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A Field Spotter's Guide to Saxgourmet Mouthpieces

In the years our company has been in the mouthpiece making business, I have often struggled to convey to our customers the differences in our various models and offerings, and the REASONS for those differences. We manufacture quite a few different models, and I can understand how there might be some confusion and misunderstanding.

Here's a couple of things that ALL our mouthpieces have in common: They are all our unique designs and available nowhere else, each and every mouthpiece that goes out our door is individually hand faced and play tested by me, our metal mouthpieces are all unplated so that the facing is not altered during the buffing process, the brass we use in our metal mouthpieces is all "bell quality" and contains no toxic components, our facing curves are all cut with a seven point system instead of the usual five and are all pure radial curves with none of this parabolic or elliptical nonsense, we use a variety of ligature styles to optimize the performance of each mouthpiece, and our wooden mouthpieces are treated to reduce expansion warpage. Let's take a look at the individual mouthpiece models and explore the features and differences.....

SOPRANINO
We make a solid brass sopranino mouthpiece with a medium low baffle, a single screw ligature, and a large chamber with no blocking plate. This design eliminates much of the annoying shrillness found with other sopranino mouthpieces. Available in two tip openings, .045 and .055.

SOPRANO
The solid brass soprano has a nice balance of a somewhat high baffle combined with a large chamber, a duckbill beak, and a longer than usual facing curve. This is an extremely free blowing mouthpiece with an even scale, available in .060, .065, and .075 tip openings.

ALTO
BON FILS
This mouthpiece is specifically designed for beginning players. It has a low baffle and a straight wall large chamber, as well as relatively wider tip and side rails for easy control. It comes in one moderate tip opening and is extremely easy to play. It is made from polycarbonate, and has a special two screw ligature with contoured reed plate. The Bon Fils mouthpiece also has a brass ring on the shank to prevent splitting.

HARD RUBBER
The Saxgourmet Hard Rubber mouthpiece has been our best seller for many years. It has a long facing curve, a somewhat low baffle, and a very large chamber. It is extremely free blowing and has a very even scale and excellent intonation. It has extra mass added to the shank end to increase projection, and comes with a heavily engraved very unique two screw ligature. Three tip openings: .070, .080. and .090

VOODOO CHILD
The Voodoo Child is a very radical design, featuring an elongated window, a high straight baffle, and an extra long curve. It has a very pronounced duckbill beak and a medium sized chamber with straight walls. This is a bright sounding, very aggressive mouthpiece, not at all shrill or thin sounding. It comes with a two screw four band heavily engraved ligature. One tip opening only.

FAT BOY
This is a high cliff baffled solid brass mouthpiece, with a large chamber and a very pronounced duckbill beak. It has a great deal of cut and projection. The rails are fairly narrow, the window is large, and there is a significant rollover with a large lake in the baffle. The facing curve is quite long. Two screw metal ligature and three tip openings: .070, .080. and .090.


TENOR
SG
SG has a low baffle and a straight wall large chamber, as well as relatively wider tip and side rails for easy control. It comes in one moderate tip opening and is extremely easy to play. It is made from polycarbonate, and has a special two screw ligature with contoured reed plate. The SG mouthpiece also has a brass ring on the shank to prevent splitting. This is the same mouthpiece as our Bon Fils alto, but in a tenor version.

FLORIDA
This is a serious mouthpiece! The Florida has a compound, high baffle with a slight rollover leading into a medium sized chamber with straight walls. It has a large window and a pretty significant "lake" behind the tip rail. The radial facing curve is 48 on a standard mouthpiece gauge. The Florida is machined from a solid billet of bell quality brass, and has a duckbill style beak and comes with a three band single screw ligature. The available tip openings are .090, .105, and .120. This is a mouthpiece for the player who wants a bright but not thin sound with lots of cut and projection. The timid need not apply!

