Musical duo keeps Cannonball rolling

Sheryl and Tevis Laukat make beautiful music — and a successful business — together.

The married couple are chief executive officer and president, respectively, of Cannonball Musical Instruments.

Sheryl Laukat holds a degree in musical education and is a classical saxophonist, vocalist and pianist who has directed several school and professional bands.

Tevis Laukat holds a music performance degree, has worked as a professional musician and also has been a business owner, salesman and manager of a manufacturing company.

So when the Laukats decided to start making musical instruments — saxophones first, and now trumpets, with more to come — they had what it would take to build Cannonball into a premier producer of high-quality, uniquely designed instruments.

Each Cannonball product is acoustically adjusted by hand at the dealer, which is why the company has taken the unusual step of allowing no Internet sales.

The company holds several patents, and its products have triggered changes in everything from the size of a saxophone's bell to the material used on finger buttons.

The Sandy-based company also uses medieval names for its models — Hugh the Fat or Hotspur, anyone? — rather than the standard numbers, to emphasize their quality and uniqueness. The hand-applied engravings on Cannonball products also hark back to the medieval period.