I am happy to now offer my newest creations for sale. This series has taken more than a year of research and development to arrive at a product that satisfies me. I decided over a year ago to venture into the world of CNC machining for my mouthpieces – computer controlled designs, machining extremely accurate blanks from solid ebonite. This technology is by no means new, however only now with technical advancements have I been convinced of the quality and accuracy of machining to warrant trials.

I began this process focusing on traditional, “old French”, close facing designs. Several major professional players loaned me various vintage mouthpieces which I have had CT scanned over the years. I studied the scans in great detail, creating designs inspired by this information, and together with an engineer drafted a model that could be machined. From there the ”blank” is hand finished, voiced and play tested by me. We conducted many months of experiments, using professional players from my clientele as test subjects, making minute changes along the way. The beauty of CNC and CAD design is I can change virtually any aspect of the mouthpiece I wish, as long as it is machinable by the cutters. The art lies in knowing what areas of the mouthpiece to tailor, which can be overwhelming with the myriad of possibilities on offer with this technology.

The result of this journey is not one but three distinctly different, close facing mouthpieces – N2, N1 and B1. Each possesses something of the past, but are totally new designs with my reimagining for modern players. As I have offered each of them to many from my wider clientele, they have sold exceptionally well, and I am very pleased with the results.

Who will like these new models? Anyone who enjoys a closer facing setup, but in particular, those who prefer vintage French mouthpieces (Henri and Charles Chedeville, Lelandais, Robert, Bettoney, etc). They are also quite approachable for those coming from VanDoren M13 and M15 series, and most close facing Zinner designs. These mouthpieces are made from the finest rod rubber available. I have done quite a few tests with various ebonite mixtures and settled on a material that is very resonant and resilient.

I am confident that between my three new models most players who prefer this style of mouthpiece will find something that suits them. I will now focus on medium and open facing mouthpieces, also bass and eb.

This is just the beginning, so stay tuned.