FAT BOY
The Fat Boy tenor has a long straight baffle with a significant rollover and "lake" behind the tip rail. Like all our metal mouthpieces, it is machined from a solid billet of bell quality brass. The chamber is a little larger than the one used on the Florida, and also has straight side walls. The body is high mass, with a medium sized window and a radial curve that measures 49 on a standard mouthpiece gauge. The beak has a pronounced duckbill shape for increased projection. The rails are thin and the sound is bright but full. A two screw ligature is included and available tip openings are .090, .105, and .120.

SUPER DUCK
The Super Duck has a high, straight baffle ending in a cliff and leading into a somewhat large chamber with straight walls. There is a rollover in the baffle and a medium sized "lake" behind the tip rail. All of the rails are quite thin, and the window is medium large in size. The facing curve measures 50 on a standard mouthpiece gauge. The beak is an extreme duckbill, and the available tip openings are .090, .105, and .120. Am two screw ligature is included. This is a very bright and loud mouthpiece.

YELLOW MOON
The Yellow Moon is our only stainless steel mouthpiece, and the design takes full advantage of the unique resonance characteristics of that material. The Yellow Moon has a high straight baffle blended into a large chamber. There is a significant "lake" behind the tip rail, and the side rails are quite thin. The window is medium sized and the chamber walls are straight. The facing length is 48,m and available tip openings are .090, .105, and .120. A single screw/dual band ligature is included. Very bright, very loud.

BLUES BLASTER
For the player who wants the classic, full tenor sound, this may be the mouthpiece for you. It has a low baffle with a significant rollover leading into a large chamber with straight walls. The window and "lake" are both large, and the rails are somewhat narrow. The radial facing measures 48. The beak has a bit of a duckbill, and the body has a lot of mass. The ligature is a single screw type with three bands and and a reed plate. This is our best selling tenor mouthpiece, and is available in three tip openings: .090, .105, .120.

SAXGOURMET HAND MADE
OK, you want radical, we've got radical. There's nothing else quite like this one. It's the longest and heaviest tenor mouthpiece on the market (designed to be played very far up on the cork) and has an extremely high baffle leading into an extra large round bullet chamber. The facing curve is very long and the window is enormous. The rails are as thin as we can make them. The duckbill beak is as thin and radical as they come, and the sides of the body are deeply fluted. This mouthpiece has an enormous dynamic range, and nothing on the market is louder. The tone is very complex, covering quite a broad spectrum. The ligature is a two banded, very flexible single screw model. One tip opening (.103) only. This mouthpiece has virtually no blowing resistance whatsoever.

BLACK MAMBO
The Black Mambo is machined from a hard rubber blank, and has a high, straight cliff baffle, a medium window, and a large chamber. The rails are thin and the "lake" is large. The radial facing curve measures 49, and the walls of the chamber are straight. This mouthpiece produces a very classic, rich jazz sound with lots of cut and projection. It is very easy blowing, with an even scale. A two screw ligature is included, with available tips of .090, .105, and .120.

JACK OF SPADES
The Jack of Spades is our newest design, and is very unique in several ways: First, it's made from carefully seasoned Grenadilla wood for a very rich and complex tone available from no other material. The ligature, also machined from seasoned Grenadilla, is a friction fit ring which allows the reed to vibrate unusually freely. The baffle is high, straight and ends in a bullet leading into a large chamber. The radial facing measures 48 on a standard mouthpiece gauge. This mouthpiece has a very distinctive, "woody" complex tone. It is extremely free blowing, with almost no blowing resistance. .105 tip opening only.


BARITONE
LOW RIDER
Your baritone should play the low notes with authority and the high notes without thinness. That's what the Low Rider is all about. The body is machined from a solid billet of bell quality brass, and has a duckbill beak. The baffle is straight and high, and ends in a cliff leading to a large chamber with straight walls. The rails are quite thin, the "lake" is large, as is the window. The radial facing has a length of 52, and the ligature is a two band, flexible, single screw design. Available in two tip openings: .105 and .120

BIG BULLY
The Big Bully has a higher initial baffle than the Low Rider, but the overall baffle is lower and the chamber is a little bigger. The lake is larger, and the window is just a bit smaller. It gives a deeper sound, but has excellent response and intonation. The ligature is a built on "Lawton" type. One tip opening, .120. This is a very popular model among bari players.

