We make custom mouthpieces and copies for trumpet and horn. For copies we make precise measurements of your cup, rim, throat, and backbore. Copies and custom pieces can be made on our blanks or we can copy your outside shape. Custom mouthpieces can be just about anything you want.
In order to copy your mouthpiece we need to have it for one day to measure and cast. Your mouthpiece will not be marked or changed. Your new mouthpiece will be ready in two to four weeks. Call us at 978 823-0580 or email us for more information or to begin the process.
How we make a copy
We start out by making a cast of your cup and rim using metrology rubber. Metrology rubber is specially designed for taking measurements. It doesn’t change dimensions when it dries and requires no release agent (which can affect dimensions). Since it’s flexible it lets us measure undercut rims and the outside of horn rims.
We fill the cup and rim with the liquid rubber. After it cures we cut it in half and produce a cross-section that we can measure.
The cross section is read in a tool-maker’s microscope and a series of points are plotted in a CAD (computer-aided design) program. The points are joined together to create the curves of the mouthpiece. After the CAD program is completed we put it into a CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) program to generate instructions for our CNC (computer numeric control) lathe to follow.
Throats are measured with drill bits and cut using reamers for accurate size.
Backbores are measured using drill slugs to chart a series of points which are entered into a CAD program.
Horn mouthpiece backbores are single pointed. (A pointed tool follows a CAM program to create the backbore shape.) Trumpet backbores are made with reamers. Sometimes several reamers are combined to create the shape needed.
The outside is measured. Horn mouthpieces are not standard lengths so we adjust the copy for the correct length. We also adjust the diameter of the shank so that the new mouthpiece will fit the horn the same as the original. We can use one of our outside shapes or copy yours.
Options
One piece, two piece, screw backbore (trumpet)
Plating: Silver, gold, or a combination. Rims can be made in Delrin, a dimensionally stable, non allergenic, temperature neutral plastic.
Change in diameter, deepness, length, insertion depth, different rims, anything you can think of.
Threads
Trumpet: Bach, Giardinelli, Reeves
Horn: Standard, Metric (for larger diameters), Lawson
Blanks
Trumpet: Our stock shape, Bach copy, or custom
Horn: Our stock shape, New York (original Giardinelli), New York with cylindrical label, New York long, Geyer, or custom
Shanks
Trumpet: Standard Morse, Reeves
Horn: Standard Morse, Euro (Alexander), Schmid