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.

Francois Louis Spectruoso mouthpieces

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.

Francois Louis mouthpiece

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 !

Francois Louis mouthpiece vibration

A high quality “Amber” coloured PMMA material with a clear and direct response that speaks by itself.

Francois Louis Amber mouthpiece


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:


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.

FL reed positioning 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.




FL reed positioning 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 !