i`ve had my mouthhpiece for over a year, and i found that there are bite marks on the top... what kind of mouthpiece would not have bite marks if i accidentally bite it?

ive got these little plastic sticky things that you put on the mouth piece. you know the things that stop vibrations? well that stopped me putting bite marks on the mouth piece

it isn`t bad to have bite marks but, you should get a new mouthpeice every once in a while (a year or so)

You should NOT be getting a new mouthpiece every year! Once you find a good one, stick with it. Don`t even get a new one of the same style because there is lots of variation, especially with the Selmers.

Bite marks are normal. You can get a mouthpiece patch, but it affects the way the mouthpiece rests in your mouth, and it might take some getting used to.

I definitely concur with SimpsonSaxGal.
Are you using the regular crappy plastic thing that came with your sax or using a real quality mouthpiece you purchased separately? If you are still using your student mouthpiece and you are serious about the saxophone then you should consider buying one of these models.

Selmer S80 C*(Anything)
Meyer Hard Rubber (Jazz)
Otto Link Hard Rubber and Metal (Jazz)
Selmer Larry Teal (Classical)
and last of all my favorite
Jody Jazz any model (for Jazz, duh)

they will drastically improve your tone quality, projection, response, and almost every aspect of your playing and a mouthpiece purchase is not something to be taken lightly.
Once you find a good one you will probably keep it and play it for the rest of your life.
Most of the models I listed either don`t come with ligatures or come with piece of junk ligatures so i recommend:
Consoli Ramplig Ligatures
Rovner Ligatures

yes, the mouthpiece i have is the cheap plastic kind that came with my cheap sax, but my sax has a really good sound, but mostly because of the reed

thanks for all your help, i just really need a kinda that won`t leave marks if i accidentally bite it hard when playing altissimo notes. now, i try not to bite it, but sometimes i get caught up in the music and i forget. and i dont want to spend a lot of money on a mouthpiece.

so it would be very helpful if someone can leave a link to a good mouthpiece, i don`t like the xtremely long ones, i like short ones. and i have an alto sax...

thanks again

and what effect on sounds does different ligatures have?

ohh yeah, and i don`t like the flat ones...

and i`m specifically look for mouthpieces with the following characteristics:

1. won`t leave marks...
2. not tooo long, not too flat
3. for soft jazz/blues
4. are not that expensive

Hunter,

As SimpsonSaxGal said previously, bite marks are normal! If you really really hate them, you have 2 options. You can either get an adhesive cover for the top of your mouthpiece, or you can get a Pomarico crystal mouthpiece. I would strongly recommend the first option, because Pomarico mouthpieces are extremely expensive (not to say that they aren`t worth it), and the mouthpiece covers cost about a dollar for a 3-pack.

If you are looking for a "not too long, not too flat" mouthpiece for jazz/blues, then I would recommend a Vandoren V16, a Meyer cork rubber, or an Otto Link. They are "not too long", and "not too flat", so they will suit you just fine. You may want to experiment a bit with them, as there are many different facings (the angle that the mouthpiece makes with the reed) to choose from.

The Otto Links or the Vandoren V16`s are a good choice if you`re looking for a reasonably priced mouthpiece. The Meyer`s that I`ve seen are around $30 more than their Vandoren or Otto Link counterparts.

By the way, in order to get a good sound, you have to be comfortable with your equipment. Stick with your mouthpiece for as long as you can - do not, I repeat, do not go and buy a new one just because the one you have has a scratch or a bite mark on it. It will play FINE.

thanks for your help, i still use my mouthpiece, but it just got bite marks on it. it`s just looks bad during concerts, when someone asks me to see my sax, and they see my mouthpiece is crap compared to my 24k gold sax (yup, a gold one), so i would like to have a somewhat good sax...

and can someone give me a trustworthy site where i can buy mouthpieces and the tape things?

Just bringing up a question that was never answered by Hunter:

What does the effect of sound have to do with your ligature?

Just put a mouthpiece patch on the mouthpiece. They really help to protect the mouthpiece. No mouthpiece will be bite-mark resistant. Ligatures don`t affect the sound as much as a mouthpiece or a reed will, but there is a noticeable sound difference between different types of ligatures.
http://www.rovnerproducts.com/ligatures.htm
http://www.consolims.com/

Links:
http://www.jodyjazz.com/hr.alto.html
http://www.philbarone.com/product/ny_alt.htm
http://www.wwbw.com/Selmer-Super-Session-Alto-Sax-Mouthpiece-i115181.music
http://www.wwbw.com/Alto-Sax-Mouthpieces-Otto-Link-b264d1863.music
http://www.wwbw.com/Meyer-Hard-Rubber-Alto-Sax-Mouthpiece-i29042.music
http://www.wwbw.com/Alto-Sax-Mouthpieces-E--Rousseau-b70d1863.music

Hope this helps,
Bleeding Gums Murphy

how is the sizes arranged? i see alot of "L"s and "D"s