FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Why should I try a JodyJazz?

Jody Espina is a working musician who had a mouthpiece worked on, and worked on some more, and then some more, (see The JodyJazz Story) until it played perfectly for him. The perfect mouthpiece for Jody Espina seems to be the perfect mouthpiece for the majority of people who try it. Maybe it's the perfect one for you.

Will I have to play a different brand or strength of reed if I change to a JodyJazz mouthpiece?

Maybe. A new mouthpiece requires a new reed because your old reed has conformed to the old mouthpiece. Also a different tip opening, baffle and chamber might require a different brand or strength of reed.

What brand of reeds do you recommend?

The Fibracell synthetic reed plays quite nicely and even if it's not your main reed it's a great thing to have in the case when you can't find a good cane reed. I also use Rico Jazz Select unfiled 3S or 3M and I like Java 3 also.

What happens if I order a JodyJazz mouthpiece and I don't like it?

Send it back for a full refund. It's impossible to design a mouthpiece that works for everybody. We know that, so we expect some returns. We hope by giving you the best, most friendly customer service, that even if our mouthpiece is not for you, you'll still recommend us to your friends as a great company to do business with.

What's different about the JodyJazz Mouthpiece?

We tried to get more bottom into the sound as well as having nice strong projection. The altissimo notes play more easily on the JodyJazz and it has excellent intonation.

What's the deal with the spoiler?

The Spoiler is Santy Runyon's patented invention. It adds volume and brightness to the mouthpiece. Everyone uses the spoiler differently. I love the spoiler and here's how I use it: Normally I don't use it, but when I'm on a job that gets very loud, or a pop/rock/funk type of gig where I feel I need more edge and volume to my sound, then I put the spoiler in and it feels like a secret weapon. The spoiler is like having two mouthpieces in one. Some people use it all of the time and some people never use it and some people like me use it strategically. I recommend buying a JodyJazz with the spoiler, and if you don't like it, and you're sure that you won't use it, you can return it for a refund.

How is the altissimo range with the JodyJazz?

Fantastic! It's one of the great features of the mouthpiece.

What facing should I get?

Look at the charts and compare your mouthpiece or go by these very general guidelines:

For Alto, most professionals and college students who play jazz and pop music play #7, 8, or 9, with #8 being the most popular facing for pros. Students play #4's through #8's. Fourth, fifth and sixth graders might play #4, 5, and 6 while middle school players might try #6 or #7 and high school players might use #6, 7, or 8.

For Tenor, use the same facing numbers as for Alto but add one number higher to the range and one number higher to the most popular facing. For example: The most popular facing for pros on Tenor is a #9 with the range of popular facings being from #7 to a #10.

Remember these are very general guidelines and your private teacher is the best person to advise you, or you may submit your questions to us and we can help guide you to the right facing. With your question for help picking out the right facing, be sure to include a complete description of your current setup including mouthpiece, reed strength and brand, brand of horn, how long you've been playing, what kind of playing you currently do and how many hours a week you play/practice.

Why don't you have famous musicians endorsing the JodyJazz mouthpiece?

All of the JodyJazz endorsers are world class players of the highest caliber and their resumes bear this out. But since they aren't household names in the music business yet, they end up doing a much wider variety of jobs than the famous recording artists do. The famous recording artist is only called upon to do his or her "thing" whether it's in a concert or a recording session. They don't call Michael Brecker and say, "We want you to sound like Stan Getz." But they do call the rest of us and say we want a Sanborn vibe or a Gato vibe or a swing or a Ben Webster vibe. That's what the Jody Jazz is about; Versatility, while at the same time being able to have your own sound.

What do you mean by "free blowing"?

It feels like the instrument wants to play for you. Your air goes into the mouthpiece smoothly with very little resistance. For me it's a very personal, particular feeling that I have when a mouthpiece plays the way I like it to. It's as if the mouthpiece accepts my air and welcomes it into the horn. When I'm working on a mouthpiece that feel is one of the main criteria. I know immediately when I blow into the mouthpiece whether or not it gives me that certain "free blowing" feeling.

What do you mean by playability?

A mouthpiece that has good playability means that you don't have to fight it to play whatever you want on the saxophone or clarinet. Low notes as well as high notes come out effortlessly and in tune without adjustments from the player. Articulation and tone quality are no problem. If you are playing with the proper air support and embouchure tension, a good mouthpiece will play the entire range of the instrument without the player having to adjust; that's playability.

What is the speed bump that you talk about in the tone chamber of the Jody Jazz mouthpieces?

This is another one of Santy Runyon's innovations/inventions. In the first several decades of the 1900's, saxophone mouthpieces played very stuffy and did not project well at all. When he was still a boy, Santy Runyon read about Bernouli's Principle of the Wing and how the air moving over the curved surface of the wing travels faster than the air moving over the straight surface. Applying this idea to his mouthpiece, Santy put chewing gum into the mouthpiece to create a curved surface in the tone chamber, and it worked. He had a louder more free blowing mouthpiece because the air was traveling faster in the mouthpiece. Today if you look at a translucent JodyJazz mouthpiece from the side you can see this speed bump and Bernouli's Principle at work.

Is the Jody Jazz for me, yes or no?

1. I want a deep full sound but I need good projection. Is the Jody Jazz for me?

Yes.

2. I play classical saxophone and want a dark classical sound. Is the JodyJazz for me?

No. We recommend the Jody Espina model which gets a dark classical sound at a great price.

3. I play in a Ska band and a top 40 band so I need a bright cutting sound. Is the JodyJazz for me?

Yes. Leave the spoiler in and you've got the sound with great intonation to boot.

4. I'm a beginner.
Is the JodyJazz for me?

Yes. We have had great results with beginners on the #4 facing and if you are in school, your classmates will envy the cool colored mouthpiece, and your band director will notice your improved tone immediately.

5. I play a Meyer which I like, but it doesn't give me enough projection (volume/cut) sometimes. Is the JodyJazz for me?

Yes. Definitely.

6. I'm looking for the brightest edgiest mouthpiece I can find. I've never found a mouthpiece that was too bright for me. Is the Jody Jazz for me?

No, probably not. While the JodyJazz has a healthy amount of brightness with the spoiler in, it's still more versatile than the
mouthpiece that you describe, therefore it's not that bright.