We repair all kinds of saxophone and clarinet mouthpieces. Services include refacing, tip opening changes, chamber and baffle work. We also repair damaged mouthpieces, including cracked shanks, broken bite plates, and damaged tips.
Cleaning
Before we can commence any mouthpiece repairs, we need to clean it inside and out. This ensures safety for everyone, and clean mouthpieces look, play, and smell better.
We use environmentally safe yet effective protocols to clean your mouthpiece, inside and out. We remove the dirt and green and white calcified “stuff.”
Refacing
Refacing is the process of changing a mouthpiece’s facing for the purpose of improving its response or repairing defects. Typically, a refacing service starts with the study and visual graphing of the existing facing. From there, we communicate with the client to identify his goals and develop a plan to improve the mouthpiece.
A complete refacing includes flattening of the table and reconstructing the entire curve. After the table and curve have been established, work on the tip rail, side rails, and baffle is performed to ensure the most efficient vibration of the reed.
Throughout the refacing process, the mouthpiece is tested and adjusted as needed, by someone who actually plays the saxophone and clarinet.
Most mouthpieces can have their tip openings adjusted larger or smaller to a certain extent, depending on the amount of material available in the mouthpiece.
Chamber Work
Chamber modifications involve adding material, removing material, or some combination of the both. Typical chamber modifications include opening up with side walls and/or throat, undercutting the table, lowering the floor, and so on. Baffles can be raised, lowered, lengthened, or shortened.
Shank Repair
If the shank on your mouthpiece is cracked, or you just want to keep it from cracking in the future, we can machine and install a band to cover the cracked portion. In the case of a crack, we seal the crack prior to installing the band.
Metal saxophone mouthpieces that are no longer round at the shank don’t fit very well on the cork. They tend to leak and can cause premature wearing of the cork. We have the tools and the expertise to true (re-round) these shanks quickly and inexpensively. We also offer this service for brass instrument players who need their mouthpieces trued.
We’ve repaired mouthpieces that were dropped, chipped, twisted, and chewed by dogs. We don’t claim to be able to repair every mouthpiece, but usually we can restore a damaged mouthpiece.
Contact us today to get started!