Bb Clarinet Mouthpiece

Each mouthpiece is handcrafted from a J.J. Babbitt blank that is manufactured in Elkhart, Indiana. Every aspect of mouthpiece design is taken into consideration ( tip opening, curve schedule, flat table, side rail thickness, tip rail thickness, window opening, interior baffle work, and bore taper) before play testing, stamping and packaging. I test every mouthpiece before it is shipped.

The three standard models of soprano clarinet mouthpieces available are models K, D, and DL. The asymmetrical versions of K and D are also available Ka and Da. Each of the three makes use of a different style/type blank from the manufacturer, which affects the playing characteristics of each model.

The K and Ka model mouthpieces are made from the same blank that Frank Kaspar purchased and used in Ann Arbor used in his last several years - this was after the Chedeville blanks stopped being manufactured. The facing (curve schedule, tip opening, and side/tip rails) of this mouthpiece is modeled after my untouched, mint condition Kaspar (Ann Arbor) mouthpiece made from that same blank in 1954. The tip specs range from 1.10 to 1.12 and is considered a medium tip opening. This is the most popular mouthpiece I sell, and it has a great "ping" or "zing" to the sound - similar to that of the Kaspar mouthpiece still in existence.

The DL mouthpiece has been very popular for public school and college students, although many professionals use it as well. Because it has a larger interior chamber than the K or D models, it has a tendency to maintain a slightly lower pitch, which is good for students who have instruments that are unbearably sharp in pitch. The larger chamber is also more friendly to production of a larger sound in some cases. The tip and curve are very similar to the K mouthpiece.

The D and Da model mouthpieces employ a medium open facing and are designed for all applications of use. Most of the clarinetists who purchase the D mouthpiece (and its asymmetrical counterpart the Da model) use it in symphony orchestras or in large wind ensembles. Both models have a 1.19-1.20 tip opening with a longer curve schedule than the K and DL models. Both D and Da have the bores from the throat/crown to the butt of the mouthpiece reamed to a specific taper similar to my original Pyne S13 mouthpiece (c. 1975) and that of the ~M model Pyne sold me in the early 2000s.

A quick note about asymmetrical mouthpieces. I first learned of such a facing when I began playing on a James Pyne mouthpiece that David Shifrin handed me during a lesson. I used that mouthpiece for 15 years before making one of my own. The idea is that the curve on one side of the mouthpiece is longer than the other side, and, because each side of the reed microscopically hits that facing nano-seconds apart this allows for greater color in the sound. Mr. Pyne did quite a bit of research regarding this aspect of mouthpiece design, and a large number of his thousands of mouthpieces sold had asymmetrical facings. While such a facing has its critics, I always found it to be a fantastic option to a standard symmetrical facing. For the right player, I believe it does indeed add warmth as well as friendly resistance into the sound and feel