Berg Larsen Stainless Steel Alto Saxophone Mouthpiece 85/1 SMS

The Berg Larsen stainless steel alto saxophone mouthpiece in 85/1 SMS combines a 85-thousandths tip opening with the SMS facing. Developed for increased longevity and distinctive tonal quality, this mouthpiece features a highly reflective finish and a high-grade black ebonite insert.

85/1 SMS specifications

• Instrument: Alto saxophone.
• Body: Stainless steel with a highly reflective finish.
• Insert: High-grade black ebonite.
• Tip opening: 85 thousandths of an inch.
• Tone chamber: 1, bright.
• Facing: SMS, shorter French-style facing with a steeper curve.

Understanding this chamber and facing

This 85/1 SMS configuration uses chamber 1, the bright option in Berg Larsen's chamber guide. Chamber size and baffle design influence edge and brightness: 0 is brilliant, 1 is bright, 2 is round, and 3 is mellow. More baffle generally produces more edge, with chamber 0 offering the most edge and chamber 3 a mellower tone.

The SMS (French) facing is shorter with a steeper curve. The M (American) facing is slightly longer with a flatter curve. These designations describe facing length and curve, not the mouthpiece's tonal character.

Finding your tip opening

The tip opening is the distance between the reed tip and mouthpiece tip, measured in thousandths of an inch. Wider openings generally allow softer reeds, while narrower openings can help beginners produce a clearer tone and more consistent intonation. Compare this 85 opening with your existing setup when choosing a reed and mouthpiece combination.

As a reading example, the original guide's tenor designation 100/0 SMS identifies a medium-close opening, brilliant chamber, and short facing. This listing is for the alto saxophone 85/1 SMS configuration.