Frequently Asked Questions
Click on the questions to jump to the answers!
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How long has Behn Mouthpieces been making clarinet mouthpieces?
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It seems that your rubber would have a positive effect on other products as well...
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Do you make mouthpieces for other types of music - such as jazz or ethnic?
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Some mouthpieces seem resistant and others seem very free blowing. Which is better?
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Are all of your mouthpieces made from the same rubber formula?
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There are a lot of words on this website...what one word would you use to describe Behn mouthpieces?
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You are using a mold to make rod rubber? Why not extrude the rubber?
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What is the difference between your proprietary rubber and everybody else’s?
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Do other mouthpiece makers focus as much attention on the rubber as you?
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I read that another mouthpiece manufacturer puts glass in their rubber formula. Do you?
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Which is more important, the mouthpiece’s design or the rubber from which it is made?
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Which is better, balanced symmetrical facings or imbalanced asymmetrical facings?
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How long should it take to get adjusted to a new mouthpiece?
How long has Behn Mouthpieces been making clarinet mouthpieces?
Since 1986, Bradford Behn has been involved in mouthpiece design, materials, and acoustics. During university studies at Northwestern University, Brad's teacher Robert Marcellus encouraged him to pursue his mouthpiece interests. During lessons, they explored acoustics, reeds, and mouthpieces, and this early influence would prove most formative in Brad's developing mouthpiece concepts. The late 80s and early 90s provided fertile ground for experimentation. Many learning opportunities arose through Brad's appointment as 2nd and Eb clarinet in the Tulsa Philharmonic in 1990. The orchestra was a great place to test, modify, and discover what truly works in a professional environment. Brad discovered how resonance and intonation coincide, how flexibility and comfort is so important, and how a full, sweet, singing sound is necessary for paper projection of ones artistry. Orchestra would become the point of origin for Behn's mouthpiece concept. The frame of reference granted through a high caliber professional orchestral experience was, and remains today, a continuing part of Behn's mouthpiece craft. Now Principal Clarinetist of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, the orchestra forms Behn's impressions on how a mouthpiece is to perform.
In 1992 Bradford Behn started refacing mouthpieces for clients around the world. Following a decade of research, development, and a great many hours on the bench, in 1998 Brad started making mouthpieces from Zinner blanks for sale. In 2005, Behn began producing mouthpieces from the ground-up with Behn's innovative designs and amazing sounding rod rubber.
Why did Behn Mouthpieces decide to make mouthpieces from the ground up instead of from premade blanks?
Pre-made blanks have numerous limitations. Blanks are generally molded rather than CNC machined - and that reduces quality. Molding can produce inexpensive mouthpieces, but most molded options are uneven, and poorly rendered. Molded blanks are not made with the complex surface contouring a truly exceptional mouthpiece requires for optimum performance. Furthermore, blanks from other manufacturers are not made with the same concept of design, quality, and sound standards as Behn requires. And perhaps most importantly, the rubber just isn't as good elsewhere. To do it right, we had to do it all. And to this day, more than 30 years in, we remain the world's only maker that is entirely in control of every aspect of BEHN mouthpieces - the design, the amazing rubber, the manufacturing, and the exquisite quality. This attention to detail is what makes BEHN unique, and it is what makes BEHN mouthpieces so highly sought after.
How are Behn Mouthpieces made?
All BEHN mouthpieces made from rod rubber, and all BEHN accessories are made in our factory right here in the USA. We manage all aspects of design, prototyping, rod rubber production, and CNC mouthpiece manufacturing to maintain the utmost in control and quality. Where other companys rely on subcontracted production - whether it be for the rubber, or their mouthpiece blanks - we prefer to own the entire chain of production. It's just much better that way.
