I have to admit, that I never thought I would do a review of a saxophone mouthpiece patch. What on earth would I write about? It sticks on the mouthpiece. Check! It protects the mouthpiece from my teeth. Check! That’s about it. I’ve actually been asked if I could review some patches by various manufacturers in the past and I have declined for this very reason. What on earth would I write a review about? A patch is a patch, right?
Last year, Forestone sent me some synthetic reeds to check out which I reviewed here on the site. Along with the reeds, they sent some samples of new mouthpieces patches that they were making. I wasn’t really interested in reviewing a mouthpiece patch but as long as they were sending some free samples I might as well try them. The email I received about them described the patches like this:
“By the way, we are also bringing out a new biteplate, which is actually really a new product. It is a different longer lasting special foil with an adhesive surface texture (a bit like those handy display foils). So it has no glue and is reattachable. Would that be interesting for you?”
This description caught my attention because this seemed to be something new. To be honest, with the number of mouthpieces I review the idea of a patch I could easily peel off and back on another mouthpiece really caught my attention.
Forestone Mouthpiece Patches
I started using the patches on all my sax mouthpieces and like the email described, I could peel them off a mouthpiece and then attach them to a new mouthpiece easily. Forestone had sent me two packs to try which is twelve patches total. The patches lasted for about a year and were used on countless sax mouthpieces. I didn’t actually count the number of times I transferred the patches but I would estimate at least 20+ times per patch before they started not attaching anymore. I never bit through any of them in all that time. Never even saw a mark.
To be honest, I was still not really sure what I would write a review on patches about so I never wrote a review during that year. So, why am writing a review now? Well, an interesting thing happened. Once the patches stopped working and I was out of them, I went back to my trusty 3M clear patches that I have been using for the last 15 years and to my surprise, I couldn’t stand them! I couldn’t believe it. I felt like I was feeling too much vibration in my teeth and on some mouthpieces I actually felt like my teeth hurt.
Within a few days I was desperate to get some more of the Forestone patches. Besides feeling much more comfortable, the Forestone patches also had very little to no residue that was left when you peeled them off. My 3M patches were a mess with the glue you had to try to get off each mouthpiece.
Also, the 3M patches could only be transferred once or maybe twice if you were lucky. Even then, there was a chance it would fall off after the transfer anyways. The whole time I used the Forestone patches I never had one fall off or slip off until the very end of it’s life. Like I said, that was maybe 20+ mouthpieces that I used one patch on.
Forestone Mouthpiece Patches
I had to get some more Forestone patches! I searched all over the internet but I couldn’t find any on this side of the Atlantic ocean. I reached out to Tobias (an endorser and my contact for Forestone) and asked if he knew of where I could buy some more. He hooked me up with the link below and actually was nice enough to send me some more samples to use in the meantime.(I think he sensed my desperation in the email I sent him)
You might think this is all hype and I have some inside commission going on or a lifetime supply of patches guaranteed if I write this review (none of these are true). What is true, is that yesterday I thought about writing this review and my first thought was that I needed to order some more patches before I write the review and let people know about these. So yesterday, I spent 41.70 on 36 more Forestone patches before anyone else finds out about these. I should be all set for quite a few years now.
Forestone has four models of mouthpiece patches. They have two versions of black patches and two versions of clear patches. I have been using the bigger black patches for the most part. The smaller square shape is great on slimmer metal pieces like a Guardala and some metal alto mouthpieces. I haven’t tried the clear patches yet so I can’t comment on how those feel but the thickness is the same as the black patches. Not sure if the material makes a difference between them. I will update this review when and if I try the clear patches.
Forestone Saxophone Mouthpiece Patches
OK, I did it! A review on a mouthpiece patch. Never thought I would, but I just did. You might think I’m crazy, but I love these things. The one and only place I could find these patches in the US is TheWedgeDistribution.com which is the exclusive Forestone saxophone distributor in the USA. You can order as many as you want. (especially since I already ordered all I need……….) Thanks to Tobias Haecker for hooking me up with these Forestone patches and reeds to check out! If you get a chance to try the Forestone patches let us know your opinions in the comments below. Steve
Disclaimer
Pretty funny. After reading the review a few minutes ago, I added black and clear to my cart at $6.99 a pack. By the time I went to click pay with PayPal, the price jumped to $9.99 a pack.
No. I don’t think you’re crazy. I found this useful. I’ve been using BG patches which you can move from one mouthpiece to another in the same manner as the Forestone. I read somewhere that if you put a thin clear BG patch over the thicker black BG patch that they last a very long time which I found to be true. But it would be cheaper to just buy the Forestone black patches. Some people say patches changes the sound, that it deadens it. I don’t really agree with that. In fact I like the way patches opens up your mouth a bit more, might even improve your sound though I cannot quantify that. Since I practice a lot I find the comfort of using patches to be beneficial. And you don’t have to worry about wear on your mouthpiece. Another good useful and intelligent article. Thanks.
I appreciate you taking the price change with a sense of humor Frederick. I had priced them too low. With the cost of importing from Japan and then offering free shipping and handling from The Wedge Distribution, it wasn’t going to work. I do apologize for the change. Please feel free to contact me if I can be of any help.
Cheers,
Tom Wanne, CEO
The Wedge Distribution
Steve, Do you know the thickness of the Forestone Patches? I use the Runyon patches. The black ones are labeled “11 mil” and the clear patches are labeled “9 mil”. I prefer the 9 mil. I’m not sure if that means 9/10 of millimeter, but that seems about right.
