Bendik Hofseth Interview: His Tenor Saxophone Setup and Approach
- May 10
- 4 min read
Bendik Hofseth replaced Michael Brecker in Steps Ahead at 25 years old. He's been knighted by the Norwegian king. And he is one of my all-time favorite tenor saxophone players. His iconic sound is one of the most recognizable in European jazz, and we sat down to have a conversation about gear, setup, his career and his approach to the tenor saxophone.
Bendik Hofseth's Tenor Saxophone Setup
Inderbinen custom built tenor saxophone
Inderbinen mouthpiece with high baffle (tip opening around 6/7)
Ishimori and Boston Sax Shop reeds strength 3
Rovner ligatures (Platinum and Versa)
I met Bendik Hofseth at the Opera House in Oslo, Norway, where he has a sold-out “mini festival” honoring his career, on June 21st 2026. Bendik Hofseth’s discography is varied, with albums like “IX”, “Amuse Yourself”, “Planets, rivers, and… IKEA”, “Metamorphoses”, and his more recent Forest Quadrology. He is also well known for his work with Steps Ahead, including the albums N.Y.C. and Yin-Yang.
If you’re curious to hear how Bendik works on his sound, what gear he uses and his approach to music and the instrument, then I can highly recommend you watch the full 45-minute conversation.
The Story Behind Bendik Hofseth’s Saxophone Setup
Bendik Hofseth's sound is really one of a kind, and his tenor saxophone setup is something I've been wanting to ask him about for a while now.
Bendik Hofseth plays a custom-built saxophone by Thomas Inderbinen in Switzerland. When making this horn he had one specific goal in mind: to fix the intonation in the left hand. According to Bendik the saxophone has some tuning issues if you play like a professional, using your body like a singer would, and relaxing the embouchure and jaw. The saxophone has Yamaha keys, making it easy to repair by any technician. The neck is something Inderbinen calls a Donnerbogen (“Thunderneck”).
If you're a professional and you use your body the way a singer would, then it's tuned too low in the left hand.
Inderbinen also made Bendik’s mouthpiece, which he compares to a Dukoff, with a high baffle. The tip opening sits somewhere around a 6 or a 7. In the video, Bendik goes on to explain why he’s opted for somewhat of a smaller tip opening to make playing the saxophone more effortless. The ligature Bendik is currently using with that mouthpiece is a Rovner; he’s used both their Platinum and Versa ligatures.
After studying with George Garzone at Berklee, I played reeds ranging from 4.5 to 5. In later years I’ve come down quite a bit, to around 3 to 3.5. I asked Bendik about his thoughts on reed strengths and brands, and it turns out our taste is very much aligned. Bendik mentions Ishimori and Boston Sax Shop as his favorite brands, and I play the BSS Black Label reeds myself. Bendik uses reeds around strength 3.
It’s all about one thing, setting the reed free!
What Bendik Hofseth Learned From Joe Allard
I knew Bendik studied with Joe Allard, and I had a lot of questions for him about Joe’s approach. Bendik told me that Allard didn’t have one specific approach that he taught his students. Every body and player is different, and Allard told his students a lot of different things.
We did, however, find that our approach to the saxophone aligned in many ways; the lower lip out, diaphragmatic breathing, relaxing the jaw and using a light and tactile embouchure. To read more, check out my article on the tension-free embouchure.
Naturally we also touched quite a bit on overtones. The book Top Tones for the Saxophone by Sigurd M. Raschèr came up, and Bendik shared his thoughts on the tone imagination that Raschèr famously talks about. The goal when practicing the overtones is to not move the embouchure, but using tone imagination to find the harmonics.
I've already covered one of Joe Allard's fantastic overtone exercises, and it's one that both Bendik and I praise.
Steps Ahead and Meeting Michael Brecker
Bendik replaced Michael Brecker in Steps Ahead, and the two of them met many times. Going in to Steps Ahead, he didn’t want to try to be the Norwegian Michael Brecker, but rather to approach it with his own voice.
He really worked so hard to get the air into that horn. He fights for each tone
Shortly before Brecker’s passing, Bendik got to hear him in a live recording straight from the mixing console. He pointed out to me that Brecker had a lot of issues with his jaw and throat, and while playing he would use a lot of energy and force into the horn. “He fights for each tone,” Bendik told me, “he really worked hard to get the air into that horn.” He went on to say how this is also much of the appeal with Michael Brecker, although Bendik is trying to do the very opposite: trying to find the biggest impact with the least amount of effort.
I want to create as strong impact as possible with as little muscle as possible. That's what I practice.
Watch the Full Conversation
Bendik’s approach to the saxophone is really one of a kind, and his distinctive saxophone sound has been one of my favorites for a long time.
There’s so much to learn from Bendik’s knowledge, and for any student of the saxophone the full video is 45 minutes well spent.
If you want to go deeper into the tone work Bendik and I talked about, including overtones, voicing, and an embouchure that lets the reed vibrate freely, that is exactly what I cover in my course Overtones In 12 Weeks. The first lesson and PDF is free, so go sign up now.
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