Our Annual Mardi Gras Sale!

Our NEW Voodoo Rex tenor neck!

This is our newest tenor neck model. We developed it specifically for our Voodoo Rex tenor as an option for players who wanted a brighter, more cutting, sound. It's manufactured from a very special brass alloy, hand hammered and burnished, and then silver plated and heavily hand engraved. The design features a built in Saxgourmet neck enhancer and an underslung octave key mechanism. It works very well indeed on Selmer, Yamaha, and Yanigasawa tenors, as well as most Asian manufactured tenors with a 27.5mm tenon. $300 including a Saxgourmet hard shell neck case.

A very SPECIAL Saxrax!

Just for me! My good friends at Saxrax made a special stand for me, extra tall, so I don't have to reach far to grab my horn. This stand is about 40% taller than a standard Saxrax. Many, many thanks to Saxrax USA distributor Paul Coats for this great stand. The picture was taken in my teaching studio and shows my new Saxrax holding my personal Voodoo Rex tenor.

About comments and questions....

I'm glad to answer questions, but you need to send them to me at saxgourmet@cox.net.......same for comments on the posts on this blog.....this is my blog, not your forum, so I don't publish any comments from outside here.....that's what the forum at http://www.nationofmusic.com is for......you're invited to share your thoughts and ask questions of me there.....if you are not a member of the forum, just register. Remember, you must use your real first and last name as your user name and have a verifiable email address to register.

If you're a troll or just want to bait me, don't waste your time and mine.

Production Version of the Bon Fils!

I had the factory air freight over a Bon Fils (don't ask what that costs!) while we wait for the rest to arrive by sea in a couple of weeks.
This horn retails to the end user for $750......it is designed for student use, and designed to project in outdoor situations such as marching band
.....here are some pictures so you can see some of the unique features to this horn:

(1) Two different necks for two different sounds: a bright, silver plated neck with built in neck enhancer for marching band use, and a "sweet" sounding neck for
concert band

(2) double arms on the low C and B for stability

(3) easy to reach chromatic and high F# keys

(4) teardrop shaped front F

(5) Fully waterproof pads for outdoor use

(6) Stainless steel springs that don't rust

(7) Extra large ribs, rods, and pivot screws to durability

(8) Extra large bell to body brace for stability

(9) Fully hand engraved on the bell, bow, body tube, both necks, and all key cups

(10) Three ring strap hook accommodates players of all physical sizes

(11) Extra large right hand thumbrest supports the entire thumb, great for small hands

(12) Big guard on the bottom of the bow to prevent dents

(13) Oversized metal resonators for great projection

(14) extra strong key cradles to prevent damage

(15) Keyguard for Low C# key to prevent damage

(16) High quality SG mouthpiece with metal band on shank to prevent cracking

(17) Deluxe, hard shell case with back pack rings

Voodoo Rex Tenors now in stock!

I just got through unloading a bunch of Voodoo Rex tenors: solid copper body, bell, bow, and neck; rolled tone holes, kangaroo leather pads with gold plated
Maestro resonators; abalone pearls; built in neck enhancer and nodal weights; double arms on bell keys; screw adjustable chromatic C and Bb; fully engraved
bell, bell flare, bow, body tube, neck, and all keywork; ergonomic F# keys; 3 ring strap hook; Saxgourmet thumbrest; optional additional neck; Saxgourmet contour
case; big bore, huge full sound. The solid copper body, bell, bow, and neck give this horn a very fat sound which is incredibly rich. These are quick and dirty pictures.
We'll have better ones on the site www.nationofmusic.com soon. The horns are for sale on the site now. I'm getting the ones pre-ordered set up now, and will
ship them by the end of this week.

