JOHANNES GERBER
HAND MADE SAXOPHONE MOUTHPIECES
MATERIAL MATTERS
There may be a consensus that the interior shape of a mouthpiece have a larger effect on the character of the sound than the material it's made of, but saxophonists with a highly developed level of sensitivity agrees that material does have an effect on how a mouthpiece resonates. Besides a good reed and an efficient facing curve, we know which properties of a material make it sing.
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We have developed a modern equivalent for the famous 'vintage hard rubber' from the 1950's, with properties closely related to the material used for the vintage Otto Link and Meyer mouthpieces from from the past.
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Why a composite material? Material technologies have advanced dramatically since the hard rubber from the 1950s. There are several cons producing mouthpieces as in the old days: The method of molding produced rough blanks with large tolerances - they required extensive hand finishing which added to their inconsistency - the method required a lot of heat and resources and was not eco-friendly.
Our modern material and production method: Mouthpiece blanks are produced with fine tolerances and superior consistency (the baffle profile and chamber interior is exactly the same on each mouthpiece) - there are no machine marks visible as with power hungry cnc machines - our material is indistinguishable from vintage hard rubber in terms of tonal characteristics - it has better mechanical performance – it’s eco-friendly and efficiently utilizing resources.