John Thomas Custom Saxophone Mouthpieces
Thomas Woodwinds
John Thomas and Janet Thomas Jacksonville, Florida
(904) 730-3530 (352) 316-3155 (352) 316-2476
website www.thomaswoodwinds.com
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John Thomas’s hard rubber saxophone mouthpieces are the culmination of many years of research, professional performance, and technical expertise. During more than 20 years of playing with Air Force military bands, John had the opportunity to work with many top performers in numerous settings. In that capacity he played in jazz ensembles and concert bands as both a section and a lead player. The highlight of his military career was eleven years with The United States Air Force Band in Washington D.C. During his time in Washington D.C. he played co-principal and principal alto in The United States Air Force Concert Band and served as the primary woodwind sub with the “Airmen of Note” Jazz Ensemble.
While in the Washington D.C. area, John owned and operated a woodwind specialty shop with his wife, Janet. During that time, John developed an interest in woodwind mouthpieces and began to understand mouthpiece design and the art of refacing. John has built, refaced, and done custom mouthpiece work for musicians in the premiere military bands, college professors, and many of the top classical and jazz players in the country.
ABOUT MY MOUTHPIECES
My mouthpieces are built of the finest quality German hard rubber available. This process is time consuming. One to two hours per mouthpiece are needed to complete the meticulous hand finishing.
The medium chamber is designed to produce a focused and balanced tone. A medium rollover baffle creates an ease of playing and response in all registers. The curve of the lay is accurate and balanced to match the tip opening. The rails and tip are thinned and balanced to allow maximum efficiency with regard to reed vibration, response, dynamic range, tuning and projection.
Mouthpieces are play tested at several times throughout the finishing process. They are then signed, dated, and marked with the exact size. Finally, each mouthpiece is placed in a drawstring pouch before being packaged in a sturdy tube.