News: December 11, 2009

Please email or call me (570-350-5843) for the current status.-Ken

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Why Saxscape?

"The tenor sax has always seemed to me to be the hardest sax to get a good mouthpiece for. It seemed like there was always a tradeoff: A piece that responded and projected great, but had a paint-peeler tone; A piece with great tone but sounded like you were playing into a mattress; or a Link with a wedge added, which projected better but didn't have the Link sound anymore. After putting some thought and experimentation into the problem (along with hundreds of prototypes), I've finally achieved a consistent line of mouthpieces that respond quickly, have great projection and dynamic range, and last but not least, great tone.

"I had a lot of feedback from a lot of great musicians who taught me much about tone production as a performing musician myself, and what they wanted in a mouthpiece..... All these concepts came together in this project that I'm calling Saxscape Mouthpieces."

-Ken Barry

Visit Ken's MySpace page for upcoming gigs and stuff...

Retail price: $250

SAXSCAPE ENDORSERS:

Ken Gioffre (NF 108 and Downtown Studio 108 Pro Series mouthpieces) -- Currently touring with Smokey Robinson. Ken has recorded for the Sony, Universal, Blue Note-Manhattan, MCA, Denon, and Sire labels. He has also performed and recorded for the ABC, NBC, CBS, A&E, HBO, ESPN, and BET television networks.

"I recently met with Ken Barry of Saxscape and played several models of his mouthpieces. All were outstanding. I found them to be extremely consistent and of the highest quality. Each one played with ease while possessing color and character. Ken is a quiet gentleman who lets his mouthpieces speak for themselves. I highly recommend that you let them speak for you as well. You will find that you do more than just play a Saxscape mouthpiece, you create."

Ken Gioffre's MySpace Page | www.kengioffre.com

Glenn Cashman (NF 108 Pro Series mouthpiece) -- Currently Director of Jazz Studies at Colgate University in New York. Glenn has released CD's featuring Kenny Barron and Tom Ranier, and he has performed or recorded with Claudio Roditi, Gary Foster, Jeff Clayton, and Rob McConnell.

"Hands down the NF 108 is the best mouthpiece I've tried, and I've tried them all."

Glenn's YouTube Videos | www.glenncashman.com

Jimmy Greene: Saxophonist, composer, and bandleader Jimmy Greene has emerged as a positive young presence in the creative music world. His solo recordings, True Life Stories (Criss Cross), Forever (Criss Cross), Brand New World (RCA Victor) and Introducing Jimmy Greene (Criss Cross) have been met with much critical acclaim.

"I believe that sound is the single most identifiable attribute of a saxophonist’s playing, and the right mouthpiece setup is vital in the creation of that sound. While playing the Saxscape mouthpiece, simply put, I am able to achieve the sound I hear in my head. Ken Barry has come up with a great design, and I have been thrilled with my Saxscape Uptown Xtra Dark. The mouthpiece gives me the deep, dark sound I always imagined, without sacrificing clarity, projection, or response. Thanks, Ken, for your hard work and dedication to the sound of the saxophone. I look forward to playing Saxscape mouthpieces for years to come."

www.jimmygreene.com >>

More quotes from Saxscape players >>

Check out Saxscape auctions currently on eBay -- get an authentic Saxscape for a great deal!

Pro Series: Why .108" (7*)? This opening has proven over and over to be the most popular tip opening among pro players -- Dave Guardala set that as the optimum opening for his pieces, and many current players are using this tip opening on their pieces, from bright to dark.... I've personally found it to be the friendliest one for the most reeds I've tried with all the styles of pieces.

SAXSCAPE MODELS, PRO SERIES 108 (7*) OPENINGS (available now from this website):

Downtown Studio: for bright playing, great for blues, rock, R&B, soul, smooth jazz and fusion. It has a high baffle, with a slight rollover like a Dukoff, but a larger chamber for fatter upper end and great low end response.

Uptown KB (AKA Uptown Dark): A fat Link sound, but with great projection and quick response. This one is the most Link-like in terms of fatness of sound and overtones. This is Ken Barry's personal piece for the concept he's going after (the fat Link sound, without a lot of edge).

Uptown NF: A fat Link sound but with more edge than the Dark. Designed in collaboration with Nick Franciosa, who used to work for Dave Guardala testing and approving the horns that were sent out to Mike Brecker, Branford Marsalis, and Tom Scott. Nick played the very best Guardala pieces while working with Dave, and owns the piece that Brecker played while recording the "Tales from the Hudson" CD. Nick now plays the NF 108 for all his gigs, ranging from straight ahead piano-quartet jazz, to heavy rock and blues, and keeps the old Guardalas as museum pieces. He previously studied privately with Bob Berg and Steve Grossman.

Nick Franciosa's MySpace Page

CUSTOM SERIES

Please contact me at saxscape@gmail.com or 570-350-5843 to see what I have in stock, available to ship immediately. Depending on what you are interested in, and what is ready to be machined, I will accept an order with shipping time about 3-4 weeks. Once I get more of the programming worked out for the CNC, then I should be able to deliver pieces in a shorter timeframe.

RETURN/EXCHANGE POLICY

Currently I only offer exchanges for adjustments on a piece, or a different model of mouthpiece. If it seems like it just won't work out for whatever reason, I will work with you on a refund repayment plan. As the business grows (more than the one-man shop that it is now), I will be offering full refunds, but for now the costs of leasing equipment and other overhead make it difficult to provide full refunds in a timely manner. The investments so far have been in furthering the technical aspects of the pieces and making sure each one is of the highest playing quality. I will work with you as best I can to get you the best possible mouthpiece, and I hope to become a full service retailer in the near future.