The François Louis mouthpieces
Thanks to the continuous support from many of you and your persistant request for the Francois Louis® mouthpieces, I have spent the last few years on the development of a new line of saxophone mouthpieces. The result is here, with the new “Spectruoso” Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Baritone mouthpieces line.
Many of the great players kept asking me to develop a more “traditional” chamber. I used the time saved by the general slowdown of the recent years to design a new “TR” chamber for Alto and Tenor mouthpieces completing the “Spectruoso” line.
In addition a new “Amber” line was developed with a high quality amber coloured PMMA material.
The “Spectruoso” and “Amber” Signature mouthpieces are high standard mouthpieces, entirely hand finished by FL himself and signed on every mouthpiece’s table.
A new design that will make your Francois Louis mouthpiece recognisable from the first blow. Beautifully mixed polished and sanded (mate) surfaces, with an inner curve at the junction between the beak and the body of the mouthpiece and also at the junction between the shank and the body.
Material
A great new composite material, the “Grounds” that brings up the roots of the vibration. Inspired by the determination of finding a modern material that resonates like wood, with absolute consistency and more focus.
Let me tell you, it does vibrate !
A high quality “Amber” coloured PMMA material with a clear and direct response that speaks by itself.
Care
To enjoy your mouthpiece at its best, clean it regularly using a soft tooth brush and mild dish soap. Composite materials are sensitive to solvents, avoid using any.
Resonance has been privileged. Although stronger than hard rubber the “grounds” is not an unbreakable material. Care for your mouthpiece gently to get the most out of it.
Chambers
The “Spectruoso” is a baffled mouthpiece.
It is available in three different chambers:
- The Sphere Chamber
Is the “replica” of the original Francois Louis® mouthpieces. It offers an unbelievable dynamic range with a full and rich sound color from the pianissimo to the most powerful fortissimo. It really conveys the air you blow into sound, with an enormous efficiency and a total spectrum of harmonics. Highs, Mids and Lows: dark and bright altogether with a rich medium color. For those who love to use sound colors the way painters do.
- The Medium Large Chamber
Is an Ogival, more traditional type of chamber. It offers quite the same advantages of dynamics with more separation in the spectrum between highs and lows. A more airy sound with a lot of bounce. The perfect mouthpiece for “Hard Bop” style. Reminiscent of the sound of the 50’s, playing with the efficiency of the best “modern” mouthpieces.
- The Traditional Chamber
Available for Alto & Tenor saxophones, it is a big hollow chamber with sidewalls undercut. It offers a dark and deep bouncing sound with a natural development of harmonics and an open resonance. A bit of the sidewalls are maintained to assure a perfectly controlled airflow. It plays like a “François Louis” mouthpiece that sounds like a “Traditional” mouthpiece.
Facings
This might well be the most personal element of a mouthpiece. Where one likes resistance combined with projection, others will prefer free blowing with darkness, or resistance, darkness and “retenue”. The facing is a very important element of the mouthpiece: it is the “KEY” that unlocks the potential of its inside.
Tips & Tricks
Adjusting the reed to the mouthpiece has always been particular and greatly influences the way the reed plays. On the “Spectruoso” mouthpiece, the tip is a little rounder than most of the reeds tips.
If you bring the reed up to cover the entire tip of the mouthpiece, the sides of the reed will go slightly over the tip of the mouthpiece. It will play perfectly, with the reed feeling a little harder.
If you place the reed a little lower, with the sides just aligned to the tip of the mouthpiece, the center of the reed will not totally cover the tip of the mouthpiece. It will make the reed feel a little softer.
This way, you can get more from your reeds and make them playable to your own taste, Enjoy !