Saxophone Mouthpiece Refacing NYC Otto Link Super Tonemaster

[@johnmangione1]

I had a hard rubber otto link and a metal yani mouthpiece worked by Stephan I never believed any of this could possibly make a difference in playability Wow I couldn’t have been more wrong. The work and workmanship that Stephan performs is very meticulous. The most important thing is how both these mouthpieces now respond. They are more centered and even throughout the whole range of the horn even into the altissimo register I highly recommend Stephan Kammerer.

[@Stephan-Kammerer]

Hi John! man, thank you! I 'm glad the pieces are working out for you!

[@joshcharlat850]

John, Nothing quite like technical discovery such as that! Happy for you.

[@Sirvalorsax]

This is fantastic!!!!!!! I have some pieces I'd like to get reworked for sure!!!!!!!!

[@Stephan-Kammerer]

Thanks man! Yup just let me know. You can schedule time for refacing here: skmouthpieces.as.me/schedule.php You're also welcome to contact me through my website.

[@SaxSpy]

Now this is a video I've been wanting to see for a while!

[@Stephan-Kammerer]

Thanks man! What about it do you find interesting?

[@Stephan-Kammerer]

@Will Sandoval Thanks! I'm curious about what you find interesting in this video. Mostly I work on vintage pieces, is it because it's a current production piece?

[@SaxSpy]

@@Stephan-Kammerer When I shadowed you, you talked about a W table and other issues. The visual element of those lines is super informative.

[@Stephan-Kammerer]

@Will Sandoval Thanks. Unfortunately, right off the shelf most of these pieces are basically rough blanks but with a good refacing job they can be quite good. They are different in the design from older vintage Links though so some of the core qualities will never be the same as older pieces.

[@Stephan-Kammerer]

@@SaxSpy I still see these come through my shop once in a while and they're always very different. This is the first time I've seen the lines as pronounced as these.

[@ПчеловекПчеловек-ц9с]

Прогиб на мундштке нужен, но не такой большой. Все продумано до нас... Тростт имеет свойство получать горб при высыхании, и когда стол ровный -горб на трости сифонит. А когда есть прогиб на мундштке, горб ложиться в эту ямку. Но у линков прогиб великоват, иногда 0.05 мм, это много. 0.02 мм нормально.

[@MrGuto]

nice work. would loved to have heard how it played before and after. especially if you could point out the issues that were corrected/modified.

[@Stephan-Kammerer]

That's a great idea!

[@椋_りょうノビシロ]

Very satisfied when watching refacing video

[@Stephan-Kammerer]

Thank you! :-)

[@saxophonegeeks]

great video! really shows the process and the factors that go into it. And a lot of troubleshoot I'm sure, as they're all different. A reface friend of mine once said (working on a factory production modern link) that it was like working on a raw blank. All the best.

[@Stephan-Kammerer]

Hey man. Thanks! Yes, they can be pretty time consuming

[@timobesamusca9332]

Very interesting video, thank you Stephan! Love these videos!

[@Stephan-Kammerer]

Thanks Timo!

[@bryandickerson5365]

Would have been very nice to hear a before and after playing test.

[@Stephan-Kammerer]

Hi Bryan! Yes, it's been mentioned by others and it's a great idea. I'll see if I can do some of that in future videos, it just doesn't fit in naturally in my work flow so I have to remember to do it.

[@jazzseba]

It would be awesome to hear the before and after your work in order to understand the acoustic implications of the refacing process!!!! Great work man!!!! Greetings from Locombia!

[@Stephan-Kammerer]

That's a good idea. I'll probably start doing some before and after videos as well. Thank you!

[@jazzseba]

@@Stephan-Kammerer keep it up with the nerdyness!!!

[@Stephan-Kammerer]

@@jazzseba I absolutely will ;-)

[@ernietollar407]

I've got a 7 Link for alto - great but i always think it is more work to play than it probably should be. hmm.

[@bensen3325]

I have a mouthpiece of a tenor sax ottolink from 1993, I used it since than, but i now I can't use it anymore because the reed closes! I use vandoren reed 2, 5 now. What can be the problem with the ottolink mouthpiece, why does it close itself ?Thank you sir. ❤🎷

[@Stephan-Kammerer]

Is it hard-rubber or metal? Hard rubber wears over time so I could have changed. Metal wears as well but very slowly so it's not likely worn. Even a light bump can impact a metal piece and so it might be that. If you have someone who's practiced with a measuring kit around you it's probably a good idea to measure it and see. You're also welcome to send it to me. You can schedule a time here if you'd like to do that. skmouthpieces.as.me/schedule.php

[@bensen3325]

@@Stephan-Kammerer Thank you very much for your answer! My mouthpiece is made from metal! I live in Istanbul, so it will be a bit complicate to send it to you 😊 but thanks for your offer! Unfortunatly I can't find someone here to mesure it! Thank you very much for your help! 🙋❤🎷

[@javierquesada798]

Please, where do I get the tools that you use? Thank you and cheers

[@Stephan-Kammerer]

You can get everything online. I use feeler gauges, tip opening gauge, and a glass gauge for measuring. Just search for: tools for mouthpiece refacing

[@bebopshulang]

How would you describe the sound after the refacing? I want to send you my modern otto link and want it to have a centered even tone. I also would want to get it replated to rhodium silver along with the ligature. Would that be possible?

[@Stephan-Kammerer]

Hi. There is no one way that refacing impacts the sound. It depends on the general design of the mouthpiece. A good refacing job will have the mouthpiece respond much better in all of the registers and bring out the sound qualities of the design. Modern Otto Link mouthpieces generally tend to come out with a more even sound and will be much easier to play which will allow you more freedom. If you want to send me something to work on you can schedule a time here: www.skmouthpieces.com/schedule-refacing

[@jimmyjazz78]

Love your videos, thanks for sharing! Hope to try your pieces sometime.