There are three general parts to the mouthpiece manufacturing process. First, the material must be of the highest quality. To maintain complete control and consistency, Behn manufactures its world renowned proprietary rod rubber right here in America. Second, for the very best quality, Behn CNC machines the rods into super-blanks - yes you guessed it - right here in our US factory. Third, every mouthpiece receives final voicing by Behn. And all of that makes a huge difference. No other maker is so deep in the process, and has so much depth of understanding. Our products stand apart from all others for their sounds, for their innovative spirts, and for their quality.
What do Behn EPIC mouthpieces sound like?
Behn Epic mouthpieces possess a sweet and resonant voice. Their rubber's resonance and clarity of response allow you to fashion a lighter reed, making a much easier playing experience. The result of using a lighter reed with your Epic mouthpiece will be breathtaking at first, and once you get used to it, you will find that your sound is clearer, more beautiful in that it is complete with all of the overtones, rich with harmonics, and welcomes the full array of colors for your artistry. Epic mouthpieces are very responsive, and project with a singing ease which will enable your musicianship with more comfort and effectiveness. They ring like no other, their tone is colorful, rich and deep, and they have more character than any other.
What makes Behn mouthpieces unique?
We offer the greatest choice, the best quality, the most beautiful sounding material, the digital accuracy of our CNC production system, and the beautiful artisanship of Bradford Behn. And they are made right here in America. Each Behn design is built from the ground-up. Our patented designs, our proprietary rubber, our innovative unique baffle contours, discrete bore nuances, body-mass calibrations, bore-chamber relationships, and throat vortexing. Each and every contour in a Behn mouthpiece comes from a depth of knowledge and execution that stands out in the industry.
What are the tuning characteristics of Behn mouthpieces?
All of our mouthpieces are designed to play slightly higher than A440+ with stock barrels. This allows all clarinetists to find a solution. If you need to play lower the solution is to either pull out or play on a longer barrel. If you need to play higher, our mouthpieces should work fine with your stock barrel. Additionally, we have designed our mouthpiece's bores and chambers to improve the problem areas of clarinet intonation. The typically wide twelfths are improved as our mouthpiece’s tuning ratios are corrected. We also offer custom services where we can work directly with you; if A=442 is important, we can do it. Just reach out and let's have a conversation about your specific requirements.
I have not had the opportunity to play on great vintage mouthpieces. What are the differences between the “old greats” and contemporary mouthpieces by other makers?
Fine vintage Grade-A rubber produced a hundred years ago is - in combination with a good design - what made the best old vintage mouthpieces sound so good. On a great vintage mouthpiece, you would experience a combination of quick and nimble response, deep and rich resonance - with a touch of "ring" or effervescence in your sound - which can be defined as "sweetness", along with great projection and carrying power.
Modern mouthpieces—made by other makers—have lost the ring and scope to the sound. This is because the molding process has minimized the complex contouring necessary to achieve a great baffle. And the modern rubber used by other makers lacks the full rich sound and color of the good old stuff - modern mouthpieces simply no longer ring like they used to. That is to say that "modern" material produces a duller sound which lacks the sweetness and resonance of the great vintage mouthpieces of the pre-war era.
But now you can experience first hand what the great mouthpieces of the past used to sound like; with Behn Proprietary Rod Rubber and BEHN mouthpiece designs you can enjoy a new level of resonance - the sweet sound, full bodied powerful projection, and tonal richness of the finest pre-war mouthpiece designs are available once again - but only here at BEHN.
It seems that your rubber would have a positive effect on other products as well...
Yes, we make mouthpieces for Bb, Eb, and Bass clarinet, and saxophones as well. We OEM produce mouthpieces for other makers too. Additionally we manufacture bells and barrels for Bb/A, and Eb clarinet - all from our state of the art CNC production system, made from our super resonant rod rubber materials.
What makes pre-war era mouthpieces so elusive?
