I’m not even sure anymore exactly how it happened, but in 2004 I had the opportunity to be one of the players who play-tested Charlie Andrews new handmade mouthpieces for tenor saxophone. The mouthpieces eventually became known as BBQ.
Because Charlie passed away, and his online store, gigdust.com, is now gone as well, it appears that these handmade mouthpieces are no longer available. (Presumably because all stock he made before his passing are now sold.)
A few weeks ago I was still able to find some cached pages of Charlie’s old site, including the page for the BBQ. I felt it was worth preserving the information about this unique mouthpiece.
Although I don’t know how many BBQ Charlie made, sold, to whom, or how many are being used, and in what settings, the BBQ mouthpieces are an impressive piece of hand-made craftsmanship. They’re not for everyone, and certainly not for every setting, but they definitely have their applications for some players.
This is what Charlie said about them:
After months of planning and design, input from various saxophone artists and not just a few missed nights of sleep, I’m pleased to introduce my new mouthpiece…
This hand worked and finished mouthpiece is currently available for Tenor Saxophone in a variety of tip sizes.
You won’t believe the sound you’ll get from the BBQ! It’s modeled after the custom-made mouthpiece I’ve used for years… but with some refinement. I know you’ll enjoy this mouthpiece for many years as well!
Features:
- Unique duckbill design
- One-of-a kind high, double-drop baffle
- Gold Plate Finish over Belgian bell metal
- Includes:
– Runyon spoiler insert
– gold plated ligature
– plastic mouthpiece cap
– Sax Scarf “Piece Pouch”- Tenor mouthpiece now available
- Alto mouthpiece coming soon!
This is my BBQ with tip opening #11 (.107). I’m using a Rovner soprano dark ligature at the moment because the original metal one doesn’t work well for me. I’m going to try a Rovner light soprano lig when I get the chance, but the dark is plenty bright!
Hello, All!
I am pleased to finally announce the availability of Charlie A’s NEW design “BBQ” Rock and Roll, Blues, Jazz, Funk, and Soul mouthpiece.
After over a year in it’s design I believe that for those players that are in need of a powerful full range mouthpiece this will fit in your case quite well.
This piece is not for every player, no mouthpiece design is, but for the players of today that delve in the above named arenas I truly believe that it will completely satisfy them.
I have sent prototypes of this piece to good players and maybe some not so good, all over the United States and Canada and can truly say that there were very few negatives stated to me about it. I wanted to know if my friends that urged me to place this piece on the market were being truthful or not — They Were!
These pieces are each individually hand worked and finished. They are each played by me until I am satisfied that they will perform for you. They are not just die cast and polished but are each separately hand filed and hand finished, hand polished, etc. This is one reason that they are somewhat expensive but not out of reach of the average player’s bankroll.
These pieces will truly be a great addition to a players arsenal of mouthpieces or as is the case in my case, the only piece that I play or have played for years.
This is how my story started… Others were hearing me play and liked the sound. Many stated after finding out that my piece was the only one like it that I should place them on the market. After a number of years and continued development on the mouthpiece I decided to do so.
Side view showing the duckbill design.
I have not played every make or style of mouthpiece on the market that is available today and there are a lot of them out there. However I truly believe that the “BBQ” is somewhat unique in it’s qualities for those desiring this particular type of sound.
I cannot truly relate the sound of this mouthpiece to any other piece I have ever played, and in a career that has spanned a period of fifty-plus years of professional playing I have played quite a few brands and styles of mouthpieces. I played Bergs for many years but when I had developed this piece thru trial and error I could play no other piece that gave me the sound, flexibility, and played with such ease and lack of effort to achieve such power as what became known as the BBQ.
How did we come up with the name BBQ? When we were at the NAMM convention in Nashville in 2003 and were going around trying out different instruments. A sax artist friend heard me playing and said that I ought to call the new mouthpiece the BBQ for that Memphis type sound, so the name stuck!
Boots Randolph heard me playing the piece there and told my wife that I had a good sound. I guess he approved of the sound as well at that time.
I have given you a little overview of what I think of the BBQ and a little information about it’s birth. I am proud of these pieces and wish to thank the Runyon folks for their capable assistance in the finishing of these pieces. I am including a Runyon spoiler insert with each piece so that the player can have a choice of his or her desired sound. I never play without the insert but others choose to play without them. They play with much less effort when the insert is in place and have more edge.
Chamber view of the BBQ with the spoiler inserted.
View into the bore of the BBQ with the spoiler inserted.
The metal in these pieces is “Belgian Bell Metal”. I know that you have seen the players on TV playing these bells. This metal gives such a clarity of tone over others. This is the same metal that was used in the old Links that everyone is crazy about. The finish is gold plate as I think the gold plating is the perfect combination to work with the Belgian brass to produce a very nice powerful but not obnoxious tone.
I am including a metal gold ligature with mouthpiece as I believe that it is the proper ligature to be used on this mouthpiece. Included also is a plastic cap cover. I believe plastic is best to use on the gold plating as it has much less tendency to scratch the beautiful finish. I’m also including a rich red colored Sax Scarf “Piece Pouch”… to protect your mouthpiece even more.
You will find that this piece responds powerfully in all ranges of the instrument from altissimo to the lower register. You will find no “dead spots” due to the mouthpiece. If you have a dull or dead part in any range of your instrument concentrate on your reed setup. I personally guarantee you “NO DEAD NOTES OR SPOTS BUILT IN THIS MOUTHPIECE”!
Good luck with your piece and I know that if you play a BBQ then you have made a good investment and choice of a mouthpiece for a fine powerful tone in choosing the BBQ.
~ Charlie A
