bojangles103

The Z Tenors are nice.

And my two cents regarding the best saxophone would have to be the Yamaha Custom Z. I have a black laquer because of the warm tone, but any of them sound good. My professor even has a gold plated Z. They work well for classical and jazz, they seem more in tune than many horns I've played, it doesn't feel small like the Selmers, and it has the concave pearls that I like. And best mouthpiece for classical has to be the Vandoren Optimum. Idk why you'd play on a square chamber for classical. The optimum's just sound better, and are way more in tune.

V16 are rock reeds. They have more heart than Javas but are flatter than traditionals, and thus, louder. I find they're also more consistent. I'm thinking of moving back to V16s. 4s are way too hard though; especially on a C*.

You can also use cigarette paper. I'm sure it'll be cheaper. However, if your lip hurts after a short while (30-60 minutes) you are most likely biting on the reed and should loosen your jaw while you tighten your corners. If then it becomes too hard to play, you should try a softer reed. When forming your embouchure, you want to try and put as little pressure on the reed as possible. Professionals who use cigarette paper generally just have sharp teeth and are not biting on the mouthpiece.