No two pre-war era mouthpieces measured the same. In fact they differed so much that only the rarest - perhaps anomalous examples - were the best and worthwhile examples! So we took great effort to find the "perfect" original mouthpiece for our design inspiration. Because we were and remain to this day - exhaustively active in mouthpiece acoustics, and because we have invested thousands of hours on the mouthpiece arts, we had great experience with the historic masterpieces of the golden era. Our collection was rich with many historical mouthpieces from most known makers. We had mouthpieces by Robert, Bettoney, Melliphone, Delacroix, DeLacroix, Schaeffer, Bonade, Perrier, Malerne, LeRoy, in addition to the obvious well known offerings. But even among all of our time on the bench, and within our large collection of lovely antique mouthpieces, only a few are truly inspirational. I think - to be honest - the best designs were accidental. The industry landed on the best a long time ago, and then sadly moved away - perhaps in a continued desire to experiment and try new things. But as they went on with their explorations, they lost sight of the prize - the lovely combo of rubber and design, when flawlessly executed, will produce a sublime sound and a sublime playing experience. It has been our quest to bring back the best of the old pre-war era mouthpieces, and we believe we did it! Our modern recreations represent the industry's only true recreation of the rubber and design of the golden-era.
How do Behn mouthpieces differ from other makes?
Behn mouthpieces resonate. Your sound will be more complete with a full array of overtones to craft your own unique tonal character.
What type of mouthpiece facing and chamber do you prefer?
We prefer mouthpieces with great resonance. When resonance is at the hub of your experience, you get comfort and ease of production. All of our mouthpieces resonate like nothing else on the market - so it is easy to say that we recommend all of our options.
That said, smaller facings require less embouchure pressure, and they add a touch of stability, and possibly a little more hold. More open facings are generally a little more free and flexible and may benefit from a firmer reed/embouchure interface.
Larger chambers tend to broaden your sound and allow bigger air to pass through with more freedom, and smaller chambers tend to concentrate your sound and allow a more gentle nuanced wind to compress into a solid core.
The old best mouthpieces of the golden era were typically made with close facings.
Do you make mouthpieces for other types of music, such as jazz or ethnic?
Because our mouthpieces are so resonant, they are very appealing to musicians seeking projection, color, and flexibility in their sound. Behn mouthpieces are especially well suited toward your needs. We recommend you email us for a discussion about your current mouthpiece, your likes and dislikes, and we will help you determine which of our models will best serve.
While most jazz and ethnic clarinetists play more open facings, and higher baffled mouthpieces than classical musicians, we can customize any of our designs to your preference for an additional "custom" fee.
To start however, we suggest you look at our Prescott, SONO, and Epic mouthpieces with larger facings.
Not all old mouthpieces were created equal? What were the problem areas to look out for in old mouthpieces?
Post-war era mouthpieces of the sixties in general had bores that were too conically shaped and many were too big at the exit. This results in less than satisfactory intonational characteristics as the twelfths would become too wide and the overall pitch of the mouthpiece would require much more maintenance from the player. Additionally they were typically made quite small and this would require the player to use longer barrels to play in tune.
Pre-war era mouthpieces often had chambers that were too big. Although beautifully rendered, their chamber volume combined with their rather large bore could result in a pitch level that was too low, and a sound that was slightly washed out. Even though the best designs made in the golden years used a very special hard rubber formula, they were frequently unable to realize the full resonant potential of their hard rubber. But sometimes a great anomalous design slipped through and It had a beautiful chamber and perfect bore. This rare golden-era find would become an exceptional mouthpiece.
Some mouthpieces seem resistant and others seem very free blowing. Which is better?
The answer is entirely up to you and your reed style. Clarinetists often prefer a free mouthpiece because they may play on reeds that are hard. This results in the need to play on a free blowing mouthpiece to compensate for their reeds unnecessary stiffness. Others simply put a lot of air through the mouthpiece and in order for the reed to hold-up they need to play harder reeds. The danger is that if a mouthpiece becomes too free, it no longer serves the role of helping produce a quality sound. We believe one is best served by playing a mouthpiece with a moderate amount of working resistance paired with a vibrant reed. Many clarinetists are using harder reeds today than in the past. Mouthpieces used to be voiced with more resistance. But this resistance would become super comfy when paird with an easy vibrant reed. The resistance would keep the core sound in place while the reed provided the energy and range of articulation styles and dynamics available to the player. When done right, the light reed - heavy mouthpiece combo is unmatched.
