We’ve chosen to name the mouthpieces after Swiss mountains to separate the technical specs of the mouthpieces from players’ assumptions regarding cup depth, shape, etc. Individual specs matter much less than how the elements are combined and balanced and we hope players can enjoy the mouthpieces without overthinking.
In our early tests, we asked players to evaluate mouthpieces without knowing anything and we (and the player) were often shocked by what they were drawn to. There was zero correlation between the type of horn, current mouthpiece, or whether they were primarily a high or low player to which Alpine model worked best for them. This confirmed to us that players can sometimes be overly influenced by what they think they should like, rather than what actually works best.
All our designs are generalist mouthpieces, focusing on evenness, clarity, and easy response in all ranges. They are unique and balanced designs and not intended to be thought of sequentially. We know that there is a wide and wonderful variety of playing styles, jaw shapes, and throat volumes, and we hope that everyone will find something to love in one of our mouthpieces. There will be more models added as time allows, so stay tuned!
Models:
All of our mouthpieces have a true Morse #0 taper with a .295 inch tip diameter. They are lead free brass, and not plated.
To help players get a sense of the size of the cups, we’ve included the cup volume for each mouthpiece in cubic centimeters. Larger doesn’t necessarily mean deeper, it is a balance between the depth of the cup and the various geometries that lead into the transition between the cup and the bore. We hope that players can use this information to understand how our catalog works without getting hung up on the numbers.
750 Series
These are our original cups, designed to accept standard rims with a .750- 36 pitch thread. These are sometimes called Giardinelli style threads.
800 Series
The 800 series mouthpieces are directly related to 750 counterparts, but we didn’t just widen the rim junction, we updated the entire mouthpiece to preserve the organic curves. They come with a .800- 36 thread, sometimes known as “PHC”. Not every 750 series has a 800 counterpart, but we’re working to finish the set by mid-2024.
A bowl shaped cup rooted in the Geyer tradition.