FIX, MODIFY AND CUSTOMISE YOUR INSTRUMENTS

6 Brilliant Brass & Woodwind Hacks

Sugru is a soft-touch mouldable silicone that can be formed into any shape and sticks to most materials. Use it to personalise instruments and improve your technique. It sets strong and turns into a durable, flexible rubber that is grippy, protective and removable.

Buy some Sugru

Rhapsody In Glue

"There's nothing remarkable about it. All one has to do is hit the right keys at the right time and the instrument plays itself."

– Johann Sebastian Bach

Good advice from the old master, but what if your instrument doesn’t fit and you can’t quite reach all the keys? That’s where Sugru comes in. Musicians love exploring its grippy and mouldable possibilities for repairing, modifying, customising and generally improving their instruments.

Why is Sugru so clever?

Here are some practical ways it can modify your instruments and make them more personalised and enjoyable to play.

Build A Thumb Rest

Achy, breaky thumb muscles, especially near the joint, is something every clarinet player experiences. You either play through the pain barrier or do something about it. Sugru’s soft, mouldability allows you to build thumb rests that fit you ergonomically.

Fix Leaky, Squeaky Recorders

As every parent (and some neighbours) will vouch, when first learning an instrument, little hands can struggle to cover all the finger holes. Fear not, Sugru will bond to all sorts of materials like wood, brass and most plastics, so is brilliant for making slippy keys more grippy and finger holes more accessible.

Make Custom Palm Key Risers

The best thing about using Sugru to make your own Palm Key Risers is that you can make the texture perfectly smooth, and once cured, it turns into a beautifully tactile, grippy rubber. It comes in 10 gorgeous colours, so you can be discreet or stand out.

Repair Broken Instruments

Aside from all the incredibly personal modifications you can make with it, people universally love Sugru for repairing pretty much anything. And that includes some of the most intricate brass instruments out there.

“Sugru makes great key risers! I've been using it for a couple years now.” “Sugru makes great key risers! I've been using it for a couple years now.”

Alan Burton Alan Burton

“Fixed my sousaphone with Sugru.” “Fixed my sousaphone with Sugru.”

Even Kruse Skatrud (Mr. Sousaphone) Even Kruse Skatrud (Mr. Sousaphone)

“I'm prototyping some adaptive recorder modifications using Sugru.” “Prototyping some adaptive recorder modifications using Sugru.”

Will Houchin, Music Education and Special Needs Consultant Will Houchin

“Wonder Stuff” “Wonder Stuff”

The Independent The Independent

JAY'S STORY

Fix for that perfect note

Better Sax is the brainchild of Jay Metcalf, a professional saxophonist who has played with some of the greats including Booker T, Graham Nash, Madeleine Peyroux and Ashford & Simpson. His mission is to offer developing saxophone players a more efficient, practical and fun alternative to traditional music learning methods. He also uses Sugru to make DIY key risers.

Watch His Video