Springer FAQ

Why should I buy a Springer mouthpiece? What makes you different?

• Small Company
  Very easy to do business with. Each of these pieces is very carefully made and tested before it gets to you. Large companies do NOT do that.
• Hand-faced
  The quality and integrity of the facing is a foremost priority. The facing on a mouthpiece is probably the most important of the many factors to good mouthpiece performance. A machined facing is often very inaccurate, and MOST of the mass-produced mouthpieces out there are machine faced.
• Variety
  I offer a wide variety of tip openings in both Alto and Tenor. Many student line pieces come in one size only.
  I also offer several different lines for different levels of students. The Step-Up line is for beginners and those looking for an economical mouthpiece that will deliver immediate reults. The Professional line is for the more advanced students and is geared towards jazz ensemble playing.
• Durability
  The Step-Up mouthpieces are made from a very durable plastic/rubber mix. Hard rubber is very easily damaged. Plastic suffers from "plastic memory" which means it wants to go back to it's original form after facing. These pieces are almost "bulletproof" which means a lot if you are in marching band or just have it bouncing around in your case.
  My pro mouthpieces use hard rubber because it is denser and sounds better. Hard rubber is very easily damaged, so you need to be a more careful with storage and how you treat it.
  I don't use metal yet. Metals like brass and silver bend and sometimes have a bad taste. If you drop your new $200 metal mouthpiece ONCE on the band room floor and say goodbye to it's quality... or hello to expensive repair.
  
• Affordable Price
  There are cheaper mouthpieces - yes! But they do not offer the quality, durability, and amount of choice that I offer.

Are these mouthpieces for Jazz or Concert bands?

The short answer is both. The long answer is that my mouthpieces do NOT have a high baffle or a non-existent baffle but a modest "S" shaped long baffle that offers ease of response but does not yield the "Sanborn" cutting edge of a high baffled piece. I try to make my mouthpieces play simply as free as I can get them to play. My main concern is that it is easy to get every note to speak well over the entire range of the horn. The color is up to the player.

I am in Japan - can I order a mouthpiece from you?

I am sorry. I only deliver inside the USA.

What if I don't like the mouthpiece you send to me?

First, try several different reed strengths. If you normally play a 2 1/2, try the size above (3) if it is closing up on you, and try a size below (2) if it seems stuffy in the high and low registers. Sometimes simply a new reed or different size makes a world of difference. Also spend some time with the piece - it may be that you have completely adapted your playing to your previous bad mouthpiece. Over time the human being is capable of compensating for many mouthpiece faults.

If that fails, please contact me via email with your invoice number and we can work something out. I do have a 30-day money-back policy. (please read the guarantee terms carefully!) If there is any damage in shipping, please email so I can arrange to get you a new one. I am in this for the longterm and want very satisfied customers and I am willing to go the extra distance to earn your satisfaction.

What are your favorite sax players?

My personal favorites are Dexter Gordon, Scott Hamilton, Sam Butera, Shelley Carrol, Jan Garbarek, Hank Mobley, Phil Woods, Brad Leali, Warren Rand, Renato Carranto, and Lew Tabackin. Non sax players: Gene Harris, Warren Vache, Vladimir Horowitz, Bill Charlap, Eddie Gladden, Kurt Elling, Dinah Washington, Ray Charles, Alejandro Fernandez, Mel Brown, Pat Metheney, and Louis Armstrong.

My students would like to buy some of your mouthpieces. Can we get a group discount?

Group discounts are available for orders over 3 mouthpieces. Please email me for details.

Do you sell saxophones, reeds, sheet music,etc...?

No. Not at this time. But I do sell GIGTUBES

Why are your rails so thick? Doesn't that deaden the reed?

Student models: This is part of the mouthpiece mystery. Some people say that the side rails absolutely need to be thin to allow the reed to vibrate at it's maximum potential. I find this not always to be true... I have taken several of my mouthpieces and trimmed the siderails down to about .040" and it didn't make very much difference in the sound at all. Leaving them thicker also allows for the student to get a good sound even though the reed placement may be a tad off-center.