SYOS - Shape Your Own Sound saxophone mouthpieces

The future is here! 

A brand new concept in designing and manufacturing saxophone mouthpieces by new French company SYOS. With a host of well known international sax artists rushing to sign up and now playing them, it is hard to ignore the impact this brand are having on the saxophone community. Brilliant technology and personal design combined with accurate 3D print.

There are two categories of mouthpiece available:

1. An Artist model - choose a model the same as one of the SYOS artists if you admire their playing/ sound - you can choose to have it made in a different colour and with a variety of tip openings! We always have a variety of models in stock to try/ buy - contact us for current availability.

2. A fully custom bespoke designed mouthpiece to match your own sound and playing concept. Nick and Bob at Curly Woodwind can assist you in designing your mouthpiece (sound, playability etc) using the SYOS online questionaire and our own experience of playing many different models. Don't be worried! SYOS will make a custom mouthpiece for you and you have 30 days to test. If you find it's not quite right (eg top notes too bright, bottom notes too stuffy etc) SYOS will revise the design and make another piece for you - if you're still not happy within the 30 days you can get a full refund! 

PLEASE NOTE we have a variety of models (artist models, tip openings, colours) in store for you to try. You'll be able to get a good idea about the various levels of brightness, power, darkness, warmth, softness etc available by trying a few in one of our private practice rooms. We can then help advise you in both an Artist model or a full custom model. 

Artist models cost 199 Euro (approx £171)

Custom models should cost 299 Euro but you will get a 15 Euro discount using our code CURLYSYOS (approx £244)

Please feel very free to contact us and discuss anything at all regarding these exciting new mouthpieces - we totally appreciate it can be a daunting decision to make, particularly ordering a custom piece, we've been through it ourselves!  

If you're ready to order a custom mouthpiece, go straight to the SYOS website here  and don't forget to use our code CURLYSYOS to get 15 Euro discount!

A personal note from CW's Bob:

I became aware of SYOS a few months ago when Tivon Pennicott (one of my favourite modern tenor players and keen instagram buddy started using them) - if you haven't heard Tivon, check him out! After a little research, I hooked up with SYOS and they sent me a Tivon Pennicott Artist model to try out. It was the same design he used and same tip opening - a 9. 

Now I already own a variety of very nice mouthpieces (modern and vintage), and play about 3 of them regularly; a Morgan Fry "Reso" in a 7*, a 10mfan Merlot in 8* and a LeBayle LRIII in 8. They're all in the same "ball park" in terms of sound concept (warm, dark but with some power and projection). I was pretty sure the Tivon Pennicott would be in the same arena - listening to him play for several years, I had a good idea of his sound concept. 

Sure enough it arrived and I played it immediately - it played pretty good straight away - the 9 tip opening didn't feel big or any extra effort. After trying a couple of different reeds (Rigotti, D'Addario ...) I found Vandoren JAVA 3s worked best. After a week or so and playing a variety of different gigs, I came to some conclusions. This was a completely different concept to any other of my mouthpieces and indeed to any of the 1000s of mouthpieces I've played/ sold over the years. The actual product is pretty valueless, not a exquisite, lovingly handcrafted piece of german quality rubber, or beautifully plated meticulously made metal mouthpiece - it's a lump of plastic! However, the value is in the technology and design, this was the first mouthpiece I had ever played that was completely even (tone, texture, ease) across the whole range of the instrument! Absolutely effortless (in a brilliant way). 

I decided that I would put the SYOS technology and design to the test. I contacted Pauline again and said I loved the mouthpiece but could they make it "a tad darker and a little bigger on the very low notes - at very loud volumes the bottom end was prone to splitting a little". I was intrigued as to how they would interpret such a vague description of what changes I wanted. One week later I met SYOS at Liverpool Sax Day and they had brought my new "signature" piece. As soon as I played it, I immediately noticed it was a little darker and the bottom notes popped out perfectly with plenty of power! But it was even more, the mouthpiece played spectacularly well - even more presence and evenness than the Tivon Pennicott model. I played between them for a good while and the difference was perfect! I had enough confidence to use the new piece on a workshop I was teaching in front of 80 sax players - after 30 mins of playing! 

I'm totally sold! I even got a Dayna Stephens model which has a beautifully dark haunting sound in a 10 tip opening - which again doesn't feel big or hard work - now I only have to decide which piece to play on the gig!

This is a radical design concept and is going to have lots of lovers and haters - same thing is still raging about synthetic reeds. I personally haven't yet found a synthetic reed I like but am always willing to try out something new - you never know! 

Bottom line is that SYOS back up their product with a 30 day refund if you're not totally delighted!

B