Model:  6

Sax:  alto, tenor, baritone

Material:  brass

Chamber:

Baffle:

Description:  This is a Lawton 6 tenor mouthpiece with original ligature.

Model:  Model BB

Sax:  alto, tenor, baritone

Material:  brass/stainless steel/ebonite

Chamber: small

Baffle: high

Description:  The ‘BB’ models featured a small chamber and a high baffle for maximum power and edge.  On the left is a Lawton BB tenor mouthpiece with original ligature and a 8* (0.115”) facing. The BB model is the brightest of all Lawton models. ‘B’ refers to roll-over baffles, ‘BB’ for high baffle.

Model:  Star B Special

Sax:  alto, tenor, baritone

Material:  bronze

Chamber: medium

Baffle: medium roll-over

Description:  This is a Lawton ‘8 Star Special’ tenor mouthpiece with original ligature and a 8* facing (0.115”). The ‘Special’ was reserved for solid bronze models (‘bell bronze, 20% tin, 80% copper).

Model:  7 Star Special

Sax:  alto, tenor, baritone

Material:  bronze

Chamber: high

Baffle: roll-over

Description:  This is a Lawton ‘7 Star Special’ tenor mouthpiece in gold plate over bronze with a 7 tip opening (0.105”).

Geoff Lawton was a mouthpiece maker who worked from Macclesfield, England. His ‘B’ and ‘BB’ line of mouthpieces became very popular especially among European saxophone players due to their dark but powerful tonal characteristics. After his death in 2002, his son Jason hand finished the remaining blanks. The three major types of chamber design: ‘P’ (large chamber / no baffle), ‘B’ (medium chamber / slight baffle), and ‘BB’ (small chamber / large baffle). 

Model:  Plain Numbers

Sax:  alto, tenor, baritone

Material:  brass/stainless steel/ebonite

Chamber: large

Baffle: low

Description:  Due to the large chamber and low baffle, the ‘Plain Numbers’ models featured a more classical design with a darker sound. 

Frank Foster (born 1928, above), saxophonist and musical director of the Count Basie orchestra, played a Lawton mouthpiece for most of his career.

Model:  Model B

Sax:  alto, tenor, baritone

Material:  bronze/stainless steel/ebonite

Chamber: medium

Baffle: medium roll-over

Description:  The Lawton ‘B’ mouthpieces were machined from solid rod and hand finished by Geoff Lawton and shipped with a Lawton single-screw ligature and cap. They were designed for projection (jazz, big band) and had a medium roll-over baffle.

Model:  Model BBR

Sax:  alto, tenor, baritone

Material:  brass/stainless steel/ebonite

Chamber: small

Baffle: high

Description:  The ‘BBR’ models stands for ‘Reflector baffle’, a area behind the baffle where Lawton cut out some of the baffle in a kidney-shaped depression.

Model:  Model P

Sax:  alto, tenor, baritone

Material:  bronze/stainless steel/ebonite

Chamber: large

Baffle: small

Description:  The Lawton ‘P’ mouthpieces have the largest chamber and lowest baffle.

Model:  Icon

Sax:  alto, tenor, baritone

Material:  bronze/stainless steel/ebonite

Chamber: small

Baffle: high

Description:  The Lawton ‘Icon’ model has a dramatic wedge-style baffle and large chamber, making it sound even brighter than the BB model.

Model:  LW

Sax:  alto, tenor, baritone

Material:  bronze/stainless steel/ebonite

Chamber: small

Baffle: high

Description:  The Lawton ‘LW’ model stands for ‘Large Window’. It is available in P, B, and BB sizes.