Exactly what is a

CUSTOM MADE  

Sugal Mouthpiece  

Why Sugal finds it necessary to work on every

mouthpiece that comes off the CNC machine.

RE: THE RELATIONSHIP

It is important to understand that the mouthpiece of any woodwind or brass instrument is responsible for 85%-95% of the sound it  produces.

Regarding the saxophone and clarinet there is a direct relationship between the reed the ligature and the tip opening. It should also be noted that the material the mouthpiece is produced from also plays an important role in sound production.   

RE: SOUND PRODUCING

Aspiring musicians will purchase an expensive saxophone (or clarinet) and tend to cut corners by buying a poor quality mass produced mouthpiece, resulting in a very poor produced sound. The same is true if a musicians purchases an expensive mouthpiece and uses it on an inexpensive instrument .

RE: YOUR CRAFT

Over the past thirty five years I’ve heard many wonderful sax players sound great on less expensive –student saxophones simply because they purchased  a professional made mouthpiece.  I’ve always believed that if you love your craft as I’m certain most musician do then it is the ideal solution to invest in yourself by having both a professional saxophone and a professional made saxophone mouthpiece. 

The semi-finished mouthpieces that are machined on our CNC machines are produced from the finest quality virgin grain copper bar stock  

However, once the part has been pre-formed into a mouthpiece they are in no way shape or form ready to be played. There is a great deal of follow up hand work to be done

RE: HAND WORK

As a mouthpiece model maker and designer I take each pre-formed mouthpiece and meticulously hand finished every part of the mouthpiece,  Once completed the quality and sound the mouthpiece produces becomes  obvious.  I’ll  spend  about four to five hours on just  refacing aspect of the mouthpiece. Over the years I’ve learned that

"quality is long remembered after price has been forgotten"

Please take a few moments to permit me to explain how I create a custom made mouthpiece that has become to be known as the “holy grail” of mouthpieces, second to none.   .

FIRST : 

I’ll Flatten the table

Probably the most aspect of a great mouthpiece is to have a perfectly flat table. This is crucial for the mouthpiece to function properly. Most mass produced mouthpieces produced by some of the most respected names in the industry do not have a perfectly flat table.

Our CNC machine precisely cuts a flat table and side rails. In the process the CNC cooling system keeps the material at an ideal cooling level.  

Once the part is removed from the CNC fixture I sit down at the bench with a set of feeler gauges and    measure the curvature of the table. Every measurement on the table of the mouthpiece is carefully read and then re-fined by hand .

Although the CNC machine program is designed to cut a perfect table I find in order for the piece to reach it’s maximum potential it needs additional hand work. This is the precise reason why I spend a great deal of time and energy to insure I have a flat table   

I also meticulously work on the side rails and table to insure that I have an even and perfect curve.   

SECOND:

Perfectly Even - side rails

Perfectly even and parallel side rails both on the the left and right side makes a big difference in  sound production of the mouthpiece.  Sitting at the bench I’ll measure each side rail with a micrometer and later in the finishing process laser treat the side rails as well as the entire mouthpiece.     

THIRD:

A Balanced - tip rail

Having a balanced tip rail is vital to sound production. While working on the mouthpiece I like to create a “balanced” tip rail that is created by hand. The finished piece will have a  slight curve on each side. This allowis the air to flow evenly through the center of the tip of the mouthpiece. In general I prefer a thinner tip rail as this allows the tone to become   “bolder” and richer.     .

FOURTH :

Hand Work Inside the Baffle work

Most manufacturers will agree that the baffle either straight or containing what is known as a “roll over baffle” will determine the projection and richness as well as the color of the sound.

We’ve created for the modern jazz saxophonist what I regard as  the perfect “roll over baffle”  While others have tried to imitate our concept no other maker has been able to duplicate it.

The technology behind our famous “roll over baffle” is what is known in the machining industry as a compound radius. The pure copper body material and roll over baffle produced on our CNC machining center virtually eliminates that “nasal” tonality common in most other brands of metal and synthetic material mouthpieces .

Our “roll over baffle” also contains what is called “re-fined mini-tracks”. The “mini-tracks  allows the metal to breathe. Thus the thin part of the reed is able to  resonate evenly. Using a set of Swiss precision jewelry files I am able adjust by hand the height of the baffle.  It is imperative the baffle is perfectly shaped  to conform to the tip opening of the mouthpiece. The baffle and refined mini-tracks enables the mouthpieces to be free blowing with little to no resistance. .

FIFTH:

Conforming to the Curve.

Over the years I ‘ve built up a library of  hundreds of facing used by some of the most famous players in the world. Thus there are a multitude of curves (facings) that I have at my disposal to create just about any type of sound a player may aspires to.

In addition having studied many of the world class players mouthpiece facings I’ve learned that certain cures are radial while others are elliptical. I have been able to incorporate the best attributes of both elliptical and radial curves of some of the best playing mouthpieces into our mouthpieces. More than seventeen thousand players over the years have experienced a pleasant playing experience based upon the best attributes of those incorporated facings

Every mouthpiece we produce has tip opening that has a matching table and radial curve. I tend to describe it like a camera has a relationship to it’s shutter speed and aperture, A perfectly matched shutter speed will give you to the perfect photo –this is true of the relationship to the tip opening and the facing.  

SIXTH :

The Ideal -Undercut window

I prefer to have the “window” of all our mouthpieces cut slightly thinner than most other brands. A thinner widow aides in having the mouthpiece perform with less resistance.    

SEVENTH :

Your mouthpiece can be repaired.

If you find you would like to have your mouthpiece re-faced, repaired, traded please reach out to me as I would be delighted to talk with you.

EIGHTH:

Due to the fact that our custom made mouthpieces are manufacturered to your speciific requirements kindly note:

All CNC custom ordered  mouthpieces may be exchanged for the same or different model in the event you are not satisfied for any reason.

Due to the amount of customization and hand work involved we can not offer cash, pay pal or credit card refunds, only exchanges for the same or similar model.