[@Stephan-Kammerer]

Thank you! Let's stay in touch, this social distancing thing can't go on for ever :-)

[@joshcharlat850]

I noticed you wanted to narrow the siderails. What effect does that have? I realize when it comes to talking about sound and describing it, it is not easy. Maybe it reduces resistance because more air can pass by?

[@Stephan-Kammerer]

Hey Josh. Yes partly resistance. The tip rail has a lot to do with resistance. The width of the side-rails also has to do with the size of the window and that has a lot to do with sound and resonance.

[@Osnosis]

I would assume that more Reed surface is vibrating with thinner rails.

[@bennysuts814]

What was the total time spent on this mouthpiece, and what sort of cost does this translate too? More importantly, how did it end up playing? Did it still have that ‘tubby’ modern Link sound?

[@Stephan-Kammerer]

Good question. The overall cost is the same as any other full refacing but it does take a lot longer to work on these because they're basically blanks. They're very different mouthpieces overall from any older Links so even with a perfect facing they'll never play the same. It's not bad, it's just not the same. If someone is looking for something with a "vintage" vibe it makes more sense buying one of the many modern replicas available now. I do recommend testing pieces first, while most of them are really good some are not.

[@bennysuts814]

That’s very helpful, thankyou!

[@BobDoherty]

The work you did on the baffle, were you effectively adding baffle or taking it down?

[@Stephan-Kammerer]

I didn't add anything to the baffle but because the angle changes when the area right behind the tip rail is taken down it might feel a little brighter in the way it plays because it will be freer blowing and the high mids will come out more in comparison to the high sizzle.

[@bensluijs4507]

Thank you Stephan! i just did this to my own alto link. With a precision file i scratched of a bit above "the line" as you show here, to lower the baffle a bit in a more straight line according to the tip. It took of the shrillness that disturbed me on a for the rest very open, warm feeling mouthpiece. So for me taking down the baffle a bit made it in fact less bright (shrill) . I didn't expect this problem to be solved so quickly. I'm ok for another 10 years a guess with it. Thanks! all best Ben

[@alaindeschain2736]

Stephan, I have seen a lot of your videos and will be sending in my Link next month. I have one question though, do you end up re-plating the mouthpiece when you are finished working on it?

[@Stephan-Kammerer]

I can replate but it is not included in a normal refacing.

[@tltate]

How often does a new mouthpiece like this Need so much work from the very beginning?

[@Stephan-Kammerer]

You can find good playing pieces if you have an opportunity to try out a handful of them but mostly these pieces get better with refacing.

[@grantkoeller8911]

Will you replate the gold plating? You went down to bare brass....

[@Stephan-Kammerer]

Refacing a metal mouthpiece always cuts through the plating. I can replate but it is not included in a normal refacing and many choose to leave their pieces unplated. That said there are benefits to getting the piece re-plated.

[@EgilFurre]

What is the price for this job?

[@Stephan-Kammerer]

Hi Egil, you can see pricing and schedule on my website through this link: www.skmouthpieces.com/schedule-refacing

[@florianschumacher2380]

Hallo Stephan, herzlichen Dank für dieses Video. Ich war nicht so glücklich mit meinem Otto Link STM (7*), da ich auf der Suche nach einem weicheren und volleren Sound war. Ich habe die Baffle und die Seitenwände ähnlich bearbeitet wie im Video gezeigt, vor allem den Querschnitt der Kammer im Bereich der Side rails verbreitert. Das Ergebnis ist umwerfend. Sogar für mich als Hobbyspieler. Herzliche Grüße!

[@Stephan-Kammerer]

Hello Florian, That's great. I'm glad you found this video helpful.

[@arbous65]

Was it worth it to pay for refacing this mouthpiece? I mean if it’s a 1000 dollar piece and putting 200 to 300 dollars for refacing may be justifiable but if the mouthpiece is a recent production that is 200 to 250 dollars would it turn into a good Florida link doing the refacing?!

[@Stephan-Kammerer]

Good question. A modern STM will never play like a Florida link. It's just a fundamentally different design but some people really like them and from a player's perspective, it might then be worth the extra cost to make sure it is set up really well.

[@steniotelesbarbosa2853]

Very good

[@Stephan-Kammerer]

thank you!

[@mattsax_music8439]

You haven’t lived life until you’ve opened a tip on a mouthpiece with 80 grit😂😂

[@Stephan-Kammerer]

That's good, it means I still have some life to live ;-)

[@Zxx459]

Next time have someone play it before and after

[@joshcharlat850]

How can it be that this company sells mouthpieces that are so poorly made. If you are customizing it to your preferences, OK I can understand.

[@Stephan-Kammerer]

I guess at the price point these pieces are being sold from the factory one probably can't expect much better. These pieces can be good though, you just have to try a bunch to make sure you find one of the good ones. I won't be a super accurate piece but might still be a decent player.

[@MrGuto]

@@Stephan-Kammerer I agree with that. There are others that sell mouthpieces with this level of facing care SK has put into it, like Retro Revival or Ted Klum for example, but their mouthpieces cost more than 2x what the Links sell for. If you are on a budget you'll be able to enjoy a nice Otto Link mouthpiece even without this fine finish work.

[@RaymondFraser-f8f]

When you pay a lot of money for a mouthpiece, especially an Otto Link, you really shouldn’t be to do any of this shit !

[@Stephan-Kammerer]

Ideally not of course. However, these pieces are often inaccurately finished so many find it useful to have their mpc refaced for accuracy.