Joyeaux Noel, Cher!

Here's our holiday sale.....through December 20

Saxgourmet Endorsing Artist Tom Scott

Saxgourmet Endorsing Artist Tom Scott is pictured above with his new Saxgourmet Saxello soprano with sterling silver bell and necks. Tom is the MOST recorded saxophone player of all time, and a multiple Grammy award winner. Tom is also my hero, and has been since my high school days. He's a great guy, and Sharon and I are very proud that he chooses to play Saxgourmet alto, tenor, and soprano saxophones EXCLUSIVELY. Tom has represented our Saxgourmet brand for six years now, and has won many friends for us. Remember, Tom could choose any horn in the world. Any company would do anything to have his endorsement and blessing. Tom Scott chooses to play Saxgourmet.

Saxgourmet Endorsing Artist Aviva Malone

Here's a few items we're offering with special pricing up through November 15.....pictures below

SAXGOURMET SOLID COPPER ALTO NECK WITH NODAL WEIGHTS: our finest alto neck, solid copper tube, hand hammered and hand burnished, heavily engraved, underslung octave mechanism, 24.5mm tenon, with hardshell neck case. Specify horn make and model. Was $350, now $300

MISTRESS SHARON'S COMPLETE DOMINATION ALTO SAX KEY CLAMPS: keep your horn in perfect adjustment and protect it while traveling. For all alto saxes with low B and Bb on the same side of the bell, either right or left Were $50, now $40

YELLOW MOON TENOR MOUTHPIECE: machined from one bar of stainless steel, high baffle, big blended chamber, undercut window, hand faced, single screw ligature and engraved metal cap. Bright sounding and free blowing. Was $160, now $125

BLACK MAMBO TENOR MOUTHPIECE: Rubber composite resin, high baffle, very large chamber, great projection and big dynamic range, hand faced, two screw ligature and cap, very classic sound. Was $160, now $130

FAT BOY METAL ALTO MOUTHPIECE: Solid bell quality brass, high baffle, medium chamber, long facing, single screw ligature and metal cap, hand faced, loud and cutting, our best selling alto mouthpiece. Was $130, now $100 this is a "special purchase" price, our lowest ever!

SAXGOURMET ALTO NECK ENHANCER: our best selling accessory item. Was $50, now $40

SAXGOURMET 3 RING STRAP HOOK: Our latest design, with larger rings, spaced further apart, easy solder on installation Was $25, now $20

SAXGOURMET ERGONOMIC THUMB REST: for all saxophones with a screw on thumb rest. 5 minute do it yourself installation. Was $25, now $18

Bon Fils Sound Samples!

With Saxgourmet Endorsing Artist Breeze Cayolle

Our new student mouthpiece

I've been rather unhappy with the mouthpieces available for students, and knew we could do better! We believe that the mouthpiece used by most beginning students is too resistant and reed fussy. Our design is extremely easy blowing, has unusually good low note response, and is quite durable. The baffle is concave, not flat, and has a very slight rollover for projection. The window is undercut with a nice, sharp ramp to decrease resistance. The chamber is horseshoe shaped with a round top and square walls to facilitate projection and high note response. You'll notice we put a a somewhat gentle slope on the beak, which significantly improves player comfort and helps beginners form a good embouchure. Of course, there is a metal band on the shank to prevent splitting. The ligature has extra large screws and a compound reed plate. Tip opening is .070, with a radial curve. Other makers could have put all of these much needed features in a student mouthpiece, but they didn't. We did. Here's the fruits of our labor, which we will have available in about 60 days at a retail price of around $50

Bon Fils update

Production is now well underway! Here are a couple of news items worthy of your attention:

(1) the Bon Fils will com with TWO necks: one with a built in neck enhancer for marching band, and a different darker sounding neck for the concert band season.

(2) here's a picture of the low C# key guard. I'll admit the horns aren't very pretty at this stage of manufacture, but you can see what we are up to.