On the front of the package it says 0.4 mm. Don’t know how that relates to your patch measurements? Steve
Yes, the 0.4 mm is the thickness of the Forestone patches.
Cheers,
Tom
I tried these, but found that they don’t stay on the mouthpiece. I am guessing that they are supposed to work by suction, but if there is either no porosity to the mouthpiece bite plate, or there is any roughness, they don’t stay put. I find that the old tried & true black patches from Rico work best; the only problem is that they eventually wear through and must be replaced (or, if you’re $ constrained, turn them around so the bite lands on a different section).
Noah, That is strange! I have used about twenty of these and have no problem with them staying put at all. I did have one that came off of a Barone that I had in a case but I assumed it was at the end of it’s life as I use these on multiple mouthpieces until the glue is done which takes a while in my experience. I’ll report back if I have an issue like yours though. Thanks, Steve
Noah,
I hate to be the one to state the obvious. But, did you remove the film to expose the “sticker” glue?
They come 6 to a batch, lightly sticking to a sheet of plastic. The ‘glue’, such as it is, is quite weak; there is nothing to peel off once you have taken the pad off the plastic sheet. I tried them on both metal and ebonite mpcs and they did not hold well at all. The Vandoren (3M Bumpon, same shape, same size) are thicker and adhere much better.
I don’t think it is really glue as it is not very sticky when I touch it. A little bit. Never-the-less, it works for me as I put it on a mouthpiece and it doesn’t fall off or move at all. I have gone through about 8 packages and I have another 10 I bought that I haven’t been through yet. Maybe it depends on teeth pressure also. Do you tend to have a lot of downward pressure from your top teeth? Or maybe it could have something to do with the chemistry of our saliva and how it interacts with the stuff holding the patch on?
Part of what attracted me to these patches isis that these don’t use glue and there is no glue residue to deal with. You can peel them off and stick them on another piece pretty easily.
I’ve been having the same problem as Noah. The pad lasts one time and then it doesn’t stay on. I’ve been in contact with Tom about them and am looking for a possible solution to have them work better. Anyone know of an adhesive that could be used to stick them back on?
It’s a bummer because I love them when they stay on.
This is really a mystery to me. I just took one off a mouthpiece that I have used on probably 10 other mouthpieces. I stuck it on a HR Phil-Tone Novella I have and tried to see if I could move it if I pressed on it from the side as hard as I could with my thumb and I couldn’t move it at all. This is one that barely feels sticky anymore! I’m sorry to hear these aren’t working for you guys. Steve
Ok I find myself in Steve’s camp. Never thought I could get this stoked over a mouthpiece patch. These things are amazing. I have very sharp uneven teeth. I can cut 6# test fishing line with them. For this reason I have to change MP patches often. I’ve tried all the patches out there and with these I’m not even leaving a mark. They are extremely durable, comfortable, can be reapplied, and do not leave a residue
Also I neglected to mention that they are staying put on my Philtone Rift and Drake Resin Contemporary. No issues with splipage
hey guys, I have been in contact with the company as a potential dealer, and they tell me that some MP materials are not great for the adhesive…on my main mouthpiece the black patch sticks fine and is absolutely indestructible. It has survived for almost a year with nary a scratch from my serrated bite. ALL of my other mouthpieces reject them, they lift after ten minutes of playing and it is maddening. If anybody has a suggestion regarding adhesive that is non-toxic, strong, and won’t damage the mouthpiece, I am all ears.
Hi Steve, hope you’re ok,
I like to use patches since my left front tooth broke off in a fall when I was 8 and it never grew out completely. So without a patch the mouthpiece tends to slide to the left as there’s more space there and it’s awkward. The grip of a patch is very helpful. I had black patches by VanDoren I believe, and rather soon the patch begins to bulge where I bite. I also have a clear patch and it seems durable. So there surely seems to be a need for evaluating mouthpiece patches. I’m trying to see what brand the clear patch is but haven’t found out yet.
Thanks very much.
I tried these out but they do not stay on the mouthpiece, instead they come off in your mouth while playing. I contacted the company to find out if there is any trick to keep them on but no response. What a waste of money and honestly an irritating feeling when the patch comes off in your mouth. Do not waste your time or money!!!
Dondi, I honestly have these on all my mouthpieces and they have stayed on for the last three years. The ones I have switched around from mouthpiece to mouthpiece eventually do lose their stickiness but even those last a good amount of time. Strangely enough, I have had one or two pieces that these fell off pretty quickly. My only guess is that there is something about the material the mouthpieces is made of or maybe the shape of the beak that makes it come loose. Or maybe it has something to do with the makeup of someone’s saliva? One was a Barone metal mouthpiece that had a white biteplate on it. The patch fell off minutes after I put it on. The Barone had an uneven biteplate in comparison to the rest of the beak so I wondered if air got underneath the patch and that is why it fell off? Not sure. I do know that 98% of the ones I got three years ago that I have left on one mouthpiece are still on there and working great. Sorry for your bad experience. Steve
p.s, I play on a Francois Louis mouthpiece.
Hi Steve, It seems that in three of these comments (including mine) the patch does not stay on so yeah it must have something to do with the mouthpiece material or some other variable. It should then be stated clearly by the manufacturer that it doesn’t work for all mouthpieces and they should provide a list or they should figure out what the variable is that makes it work for some and not all. It is in the end quite bad ethics to sell a product you know definitely doesn’t work 100% of the time. And this company clearly knows the product is hit or miss.
I agree with you. If it doesn’t work on some materials they should figure that out. What is the Francois Louis mouthpiece made of? Is that hard rubber? or something else? Steve