To illustrate this point, think about the popularity of glass mouthpieces of the past (very resistant). Also, an untouched Kaspar mouthpiece tends to play with more resistance than is common on many contemporary mouthpieces. Old Chedeville mouthpieces often had facings that were more resistant than what would be common today. Indeed many of the more recent Chedeville made mouthpieces from the 60’s and 70’s did not have functional facings and had to be refaced just to work, but the older mouthpieces were finished to a much higher degree. The old excellent mouthpieces of the golden era were made more resistant for a reason. They were made to work with the type of cane and reed design available in that time.
Best results can be achieved on vintage material with a facing that is not too free. A mouthpiece’s working resistance will help process a reed's vibrant energy into pure tone. Common in today’s tonal concept is a bulkiness that is caused by a reed that is too hard. And that creates the "sound of effort" - something to be abandoned for certain. Our approach however is to put some impedance in the mouthpiece and celebrate vibrancy through a reed's enthusiastic AND controlled vibration.
Why do you have so many different styles of mouthpieces?
As there are so many different players and styles of playing, we found it best to offer a selection.
I play jazz and I need a piece that plays higher than what is commonly available. Do you have a solution?
All of our mouthpieces are designed to play A440+ with a stock barrel pulled out, or with longer than stock barrels. So, if you need to play higher, just use the standard length barrel that comes with your horn. If you need to play higher still, Behn offers barrels in lengths as short as 63mm. That should provide more than enough wiggle room. But if you still want a higher mouthpiece - yes, we do haveEPIC and VINTAGE options which tune A441 and A442. Just contact us for details - we'll be happy to work with you.
Are your mouthpieces generally bright or dark in tone?
Behn mouthpieces are designed to celebrate resonance. We believe that a mouthpiece with an efficient facing coupled with the ideal rubber and physical design will allow you to easily produce a beautiful, classic, clarinet sound. Once it becomes easy for you to produce a pure and consistent sound, it should become easier for you to customize it brighter or darker with reed selection.
Are all of your mouthpieces made from the same rubber formula?
No, Behn Proprietary Rod Rubber is available exclusively for clarinets in EPIC, EVOKE, and VINTAGE mouthpieces. SONO and Prescott mouthpieces are made from Behn Rod Rubber II. BRAVO mouthpieces are made from 3D print resin, Overture mouthpieces are made from acrylic. All Behn EVO bells and barrels are made from Behn Rod Rubber II.
For Saxophone, yes BEHN ARTIST mouthpieces are made from Behn Proprietary Rod Rubber, and all other designs are made from Behn Rod Rubber II.
There are a lot of words on this website...what one word would you use to describe Behn mouthpieces?
Resonance
Why not make mouthpieces from a mold?
We are actually using a mold in our extrusion free process to make our rubber rods, but not to make the individual mouthpieces. Our rubber rods have a sufficient diameter to manufacture any type of mouthpiece including bass clarinet. However once a mouthpiece mold is made, you cannot change it. We enjoy the flexibility during our prototype development stages to make changes and better couple the shape of our mouthpieces with the natural resonance characteristics of our rubber. This was particularly beneficial during our patented design explorations. Additionally, Mouthpieces made from molds require a great deal of hand finishing, and this can cause lower levels of consistency and quality control. We make a much higher quality product with CNC machining than could be made with the molding process. And finally, molded mouthpieces require additives in their rubber formulations to stabilize them during their vulcanization process. Those additives ruin the resonance; those additives dull the resonance.
You are using a mold to make rod rubber? Why not extrude the rubber?
