Vandoren SM711 AL3 Optimum Series Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece

My previous mouthpiece, a Yamaha 4C, broke so I decided I'd upgrade to a better mouthpiece. I searched up some of the best jazz mouthpieces for relatively cheap and this one came up. My band director also recommended it and uses this one. I went ahead and got it and it took some getting use to at first, but once I did it played great. If I need a new mouthpiece in the future I'll probably get one of these again, it plays perfectly for the style I'm trying to do. I pair this mouthpiece with Vandoren Java Red or Green reeds usually, but sometimes go for their ZZ Jazz reeds or V16 jazz reeds. All very nice picks.If you're looking for a mouthpiece that doesn't break your bank (that much at least) and produces great sound this is the one for you. I'd highly recommend this for any saxophone player looking to upgrade their mouthpiece.

It is solid and well-made. Had to replace my mouthpiece that came with the beginner alto sax. Didn't know a good mouthpiece made a lot of difference until I use the Vandoren SM711. Highly recommend, for beginner or anymore looking for a reasonably priced mouthpiece.

I don’t usually post reviews, but I was so amazed at the difference this mouthpiece made for my son’s saxophone, that I had to post about it! My son has been learning the saxophone for three years in school and we eventually bought his rental saxophone. He recently cracked his mouthpiece while cleaning it and so we purchased this mouthpiece at the recommendation of his band teacher. Well, what a difference in the sound quality it makes! Now, I don’t really know anything about playing a saxophone, but even I could hear how much fuller his notes were, how smooth his transitions between notes were, and how he doesn’t squeak anymore. Again, I know it’s pricey, but it is definitely worth it!

I bought this on the strength of the reviews here, and am glad I did. Using this with my Yamaha YAS-62 pro alto, it produces warm, strong tones and greatly improved playability compared to my other mouthpieces.When it comes to sax mps, it's a good idea to experiment with a handful of different mouthpieces and different reeds. I'm using this with Vandoren 3 Java reds Vandoren Java Red Alto Saxophone Reeds #3, Box of 10 and it sounds terrific. Easier to play low notes; plus something I especially like is I can get clear strong tones on my high D/E/F/F# that's better than anything else I've used.I've played this alto for over 30 years, it never sounded better, than with this Vandoren A3 mp w/Red java 3 Vandoren reeds. Initially I held off because I'm used to playing mps from classic mp producers, many of which are outstanding.With a smooth, balanced, open tone, this produces well at all ends of the playing range, which is extremely important. Most mps are good at easy mid-tone production, what separates mouthpiece (and sax) quality, is that it's often harder to produce clear tones at low sub-low D (for low C/B/Bb) and high above high-D tones, this mouthpiece solves that and makes playing across the entire range easier.Another plus is how easy it is to play using 3-strength reeds, with no chirps/squawks/hard pressure. I've typically used 2 1/2 reeds for decades, because of problems using 3s on my other mps. This AL3 makes using 3s as easy as using 2 1/2s, which alone makes it worth getting, since 3s are better to play with.Pleasantly surprised, this is one of the better music-related buy decisions I've made; highly recommended for both new and us veteran horn players. Thanks Vandoren - you guys got it right. Much appreciated. Now I'm off to play classic jazz...( I like Bird, Trane, Desmond)- Ken

I've been playing my sax - the same sax -- for over 60 years. It's always had a good sound. After using mostly Selmer mouthpieces, I finally ended up with a Selmer metal jazz mouthpiece which play well. It's sound was slightly dark and I had good control. I had put down the sax for a number of years and picked it up again. I decided to search for a new mouthpiece. This led me to Vandoren and specifically to this AL3 Optimum because it was supposed to be easy playing and bright. The difference is amazing. I don't mind some resistance in a mouthpiece, but the resistance was just right. The sound is bright and slightly brassy and it allows me more flexibility in "curving" tones and making my sax sing. It is good not only with low tones, but also with very high tones. It's range is much wider than my expensive Selmer metal mouthpiece which costs 4 times as much. I paired this with a Vandoren Optimum ligature and now use Legere synthetic reeds. The best reed combination turned out to be the 2.75 American Cut. I normally would use Vandoren 3 cane reed. The only thing I can say is that I'm stoked with this combo. My very old 1936 Buescher Aristocrat sounds every bit as good as the Selmer Mark VI I've played before.

After not playing sax for 20+ years, I got this one to perform at a retirement party. My Selmer C* and C** worked really well in the high registers, but not so well for the transition between middle C and middle D. This Vandoren mouthpiece gave a very clean D to C transition, but was not as rich and clear in the high register, but good enough. I used the Vandoren at the party.Remember, this is from someone who hasn't played in decades (though I grew up playing through college), so with more experience I may not prefer it. But if you haven't played in a while, I think the Vandoren might help cover up deficiencies in your embouchure with the middle notes.Note: I played on a Selmer Super Action 80 Series II, with a Vandoren 3.5 reed bought years ago.