Chris Potter

Tenor sax/mouthpiece: Selmer Balanced Action, silver; it’s a pretty old one. I bought it about two years ago. Serial number 34128. The mouthpiece is a really old Otto Link metal that was opened up to like an eighth star. I found it in a mouthpiece shop and I had it worked on there. I actually just recently began using a different old Otto Link; old metal Link.

Tenor sax/mouthpiece: Selmer Balanced Action, silver; it’s a pretty old one. I bought it about two years ago. Serial number 34128. The mouthpiece is a really old Otto Link metal that was opened up to like an eighth star. I found it in a mouthpiece shop and I had it worked on there. I actually just recently began using a different old Otto Link; old metal Link.

Bass clarinet: That’s a really, really old Selmer bass clarinet. I understand it’s from the 1920s.

Yanagisawa’s most recent additions to its diverse line of professional saxophones are the model 992 soprano, alto, tenor and baritone, the last of which I tested over a two-week period.

The most striking feature of the Yanagisawa’s model B992 baritone (list price $9975) is its appearance. The body, bell and neck of the instrument are made of bronze, which contains a higher percentage of copper alloys than brass, giving the horn a beautiful dark color. The keys are made of regular brass, however, giving the horn a subtle two-tone look.

According to Yanagisawa there is a precedent for making bronze horns. A number of older horns, including some pre-Balanced Action Selmers, were made with a higher percentage of copper, giving them a darker, richer sound not found in common brass. The unique sound of the B992 possesses a great blend of resonance, warmth and just enough edge to make the horn exceptionally comfortable to play. The instrument is also versatile, which is great for musicians who perform in a variety of settings. The B992’s naturally dusky and easily controlled tone is suitable for classical playing, though it is by no means a strictly classical horn. It can definitely shout when it needs to.

One interesting feature of the new horn is a redesigned gold-plated thumb rest. Instead of being welded directly onto the instrument, the thumb rest sits on a platform that allows it to touch the body of the saxophone at only four points. This supposedly lets the horn vibrate more freely around the notes on the right hand.

Yanagisawa has also made some slight changes in the taper of the bore and positioning of tone holes to improve intonation. I found pitch to be generally very consistent throughout the range of the instrument even in the horn’s effortless altissimo register. Major adjustments were required on only a few notes.

Lastly, the ergonomic design of the keys is exceptional, making the new horn both a superior feeling and sounding instrument. A bronze instrument is a great option for saxophonists wanting to add a slightly different color to their pallet.

Soprano sax/mouthpiece: The soprano is really new. It’s a Yamaha Custom with black lacquer. The way that they’re making soprano saxophones now-they didn’t have things as together then as they do now. It is hard to make a soprano that you can play anywhere near in tune, but they’re a little close now than they used to be. The mouthpiece is a Selmer Soloist E.

Rico Select Jazz Tenor Sax Reeds, Filed, Strength 3 Strength Medium

Reeds: Rico Jazz Select #3 medium file.

According to the Boston Sax Shop's official site, Chris Potter uses Boston Sax Shop Custom Tenor Reeds #3.