Grade A rubber of the golden era was not extruded because during an extrusion process heat is necessary. This heat would require bad sounding stabilizing fillers which would alter our highly sensitive cure process, and corrupt the tonal attributes we worked so hard to achieve. So to make authentic golden era rubber, one must not extrude.
What is the difference between your proprietary rubber and everybody else’s?
Our rubber isn't extruded. And the result of our extrusion free rubber is that Behn Proprietary rubber accesses a different visco-elastic framework which enhances response and resonance. What this means is that you will more easily achieve a focused sound that is deep, colorful and full of life. Behn Proprietary rubber is made without extrusion. This allows us to be purely authentic with our ingredients and cure. But the bottom line is in our resonance. Nothing vibrates like it!
Do other mouthpiece makers focus as much attention on the rubber as you?
Rubber development can be a very costly and timely venture. We believe that this investment is well worth it; and with the best rubber, you can achieve your best sound. But sadly no; no other maker pays as much attention to rubber as BEHN.
I read that another mouthpiece manufacturer puts glass in their rubber formula. Do you?
The sky is the limit when it comes to rubber formulation. There are many different types of fillers used to reduce costs, or to stabilize the rubber during the highly volitile vulcanization process. But those stabilizers and fillers dull the resonance so we prefer to omit impurities like that, and our rubber sounds splendid as a result.
Which is more important, the mouthpiece’s design or the rubber from which it is made?
The short answer is that both parameters are important. The long answer is that mouthpiece makers currently provide a much greater assortment of designs than of rubber selection. As a result, there has long been the great need to focus substantially on the material. We started our Research and development with the desire to first recreat the great rubber of the 1920’s, and then make one type of mouthpiece design. We later found out that our proprietary rubber is so good that it willingly receives a variety of mouthpiece designs with terrific results. So, we decided to manufacture a selection of designs from the same rubber to more easily allow our customers to find their personal match. So yes, design matters, but it must come from a great rubber too.
Did WWII have any effect on the rubber industry?
Rubber manufacturers were forced to adapt to a changing world. Even the WWI created a great deal of strife on the manufacturing industry. Factories were retrofitted to make products supporting the war effort. Many industries suffered greatly as a result of the wars. As the rubber industry adjusted to support the war effort, rubber changed as well. When a rubber company that customarily produced rubber rods and rubber sheets for wholesale was forced to manufacture tires, they were forced to adjust their mixing and compounding techniques. After the war, manufacturers may not have gone back to the exact formulas and techniques of rubber compounding. They may have discovered that they could create shortcuts or cost cutting measures. These new techniques were then adopted as the norm and we never again saw the same sounding rubber of the pre-war era...until now at BEHN.
We should also mention that in the early days, rubber was produced in several generic fashions for wholesale consumption. As rubber was the only modern polymer, its uses were infinite. Manufacturers of many different products would contact their rubber distributor and order either rubber rods or sheets for their individual manufacturing needs. Manufacturers made products as varying as combs or dentures from quality hard rubber. In those days mouthpieces were made from rod rubber but the company making the mouthpiece had little control over the exact formulation of the rubber. They could request grade A, B or C quality rubber, but that was the end of the selection process. So, in finding the best quality vintage mouthpieces, luck is the most important factor. Unfortunately manufactures used many different types of rubber formulae and these different rubbers would create different qualities of mouthpieces. Over time, obtaining great quality rubber became a thing of the past. Eventually the great rubber they once new disappeared from the distributor’s shelves, never to be seen again.
Later, companies decided to start making mouthpieces from molds. This was done as a result of their difficulties in obtaining quality rubber rods and to lower their production costs. Unfortunately, once the molding process became embraced by mouthpiece manufactures, the glorious results of the past were never again achieved...until now at BEHN.
I heard that the old rubber is no longer made because of pollutants or toxins or something like that. What is the truth behind this? Is it myth or reality?
I can assure you that the rubber industry is alive and strong. Rubber is used in countless household products, clothing, the medical industry and the automobile industry to name just a few. There are major institutions that are dedicated to the advancement of rubber sciences. If it were not for Charles Goodyear’s discovery, life on this planet may very well be entirely different!
