsmanship of this mouthpiece, because it has had some issues with breaking easily, if dropped.
Purchase this mouthpiece if you are interested in upping your game to a better mouthpiece, but remember that you do need to be careful with it.
Tips On Choosing Alto Sax Mouthpieces
Choosing the right sax mouthpiece depends on what type of music you play on playing. Different types of music require different aspects and features to get the desired sounds. Here are a few tips that you need to consider before making your final purchasing decision on a saxophone mouthpiece.
1. Tips for Concert Saxophonists
When choosing the best alto sax mouthpiece for concert band, you want to look for a mouthpiece that has a medium to medium close tip opening and a medium length facing curve.
Concert saxophonists generally have to use harder reeds than other saxophonists in order to improve the concentration of their sax’s sound. Therefore, these types of mouthpieces need to be made out a harder and more durable material, like ebonite.
2. Tips for Jazz Band Saxophonists
A jazz saxophonist needs more flexibility to produce the fatter tone of jazz music. Therefore, you want to search for a mouthpiece that is made out of either metal or ebonite, and it will need to have a large chamber and big tip opening, to help improve the overall sound of the saxophone.
3. Tips on Materials
There are a number of materials that saxophone mouthpieces can be made out of, and here are a few tips on the different materials and what they are best for.
- Ebonite – This is a hard rubber material that is meant to provide a warmer tone than plastic mouthpieces. They are ideal for jazz and classical saxophonists.
- Plastic – This is a durable material that is ideal for students and beginners.
- Stainless Steel – This material provides the brightest sound and gives the largest projection.
- Wood – This material offers a warm sound, but it is not generally used because it is less stable.
- Crystal – This material is used by jazz saxophonists and outdoor musicians because it gives off the largest projection.
If you play the trumpet, we suggest that you check out our list of best trumpet mouthpiece. You will like them.
Making Your Final Decision
After reviewing the above mouthpieces, we recognize that choosing the best alto sax mouthpiece is important, but there are different types for different levels of players and musical interests.
However, the M5 Metalite saxophone mouthpiece is the best for most situations. It provides a quality sound, and it is ideal for all types of players, due to its overall sound, and the durability of its model.
Not only does it give a good solid sound for most types of music, it is made out of a durable material, which makes it less likely to get damaged in transport.
It also gives you two options for openings, which means that you can choose the best option for your play style, rather than having to deal with other people’s preferences.
All in all, purchase this mouthpiece if you are looking for an Alto saxophone mouthpiece that gives you functionality, durability, and a quality sound to surpasses others, on the market.
