<P> Other materials have been tried with varying degrees of success, such as the 1950s Grafton plastic alto saxophone and its recent successor, the polycarbonate saxophone, Vibratosax . There is also the wooden Sawat saxophone created in Thailand on a small scale . Recent years have seen the use of higher copper alloys substituted for the "yellow brass" or "cartridge brass" that are most common, for visual and tonal effect . Yanagisawa's 902 and 992 series saxophones are made with phosphor bronze, which is claimed to offer slightly different, more "vintage" tonal qualities from the brass 901 and 991 models of identical design . Other saxophones made of high copper alloys are sold under the brands Chateau, Kessler, Saxgourmet, and Bauhaus Walstein . Yanagisawa and other manufacturers, starting with the King Super 20 around 1950, have made saxophone necks, bells, or entire instruments from sterling silver . Keilwerth and P. Mauriat have made saxes with a nickel silver body . Opinions vary on the significance of body materials to sound . With the exception of the identical brass and phosphor bronze Yanagisawa models, opportunities to isolate body materials from other variables in design and construction are lacking . </P> <P> Prior to final assembly, the manufacturers usually apply a thin coating of clear or colored acrylic lacquer or silver plate over the brass . The lacquer or plating serves to protect the brass from oxidation and maintains its shiny appearance . Several different types and colors of surface finish have been used over the years . It is also possible to plate the instrument with nickel or gold, and a number of gold - plated saxophones have been produced . Plating saxophones with gold is an expensive process because gold does not adhere directly to brass . As a result, the brass is first plated with silver, then gold . Some saxophonists, sellers, and repair technicians argue that the type of lacquer or plating or absence thereof may enhance an instrument's tone quality . The possible effects of different finishes on tone are difficult to isolate from the other variables that affect an instrument's tone colors . In any case, what constitutes a pleasing tone is a matter of personal preference . </P> <P> The saxophone uses a single - reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet . Most saxophonists use reeds made from Arundo donax cane, but since the 20th century some have also been made of fiberglass and other composite materials . Saxophone reeds are proportioned slightly differently from clarinet reeds, being wider for the same length, although some soprano saxophonists use clarinet reeds . Each size of saxophone (alto, tenor, etc .) uses a different size of reed . Reeds are commercially available in a vast array of brands, styles, and strengths . Saxophonists experiment with reeds of different strength (hardnesses) and material to find which strength and cut suits their mouthpiece, embouchure, physiology, and playing style . </P> <P> The saxophone mouthpiece is larger than that of the clarinet, has a wider inner chamber, and lacks the cork - covered tenon because the saxophone neck inserts into the mouthpiece whereas the clarinet mouthpiece is inserted into the barrel . Saxophone and clarinet embouchures differ from each other in firmness, position of the lower lip, and range of entry angles . The "long tones" exercise is used to develop embouchure, along with airstream and breath control . Mouthpieces come in a wide variety of materials, including vulcanized rubber (sometimes called hard rubber or ebonite), plastic, and metals such as bronze or surgical steel . Less common materials that have been used include wood, glass, crystal, porcelain, and even bone . According to Larry Teal, the mouthpiece material has little, if any, effect on the sound, and the physical dimensions give a mouthpiece its tone colour . There are examples of "dark" sounding metal pieces and "bright" sounding hard rubber pieces--Marcel Mule, for example, used a metal mouthpiece to perform classical music . Some contend that instability at the mouthpiece / neck connection moves harmonic frequencies off series with the fundamental frequency and each other, resulting in a "spread" sound, and that the weight of a metal mouthpiece counteracts that instability, increasing tonal "focus ." Mouthpiece design has a profound impact on tone . Early mouthpieces were designed to produce a warm and round sound for classical playing . Among classical mouthpieces, those with a concave ("excavated") chamber are more true to Adolphe Sax's original design; these provide a softer or less piercing tone favored by some saxophonists, including students of Sigurd Raschèr, for classical playing . Saxophonists who follow the French school of classical saxophone playing, influenced by Marcel Mule, generally use mouthpieces with smaller chambers than Rascher style mouthpieces . The use of the saxophone in dance orchestras and jazz ensembles put a premium on dynamic range, projection, and tonal richness, leading to rapid innovation in chamber shape and tip design, and metal construction . At the opposite extreme from the classical mouthpieces are those with a small chamber and a low clearance above the reed between the tip and the chamber, called high baffle . These produce a bright sound with maximum projection, suitable for having a sound stand out among amplified instruments and typical of modern pop and smooth jazz . Most saxophonists who play different styles have a mouthpiece suited for each style . </P>

What kind of reed does a saxophone have
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