A century ago, hard rubber was the modern polymer of its day and a tremendous amount of research was dedicated to its cause. Rubber was in a constant state of evolution. The rubber used in the great mouthpieces of the past was modern in its day. But today mouthpiece material is very different. We no longer have easy access to the large variety of types and grades of rubber that was so common a hundred years ago. The reason why the old great mouthpieces of the past played so beautifully is not a result of the mouthpiece manufacturer’s desire to achieve greatness, but simply because the mouthpiece manufacturer was using the rubber that was available at the time. It was luck!
Can you copy mouthpieces?
From a production standpoint, we can copy mouthpieces.
And from a refacing and restoration standpoint, Bradford Behn is an expert in the field, and can copy facings. Please note however that copying a mouthpiece can be very complicated. Our process in copying a mouthpiece is to first select a mouthpiece from our extensive inventory which of our designs is closest to the end goal, and work from there. The good news is that Brad has been doing this decades and is well equipped with skill, tools, and patience.
If however you prefer to explore our OEM custom mouthpiece services, we are happy to discuss copying or making your mouthpieces or musical accessories from scratch for you. Please just send us an email and we can explore the process in greater detail.
I have a mouthpiece that measures much more open than the mouthpiece I got from you. They both feel like they have the same opening. How can that be?
Mouthpieces are much more complicated than just the tip opening. The hard rubber, depth of the baffle, length of the facing and nature of the curve all play fundamental roles in how open a facing feels.
Do you customize bass clarinet and Eb clarinet mouthpieces?
Yes. And I customize Contra mouthpieces AND saxophone mouthpieces too!
I have a student who is playing on a rubber mouthpiece with a bad facing. Would it be better to reface the mouthpiece or buy a new one?
Often a refacing will do the trick and costs much less. If your student is quite advanced, he/she may appreciate trying custom made mouthpieces. But it will be important that you guide your student through a perhaps confusing process. Some people enjoy the exploration and others avoid it, but I think it is good to expose students to the possibilities good equipment has over the playing experience. Please check out our Overture line for very low cost beginner options, and our Prescott line for a great all purpose rod rubber mouthpiece at a great price.
I play on a mouthpiece with asymmetrical rails. Do you make mouthpieces with asymmetrical rails, or can you copy my facing?
Typically we do not make mouthpieces with asymmetrical facings, however we are quite familiar with them, as they have a following. If you would like to order a mouthpiece with a unique facing or if you have a special request we would be happy to honor your needs. We also offer mouthpieces with concave tables and we are happy to copy facings. All of these options are made as a custom order.
I think my mouthpiece is warped, how do you know if it is time to have a mouthpiece refaced and will refacing change the sound?
If you are finding it much more difficult to find good reeds than in the past, your facing may indeed be warped. Refacing will change the sound and feel of your mouthpiece, but the changes should be for the better.
My teacher says that I play reeds that are too hard, but the only way I can produce the sound I like is to play harder reeds. How can I play softer reeds and still sound rich and warm?
In designing and manufacturing mouthpieces from the ground-up, our goal is to allow the player to sound great with the most ease. Our mouthpieces are designed specifically for your needs. Using a slightly softer and more vibrant reed on a Behn Epic mouthpiece will allow the rubber to resonate in an optimum way for superior tonal results. Now you can celebrate the reed's vibration rather than dampen it.
Please note that in order to achieve best results, it does take some getting used to. By dropping reed strength, your way of blowing, and your approach to embouchure formation may benefit from subtle change. These changes make it easier to play, and impart more tonal flexibility, comfort, better response, and a much improved length of time you can play between breaths.
Once you adapt, you will never go back!
What kind of reeds work with your EPIC mouthpieces?
