
What was your very first saxophone mouthpiece?
If you’re like me, you probably don’t remember. It was whatever came in the case with your first instrument.
Mine was a rental sax and the mouthpiece had deep teeth marks gouged into it. Bleh.
I’ve seen some pretty gnarly mouthpieces on beginner setups and besides often being quite gross, these also don’t usually play very well either.
Sometimes, they can actually prevent a student from ever getting a decent sound which can result in just giving up the saxophone before even getting started.
Getting a Better Start
Now, for a while, there has been a particular go-to beginner mouthpiece, that I and many others have recommended, until I realized that they aren’t actually very good.
Students deserve better when starting out and we wanted to design a mouthpiece that would help beginning players develop their sound and embouchure. A mouthpiece that is consistent and has precise tip and rails so that the reed can vibrate freely.
We know that in band programs it’s important to have a clear homogeneous sound to blend with the ensemble but that students sometimes need to project like when they are playing in jazz band or marching band.
The BetterSax Classic mouthpiece does all that, is 100% made in the USA, and costs under $40.
BetterSax Classic Alto and Tenor Mouthpieces
Made with Precision for Ease of Play
Your first mouthpiece should be easy to play and get a good sound on. For this to happen it has to be made with precision especially at the tip, rails, facing and table.
That’s why we have these made using aerospace and defense department grade injection molding using the same type of plastic you find in surgical equipment and then have them hand finished by experts at the JJ Babbitt factory in Elkhart, IN.
That’s the same place that legendary Meyer and Otto Link mouthpieces are made.
Great Sound and Response
The BetterSax Classic mouthpiece is available for alto and tenor saxophone and is especially designed to get beginner players off to the best possible start at an affordable price.
I love how this mouthpiece sounds and responds across the whole range of the saxophone. I can play a wide dynamic range from pp to ff on this and it’s easy to play in tune.
We have included a clear mouthpiece patch on all of these for comfort. Most beginner students are biting way too much on their mouthpiece. With a mouthpiece patch on there, you have a good indicator of whether or not you are biting. If your teeth cut through this in the first months, that means you need to put less pressure.
These mouthpieces are going to help a lot of students get started on the right foot, but the band directors and teachers are the ones who are really going to notice the difference.
Reed Friendly, Consistent, and Versatile
We don’t want our students struggling to get a good sound or to play in the upper and lower registers of the saxophone. We want our students’ mouthpieces to be reed friendly and consistent so that everybody in the section is working on a level playing field.
We want a mouthpiece that feels at home in concert band, but also jazz band and marching band.
So if you’ve got some no-name stock mouthpiece that came with your saxophone, and you want to upgrade to something without spending a lot, this is for you.
If you bought a used horn, or have a rental and want to start with a brand new mouthpiece nobody else has played on, this is for you.
If your mouthpiece has a chip, dent, crack or nasty teeth marks in it, this makes for a great replacement.
If you want to develop your sound and embouchure with a solid mouthpiece that will set you up and help prepare you for a later upgrade to a more advanced classical or jazz mouthpiece, the BetterSax Classic mouthpiece is for you.
I’ve also made a video for you with 8 things you need to know for a beautiful saxophone sound. Go ahead and watch that one here next.
2 Comments
Is there a BetterSax SOPRANO. Sax ?
Is there a ligature and cap combo for sale at Sweetwater that you recommend for the BetterSax classic tenor mouthpiece? My old generic metal ligature and plastic cap do not fit to my liking.