sax mpc design

billikenn · 07-06-2002, 10:19 PM

Ive decided to get bored and try to make a sax mouthpiece out of a piece of African blackwood. I got enough to make 4 attempts. First all Im gunna do is try to copy my origonal conn steely with very few differences.
any suggestions that I should consider before starting would be appreciated. My grandpa does fine wood working so im gunna get hime to help.

african blackwood is what clarinets are made of (well - good clarinets)

in his name
josh

should prove interesting if nothing else

mime · 07-06-2002, 11:16 PM

How about making the mouthpiece design a little longer and make the chamber a bit smaller (sort of a jazz style mouthpiece)

billikenn · 07-08-2002, 09:15 PM

actually I play mostly classical and soft tones to worship, so if the first one works at all, I wanted to make the second one with a huge chamber reminisant of the selmer Table from the 20's 30's. Maybe even bigger.
Hopefully If those work maybe Ill work on a jazz piece. Check back on this thread in a month or so and Ill post my success or failure...

In his name
Josh

mime · 07-09-2002, 09:28 PM

I wish I could have me a nice big chambered classical mouthpiece, but I'm poor, so I'm stuck with my factory yamaha mouthpiece :kduh:

robert4xst · 08-01-2002, 02:30 PM

I think the best thing for you to do is to start with everything shallow and small... then work your way up until you like it.

billikenn · 08-01-2002, 03:08 PM

Right now I hav ethe wood and I have the design for my forst try, only making slight modifications to a premiere by hite so that it woks more seamlessly with my particular horn. My sax has a neck tuner so I want the flow into the neck seamless.

I have planned out every cut for the exterior, but I decided I need a metel ring before I try to cut the inside. Also I am not exactly sure how im going to cut the inside. for a bulk of the material I can use a drill press and a jig im designiing, but that does not work for all of it. I assumed I would carve out the remaining interior excess with a gouge and several carving tools, but when i got the wood I put a gouge to it and with all my force could barely scratch it. So Im thinging I may have to get a dremel tool in order to make the chamber. Which means I havbe to wait til I get paid. (I just started a new job) Also I need to find a metal ring, preferably brass and it must have an ID of 1". If anyone has any ideas of what I can use let me know. I may just ask my
instrument tech. to frabricate me one.

The wood is incredibly heavy, itsamazing when you hold a piece...

Josh

billikenn · 08-01-2002, 03:12 PM

another thing Idecided was to cut the facing around a reed. Im going to let 3 or 4 of my favorites reeds that have been broken in determine the shape of the tip, rails, facing, facing length, and window size. This way I dont have to even try to find a reed that works well with my mouthpiece. Or try to face a mp to a specific!

robert4xst · 08-19-2002, 09:40 PM

So how's the mouthpiece coming?

billikenn · 09-16-2002, 05:48 PM

sorry no reply lately. Between school work and church, and now leading the youth group im not left with much free time. And the mpc has been put on hold. Sad to say, I was looking forward to expiramenting. If things settle down maybe I can get a chance to work on it over a weekend. My weekends are short because I work tue - sat and have school mon - fri and church wed - thur night then sunday morning Im there about 8-12...

pray for me and Ill pray for you
in his name
Josh