Vandoren SAXOPHONE MOUTHPIECE ALTO V16 EBONITE A5 S+

V16: Vandoren's DNA Serving the Jazz Language

Based at "56 rue Lepic," the Vandoren company has built a worldwide reputation thanks to the consistent manufacturing of its mouthpieces and reeds. The V16 series continues this tradition: offering ebony mouthpieces designed to meet the demands of modern jazz while maintaining a reliable and reproducible playing foundation from one piece to another.
Available for different saxophone sizes, the V16 range plays with combinations of tip openings and chambers to provide varied sensations: more projection, more ease, or greater density in tone. For this A5 model, the goal is clear: smooth response, clean attack, and enough margin to shape your sound with the reed and ligature of your choice.

Who Is This V16 A5 For?

The Vandoren V16 A5 is primarily aimed at alto saxophonists focused on jazz who seek a responsive mouthpiece capable of shifting from section playing to a lead role without losing precision. Its balance suits intermediate players looking to advance their control and projection while remaining accessible if an appropriate reed strength is chosen.
It expresses itself particularly well in jazz styles (bebop, hard bop, swing, modern), but can also become an excellent ally in funk, soul, pop, or contemporary music whenever you appreciate a present, articulated, and easily sculptable sound (vibrato, growl, accented attacks, dynamics). This mouthpiece highlights the personality of breath and phrasing and helps stabilize your sonic identity.

Sound and Design

The mouthpiece is one of the pillars of your sound: it conditions the ease of play, perceived intonation, attack stability, and how the instrument "grabs" dynamics. With its 1.88 mm tip opening, the V16 A5 offers a sense of freedom while maintaining a stable enough framework to work on intonation and homogeneity.
The S+ chamber provides a more direct behavior: the response is quick, projection happens naturally, and the sound can gain presence, particularly useful when needing to cut through a rhythm section. The ebony, made from natural rubber, is appreciated for its comfort and ability to deliver a sound that is both warm and precise, with a grain conducive to jazz-typical inflections.
The medium-long facing influences how the reed vibrates and the sensation under the air: it often results in a good compromise between stability and flexibility, with clean articulation and smooth continuity across registers. Finally, this model being nickel-free, you retain a sober finish faithful to the classic feel of an ebony mouthpiece.

Recommended Compatible Accessories

To get the best out of this V16 A5, choose alto saxophone reeds that match your breath and style. Vandoren's recommended strengths provide an excellent starting point to balance attack, resistance, and color: Traditional 2.5 to 3.5, V12 2.5, V21 2.5, JAVA Red 3 to 4, JAVA Green 3 to 4, V16 3 to 3.5, ZZ 3 to 4. A slightly softer reed will favor ease and flexibility, while a higher strength will provide more control and density, depending on your mouthpiece, saxophone, and playing style.

Technical specifications

Category	alto saxophone	Style	jazz
Material	Hard rubber	Color	Black
Opening	1,88 mm	Finishing	Glossy

Nickel	No	Recommended V21 reed strength	2.5
Chamber type	S+	Recommended JAVA ROUGE reed strength	3 to 4
Top length	medium-long	Recommended JAVA VERTE reed strength	3 to 4
Accessories not included	ligature, mouthpiece cap	Recommended V16 reed strength	3 to 3.5
Recommended Traditional reed strength	2.5 to 3.5	Recommended ZZ reed strength	3 to 4
Recommended V12 reed strength	2.5