Saxophones

Darryl “Soul Sax” Murrill plays the alto, soprano, and tenor saxophones. His brand of choice for the alto is the Cannonball 25th Anniversary Big Bell Alto Saxophone. He relishes in the fact that he has an engraving of a white tiger on the bell with snakeskin jasper semi-precious note keys! As for the soprano saxophone, Murrill plays a P. Mauriat System 76, second edition.He adores the finish on the horn and the superior sound compared to his previous soprano saxophones whether curved or straight! Lastly, the tenor sax was introduced to Murrill by a saxophone lover and neighbor who found it at a local pawn shop.  Murrill contemplated for about a day or two, then caved in and purchased the Selmer Paris, Super Action 80 Series 2 .

Mouthpieces

Currently Murrill uses the same mouthpiece brand and style for the tenor, alto, and soprano saxophones.  He has narrowed down his preference to the Jody Jazz Super Jet Mouthpiece.  The airflow and ergonomics of the metal mouthpiece is sturdy and adapts to his embouchure and grip. 

Reeds

“Not all reeds are not created equal”

Most saxophone players began with Rico brand reeds that your band teacher sold before class in school.  Murrill played Rico Royal to Fredrick Hemke reeds.  However, he had a revelation and converted to synthetic reeds.  He says that wooden reeds may come in a pack with ⅖ reeds being usable. Though synthetic reeds are more costly, he says they are consistent, unlike the wooden ones.  His go to now are the Legere Reeds (size 2)  American Cut  for the alto and the Signature for his soprano and tenor.  

Ligatures

The glue that holds it all together is the ligature.  Murrill calls the ligature, reed, and mouthpiece his setup!  He moved from the traditional ligature to the Jody Jazz Power Ring. He says it is most secure and does not inhibit the sound flow.  Again this item is used on all three saxophones Murrill plays.

Microphones

Murrill travels and plays at gigs, he ministers in churches, and he is so careful to have the proper microphone system to propel his sound to the masses.  This is possible through two microphones. His most loved microphone is the Nux B-6 for its convenience of being compact and light weight.  This was a Father’s Day gift so it has even more value sentimentally.  The con to this favorite mic is that it can intercept interference from other devices or frequencies in operation nearby.  That can disrupt a performance as it can be heard through the microphone. To avoid such Murrill has another microphone in the Shure BLX14/B98 UHF Wireless Microphone System. This system is solid and can withstand picking up other frequencies and radio feedback.  

Amplifiers

Microphones are amplified through two sources for Murrill as he is sometimes the artist and then other times both the artist and sound man at certain gigs. Murrill recently acquired the Amp Bose S1 Pro+ All-in-one Portable Bluetooth Speaker Wireless. This is but a fraction of the size of his former sound system, but coupled with the Bose technology is a powerful and far reaching method of amplification.  It is 9.4″ wide and 13.1″ high.  This was such a timely and promising investment that Murrill quickly purchased a speaker case to ensure that it lasts a long time! For larger venues Murrill uses the Samson Resound VX8.1 All-in-One Portable Column Array.  He was so impressed by their performance that he purchased two column arrays.  He enjoys changing the course of sound by adjusting the segments of the array in different directions to cover a greater span of audience or to better balance the sound. True story.  One of his column arrays was caught in a rainstorm in his truck bed and was sadly water damaged.  The water dripped out of the  amp base when turned upside down.  Murrill tested the amp after a few days left to dry and it worked as if it were never rained in.  These amplifiers stood the test of time for sure!

Stands

When not playing his saxophones Murrill puts his trust in the Hercules Saxophone Stand as a resting place.  It is sturdy and has a nook to also hold a soprano saxophone in addition to his alto or tenor. The stand folds for easy portability and storage. Murrill also uses the Hercules Travlite. It stores directly in the bell of the saxophone.  Murrill loves the ease of stowing away this stand, though the Travelite is not as sturdy as the original or regular Hercules stand. Furthermore, the Travlite Stand does not have the ability to simultaneously hold the soprano.

Cases

Darryl “Soul Sax” Murrill protects his prized possessions of the alto and soprano in a joint alto and soprano case when traveling. It obviously cuts down on baggage fees when flying as it houses two saxophones in one compartment.  Murrill has a similar case to the Protec PB304SOPWL Combination PRO PAC Case with Wheels for Alto / Soprano Saxophones, but not this exact one. This case has an overall 4.6 = Five Star Rating on Amazon!

Neck Strap

Murrill uses his neck strap from his P. Mauriat soprano saxophone. It has a protective cushion against his neck and can be used for any saxophone. Murrill suggests this similar saxophone neck strap as it has a metal swivel snap hook for a dependable support. 

Cleaning Cloth

Murrill uses a cloth instead of a saxophone pad saver brush.  The cloth has a weight that leads it through the body of his horn to collect moisture.  Murrill suggests this Protec 3-in-1 Body, Neck, and Mouthpiece Microfiber Cleaning Swab for Alto Sax and Soprano Saxophone.  This cloth not only cleans the inside of the horn, but also the neck and mouthpiece.  It is not his exact cleaning cloth, but it is even better!

Recommendations

Darryl “Soul Sax” Murrill recommends you to join his facebook group.  He also recommends for all your sheet music needs Virtual Sheet Music dot com.  Lastly, Murrill recommends a beginner saxophone.