3DP minisax / xaphoon / pocketsax, a 3D-printed minisax
Image: mldotjs via Thingiverse, CC BY 4.0
Woodwinds · Minisax

3DP minisax / xaphoon / pocketsax

A printed pocket sax in the style of the Xaphoon, taking a normal sax reed

Designed by mldotjs, published on Thingiverse

CC BY 4.0 Commercial use OK Build info 2/5

Licence verified on Thingiverse, 20 October 2026.

Type
Pocket sax (single reed, recorder-like fingering body)
Reed
Alto or tenor sax reed; the designer uses a 2.0
Difficulty
Easy to medium
On Thingiverse
219 likes · 12 comments (as of 20 Oct 2026)

About the minisax

A minisax (also sold as a Xaphoon or pocket sax) is a short, straight single-reed instrument. The designer liked the stainless-steel MiniSax but didn't want to spend US$100, so they traced the body from photos and printed their own. The mouthpiece is borrowed from an earlier printed minisax on Thingiverse, and the files for those mouthpiece parts are explained on that design's page.

The designer says the intonation is pretty good, though they weren't sure whether the top holes are slightly off or it was their beginner embouchure, and they asked experienced reed players to test it. Treat it as a fun, cheap way to try a sax-like instrument rather than a tuned professional one.

What you'll need

Printed parts

  • The minisax body
  • Mouthpiece parts (see the original printed minisax the designer links to)

Bought parts

  • An alto or tenor saxophone reed (the designer uses strength 2.0, the softest they could find)
  • A ligature: the page doesn't say how the reed is held

Tools

  • Nothing special is listed

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