Saxophone Forum


by lance nz
(2 posts)
19 years ago

greenstone mouthpiece?

hi im going to make a mouthpiece out of green stone and just would love to hear from anyone that might have done the same thing,is it a silly ideai? dont know what to expect, the stone i have for this project is very hard stone a core sample from 20 ton rock, thankyou

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  1. by sax_maniac
    (984 posts)

    19 years ago

    Re: greenstone mouthpiece?

    I've not made a mouthpiece from stone, but I've done a fair amount of mouthpiece work. Is the consistency of the stone rather homogeneous? I think this is the most critical factor as to whether it can work or not. If it is layered or composite in nature, you may have a difficult time achieving a smooth surface, or you may need to apply a thin layer of epoxy to some parts of the inside to smooth out small pits and holes - particularly near the tip. Also, you have to consider the thickness and strength of the rails and chamber walls. Material that is strong when solid isn't necessarily strong once it's been hollowed out. All it will take is a vein of weak material in the rock and the mouthpiece could collapse under ligature pressure or stress while being played. "The guy was playing low Bb so loud his mouthpiece exploded..." I admire your taking on the challenge, though I recommend you monkey with some practice pieces before you take on this formidable project.

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    1. by chiamac
      (586 posts)

      19 years ago

      Re: greenstone mouthpiece?

      ok insted of going all out and making the whole thing in stone (which would be pretty hot) what about making parts in stone and parts with hard rubber or metal?

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      1. by sax_maniac
        (984 posts)

        19 years ago

        Re: greenstone mouthpiece?

        I have an old Holton mpc which has a metal chamber and facing and a hard rubber shell that makes up the upper body of the mouthpiece. HR comfort with metal performance. Not a bad idea, though the price given modern manufacturing practices would be rather high. Granite runs about one third the density of brass, so I'd guess the stone piece would play more like a plastic mouthpiece than a metal one, if dimensionally identical. How about taking a base mouthpiece and adorning it with stone? You could achieve a unique appearance, yet still have something that plays.

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        1. by lance nz
          (2 posts)

          19 years ago

          Re: greenstone mouthpiece?

          Thanks for the input dudes, my friend said the stones about 7 on the hardness scale and looks really consistent, New Zealand stone, we have found the right size core drill and am about to start the job will keep yas up to date. cheers

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