Our mouthpieces are designed to work with reeds that are generally a bit softer than you may have been accustomed to. Our rubber's unique physical characteristics are responsible for creating mouthpieces with the ideal amount of working-resistance. This gives you a stable and responsive platform to make music with ease and comfort - on a vibrating reed.
We recommend BEHN ARIA and BRIO reeds strengths 3.5 and 4 as a starting place and then go up or down from there as needed.
How do your rubber and reeds generally react?
Because Behn proprietary rubber is made to celebrate resonance, one is able to play lighter reeds and let the reed do what it is supposed to do…vibrate. No longer is it necessary to focus so much time and effort on a reed’s sound. The rubber is so good that the mouthpiece becomes a tone-generating-machine. Now the reed search becomes much easier. A reed that vibrates is all that is needed as the mouthpiece processes the vibration into a quality tone. The benefits realized are: superior sound, more usable reeds, better response, freedom of expression, and easier tone production.
Which is better, balanced symmetrical facings or imbalanced asymmetrical facings?
Both styles of facings have been around for a long time and although we prefer balanced symmetrical facings, there is a following of fine dedicated clarinetists who prefer asymmetrical facings. Frank Kaspar faced his mouthpieces with asymmetrical facings and several mouthpiece craftsmen today utilize the asymmetrical facing as well.
Making a mouthpiece with a perfectly balanced facing is a time consuming task and a craftsman’s skills must be honed to a fine art to be able to achieve quality results. Many mouthpieces available today have a poor level of finish and as imbalanced facings are easy to produce, perhaps the asymmetrical facing is a result of poor quality control.
Some people prefer the imbalanced facing due to its inherent inefficiencies. An imbalanced facing often dulls the sound and slows the response much like a reed with an imbalance behaves differently than a balanced reed. Many players in their quest to achieve certain tonal results (very dark, mellow and spread) prefer a detuned facing.
Unfortunately, when playing corrupted or detuned facings over a long period of time, problems can arise. First, finding good reeds becomes a major issue because adjusting reeds becomes a guessing game because with a corrupt facing there is no point of reference to adjust reeds to. Second, stability is sacrificed and this can lead to numerous consequences. Intonation, response and control are important elements of the playing experience that can greatly be compromised. Fatigue problems are a common side effect, as the facing’s inefficiency reduces the important hold or stability of ones playing experience. Finally, the sound itself is often compromised as a corrupt facing’s inefficiency reduces the the ever important tonal center. Imbalanced facings may sound good in a small space but in larger rooms or concert halls, the sound may not have the carrying power to be heard.
Several of today’s mouthpiece craftsmen employ asymmetrical facings in an attempt to achieve certain tonal results because the material used in contemporary mouthpieces tends to accentuate the reed’s vibration but leaves the important resonance and richness elements out of the equation.
I play a glass mouthpiece, how do your mouthpieces compare?
Glass mouthpieces are very different because they are very resistant. Glass and crystal is a much harder and denser material, so the mouthpiece resonates in an unusual way. Incidentally, for people wondering if different materials create a different playing experience, here is an example of the profound effects material can have over the mouthpiece. Glass, plastic, wood, and hard rubbers of countless formulae are all common materials used in clarinet mouthpieces. Each material has a different effect on the playing experience, but some are better than others. We feel that high quality rubber is the best. It's more resonant.
How long should it take to get adjusted to a new mouthpiece?
The answer to this question is different for everyone. There are no right or wrong answers here. Some people take longer to adjust to new mouthpieces than others. Ideally, a new mouthpiece should be better from the very beginning. Perhaps a new batch of reeds is the only thing necessary for the proper adjustment to take place. From that point on, it is entirely up to the individual.
I have trouble finding mouthpieces that are not thin or bright sounding in the upper register. Do you have a mouthpiece for me?
Please feel free to email and we will happily help you get your optimum solution. Sometimes it isn't the mouthpiece at all - perhaps a change of reeds is all that is needed. But yes, we do indeed have a variety of options - and most recently we added a DARK model in our EPIC lineup. That's your best bet!
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