the only problem with rubber patches is my top teeth slowly bite a ridge into the patch and i have to replace them, also i found rubber patches create a dull pitch compared to a clear sounding pitch without any patch.

years later i started creating wooden patches out of old cane reeds and found the pitch to be more clear classical sounding pitches with the cane reed. Also i could file down the patch to exactly the same shape and size as a rubber patch – ie the mouth was open exactly the same way as the rubber patch. The only problem is the cane patches wore out after a few months.

So i switched to creating a patch out of an old fibre reed, this is a stronger material and harder to bite through so hopefully this type of patch will last me longer. Pitch wise the sound is still a lot clearer than a rubber patch. The only problem i couldn’t file down the fibre reed so i ended up by accident with a very highly raised patch which opened up my mouth slightly more.

sent my idea off to D’addario by email…

“High i started creating wooden patches out of cane reeds in the same shape and size of rubber patches players use on saxophones.

However i discovered if you create a patch out of cane reed or fibre reed – this allows you to create a patch that is raised a lot higher than normal rubber patches (2/10 of an inch above the mouthpiece) .

This very highly raised patch above the mouthpiece results in the sax player player having to play with a more open mouth and jaw than normal – increasing the mouth chamber size and allowing more flexibility in the sound.

There might some profit to gain by marketing these type of patches?”

lol – i wonder what they will say.

D’addario weren’t interested, so i’ve gone to Vandoren. A small time operator could produce these raised patches and make money out of them.