The Bon Fils Alto by Saxgourmet

These are the first pictures of our new Bon Fils (that's "Good Son" in French) student alto. This horn will retail to the end user for $750, and is designed with young students in mind. It is a VERY weather proof horn, using stainless steel springs, screws, and rods to prevent rusting, and fully water proofed pads. An important part of the design of this model is the HUGE dynamic range. It is potentially a very loud saxophone (although it plays beautifully at pianissimo) in order to give, for the very first time in saxophone history, a player the volume necessary to compete with the trumpets and trombones in a marching band.

This increase in projection and potential volume has been accomplished through several means: the resonator are very oversized stainless steel domes, the neck has a unique taper, and we include our famous Saxgourmet neck enhancer with each Bon Fils.

Player comfort was a prime consideration, especially for users of smaller stature. We include our three ring strap hook too allow the player significant variation in strap placement for maximum comfort and control. The right hand thumb rest is our well known Saxgourmet design, which supports the entire thumb, not just the second joint, for enhanced comfort and control. The chromatic F# and high F# key have been redesigned for easier execution, as have the key touches for the low Eb and low C. The left pinky table is fully articulated. The palm keys are of our latest asymmetrical design, and the front F key touch is teardrop shaped so the index finger does not have to be lifted to obtain this note.

The Bon Fils is specifically designed for the rough treatment often afforded saxophones by younger players. All rods are slightly oversized. The guard at the bottom of the bow has been significantly enlarged and strengthened to prevent damage. The size of the bell to body brace has been made significantly larger to maintain perfect bell alignment. The hinge mechanism for the palm and other auxiliary keys has been manufactured with right angles rather than sloping junctions to afford additional strength. Of course, all of the keywork is fully supported with ribs, which are significantly oversized for strength. The case provided is extremely durable, rectangular for easy stacking on instrument trucks, and well padded, with heavy duty cordura sides over a hard shell for long lasting beauty. Heavy duty zippers are used for closure rather than latches which often fail, and a shoulder strap mount is included, as well as the option for backpack style straps. The case also features a full sized exterior pocket which will accommodate full concert band music folders, and dedicated interior slots for the neck and mouthpiece, as well as a generous interior accessory compartment. Production examples will vary from the example pictured here in that they will have double arms for extra stability on the low C, B, and Bb. There will also be a guard added to protect the low C# key cup. We have incorporated an underslung octave key mechanism on the neck to allow younger players to grasp the neck itself while assembling the horn, rather than bending the octave key.

The mouthpiece used for this model is of a new design to facilitate easy blowing and even intonation and response throughout the range. We currently manufacture over 20 different saxophone mouthpiece models, and took our considerable experience in this field to design a student mouthpiece that is superior and like no other on the market. This design features a sloping beak which is not only more comfortable for younger players, but also increases projection. The baffle i long and straight, with a lightly concave contour, and no rollover. The side and tip rails are of moderate width in order to be more "forgiving", and the chamber is horseshoe shaped with a round top and straight walls to increase projection. Unique among student mouthpieces, this model includes a metal band on the shank to prevent cracking and splitting.

We know that the visual impact of an instrument is important to students, and we have made a great effort in this area to provide students with an instrument they can show their friends with pride. The epoxy lacquer used is the most durable available, and is tinted a rich vintage gold color. The bell, bow, body tube, neck, and ALL KEY CUPS are elaborately hand engraved. We will be happy to make other finishes available to schools, along with the custom engraving of the schools logo on the bell, upon execution of a special minimum order.

Of course, robust construction and beautiful touches are all well and good, but in the end the final and ultimate test is how the saxophone plays. We know that students often have difficulty with intonation and low note response, and took these matters into mind in our design. The bore and tone hole placement are designed to make playing the saxophone easier, and to allow superior blending with the other instruments of the band.

Sharon and I are very pleased and proud to be able to offer this outstanding instrument, which has been in development for over two years, in the hopes that it will make music more affordable for families, and introduce the joy of saxophone playing to the next generation.