Berg Larsen Mouthpieces

Berg Larsen Saxophone Mouthpieces are used by some of The Worlds top professional saxophonists. A comprehensive range of tip openings, baffles and facing design gives the saxophonist the ability customize the mouthpiece.

The larger the baffle (lower number) the brighter the tone. These are available in two facings, "SMS" french facing, and the longer "M" American facing. The M facing makes it easier to sound low notes, the SMS facing makes it easier to sound high notes. Each Berg Larsen Mouthpiece includes a cap and ligature.

When selecting a mouthpiece, there are a number of factors to consider

 

1) Tip Opening
The tip opening is the distance between the tip of the reed and the tip of the mouthpiece, measured in thousands of an inch. Generally speaking, the wider the tip opening, the softer the reed that may be used. For most beginners a narrower tip opening will result in a clearer tone and more consistent intonation.

The tip openings available are shown in the green section of the table below, with the most popular ones shown in the red typeface.

	Mouthpiece Type				Tip Opening
Instrument	Black Ebonite	Stainless Steel	Gold Series Grained Ebonite	Gold Series Bronze	Close	Medium Close		Medium		Medium Open		Open
Bb Soprano Sax					40	45	50	55	60	65	70	75	80 and more
Eb Alto Sax					70	75	80	85	90	95	100	105	110 and more
Bb Tenor Sax					90	95	100	105	110	115	120	125	130 and more
Eb Baritone Sax					90	95	100	105	110	115	120	125	130 and more

2) Tone Chamber
The degree of edge or brightness the player obtains is dictated by the size of the tone chamber. Referring to the diagram above, the more 'baffle' that is built into the tone chamber, the more edge the tone will have. A '0' tone chamber will have the most edge and a '3' will have a more mellow tone.

Tone Chambers: '0' - BRILLIANT, '1' - BRIGHT, '2' - ROUND, '3' - MELLOW.

3) Length of facing
The term 'SMS' or 'M' indicates the choice of facing. The SMS, or French facing is usually shorter with a steeper curve. The 'M' or American facing is slightly longer with a flatter type curve. These facing term is only to indicate the facing curve length and in no way affects the actual sound of the mouthpiece.

Example
The designation 100/0SMS for a tenor sax mouthpiece indicates a medium-close tip opening, a brilliant tone chamber and a short facing length.