Saxophone Forum


by zeekman116
(27 posts)
14 years ago

Adding Some Edge with Jody Jazz

Alright, so I have had my Jody Jazz HR 7* for a while now, and I love this piece. However, I was reading online and I was trying to find a way to add some edge. Some other guys with a JJ HR sadi they added a wedge for some edge. Could someone possible tell me how and what this is?

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  1. by saxandbassplayer
    (42 posts)

    14 years ago

    Re: Adding Some Edge with Jody Jazz

    What this wedge is, is simply creating a larger baffle in the mouthpiece. I don't know how much you know about mouthpiece anatomy, but if you don't Theo Wanne has a great little page on that: www.theowanne.com/mouthpieces101/baffle.php But creating the baffle is easy. Basically just put a little bit of wood putty inside the mouthpiece and shaping it into a baffle. The nice thing about this is it isn't anything permanent, it sets and stays pretty well, it's cheap, and it's really easy to change. From here you can experiment with how much of a baffle (in essence, how much more edge) you want. Seasoned artisans can mess around more with shapes, work with the size and shape of the throat, and who knows? Maybe you'll turn it into a business and start working out mouthpieces of your own!

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    1. by zeekman116
      (27 posts)

      14 years ago

      Re: Adding Some Edge with Jody Jazz

      Alright, I read the Theo Wanna page and the step baffle looks like something interesting to try. So would I just simply take some putty and slap it on the mouthpiece and form it to the shape I want? And if so, would something as goofy as silly putty work for this?

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      1. by saxandbassplayer
        (42 posts)

        14 years ago

        Re: Adding Some Edge with Jody Jazz

        Actually, let me rethink the material on that. Something like Dental Wax would work a lot better (and safer) and would be pretty easy to come by too. And it's easier to form and experiment with. Silly Putty would certainly work well, and you could even use Play Doh. Doesn't have to be anything fancy, just needs to get the job done. Some of my colleagues have been using created baffles in their mouthpieces and it really does make a difference in edge, and you can get some unique and wonderful outcomes with enough experimentation. If you find a design/shape/size that you really like and want to have a more permanent baffle, plumbers epoxy putty is the recommended choice (though with the temporary ones it's so easy to fix and maintain that I see no reason in making a truly permanent one).

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        1. by zeekman116
          (27 posts)

          14 years ago

          Re: Adding Some Edge with Jody Jazz

          Thanks so much for this info! I Have been looking for this solution and it was starting to make me angry. So I am very grateful for your service. However, I have another question, when it says high or medium baffle, what exactly does that refer to in the terms of concave or roll over baffles?

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        2. by peter090
          (155 posts)

          14 years ago

          Re: Adding Some Edge with Jody Jazz

          The Jody Jazz hard rubber is their emulation of a rubber Link It has a slight rollover baffle and a round chamber. The earlier Jody Jazz had a removable wedge baffle. Read the article posted in the earlier response for a good explanation of what that all means. You can add a baffle and shape it any way you like and see what happens with the sound but keep in mind that a properly designed mouthpiece is taking into account the physical volume of the chamber. Changing the shape of the baffle changes the intonation of the piece as well as the sound. The mouthpiece JJ as is a great and flexible jazz mouthpiece. You'd be better served by trying to get more edge by adjusting how much mouthpiece you are using and the direction/intensity of the airstream. Once you are getting the full potential of that piece if you are still looking for something edgier try a mouthpiece designed with a higher baffle.

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