I have been restoring saxophones for about a year

I understand the idea of mouthpiece work is to customise mouthpieces so that they have a 
more wonderful sound. 

However I have a hard time visualizing what exactly you are doing to the mouthpiece.

What are the basic tools?

I assume  the idea is to create an unique sounding mouthpiece. 

Presumably you could save money making your own mouthpieces.

Do you attempt to transform mediorce mouthpieces into magic ones?

I would be deeply appreciative if you could provide me with posts number listings  pertinant 
to these questions so that I could learn more about this craft that appear a little esoteric.
(That why I want to learn more about it!) 

The work might be something as mundane as repairing a cracked shank, replacing a biteplate or filling in teeth gouges.  Or straightening a warped facing, or any number of things to make the mouthpiece play better, play easier.  Or play more like the customer wants it to play.
   
  It is not so much that I want to make the mouthpiece play better... but I want to remove the obsticles that make a mouthpiece difficult to play.  Perhaps the contour of the facing is just not conducive to a smooth low register... hopefully I can improve that. 
   
  The tip rail may be too wide, making the mouthpiece sluggish, will not respond quickly.  The tip rail may be too narrow making the mouthpiece chirp or squeek.  
   
  Sometimes a mouthpiece is just not suitable for a particular style of playing, but the customer insists on using it.  For example, an Otto Link would not be my first choice for playing in an R&B horn section, but the customer wants to play that mouthpiece.  A wedge could be added to the baffle/chamber and make the mouthpiece brigher, less tubby sounding.  I'm not the first guy in the world to do this to a Link.  I'm not breaking any new ground here.
   
  I can go the opposite way and take that whiney edge off the sound of the Selmer S80 C* tenor mouthpiece.  I can increase the tip opening from .070" (way too small for tenor) to about .082"-.086", take off some of the baffle just behind the tip rail, and get it sounding pretty good.  Then the player is able to easily get the sound he was supposed to have been getting all along from that mouthpiece.
   
  I don't try to create a unique sounding mouthpiece.  The sound is up to the player.  
   
  What I do is try to make it easier for the player to achieve the sound he wants.
   
  Paul Coats

languagegarden <tom.levitt@...> wrote:
          I have been restoring saxophones for about a year

I understand the idea of mouthpiece work is to customise mouthpieces so that they have a 
more wonderful sound. 

However I have a hard time visualizing what exactly you are doing to the mouthpiece.

What are the basic tools?

I assume the idea is to create an unique sounding mouthpiece. 

Presumably you could save money making your own mouthpieces.

Do you attempt to transform mediorce mouthpieces into magic ones?

I would be deeply appreciative if you could provide me with posts number listings pertinant 
to these questions so that I could learn more about this craft that appear a little esoteric.
(That why I want to learn more about it!) 



         


Link to Paul's articles from Main page of "Saxgourmet":
		http://www.saxgourmet.com
Listen to Paul's MP3's and view saxophone photos at:
           http://briefcase.yahoo.com/tenorman1952

Paul Coats is the sole US importer of SAXRAX products from 
http://www.saxrax.com 
For SAXRAX products, email Paul at saxraxus@...
       
---------------------------------
Building a website is a piece of cake. 
Yahoo! Small Business gives you all the tools to get online.

There are a list of tools and some suggested steps in the Files section of
the Yahoo Site for MouthpieceWork.  There are also Links on the Yahoo site
to refacers web sites.  You can get a feel for what they do.

My own site is at www.mojomouthpiecework.com

I have a number of photos showing the sequence of mouthpiece work on
several different mouthpieces.

As Paul said, there are several types of rework jobs.  Hand finishing
removes the perceived defects in a mouthpiece.  There is also
alteration/customization and repair work.

    2925 Crane St., Vineland, NJ 08361 
Paypal to MojoMouthpieceWork@... 
Check out: http://www.MojoMouthpieceWork.com





       
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