 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Clarsax
Date: 2025-04-16 15:17
Hello Forum,
has anyone tried Vandoren titanium mouthpieces?
Impressions? Are they worthy?
https://vandoren.fr/en/mouthpieces-titanium/
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Author: kilo
Date: 2025-04-16 17:35
I'm glad to see someone moving in this direction but, as with Buffet, sometimes I think Vandoren is over-innovating.
If they catch on they could put the mouthpiece refacers out of business!
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Author: JTJC
Date: 2025-04-16 20:16
Kilo - to put the refacers out of business, the facings would need to be right in the first place. Can Vandoren achieve that?
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Author: David H. Kinder
Date: 2025-04-16 20:36
I saw Vandoren's post that the New York and Los Angeles Artist Studios now have them.
For $918... I don't think they're going to sell that quickly or put mouthpiece refacers out of business:
https://www.thomannmusic.com/vandoren_bb_clarinet_bd5_titanium.htm?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Ridenour AureA Bb clarinet
Vandoren BD5 HD 13-series mouthpiece
Vandoren Optimum Silver ligature (plate 1)
Vandoren #4 Blue-box reeds
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Author: Ed
Date: 2025-04-16 22:58
Pair it with the $500+ carbon fiber ligature and I am sure it will be something special!
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Author: m1964
Date: 2025-04-16 23:56
Add Silverstein titanium barrel and you are all set to win every audition you play
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Author: Clarsax
Date: 2025-04-17 00:14
Actually Carbec made a titanium mouthpiece before Vandoren eh...
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Author: gwie
Date: 2025-04-17 00:17
Attachment: IMG_9010.jpeg (972k)
I played them both (the titanium BD5 and BD5) at the NYC studio a couple weeks ago.
They play similarly to the regular models, except that the material weighs a lot more and has some extra "ping" in the sound--although I think they accomplish this also with their HD models. The mouthpieces have large cutouts on the sides to reduce the weight, but they're still substantially heavier than any hard rubber mouthpiece. They don't sound metallic or brittle at all, although they can feel quite cold initially on the lips when you first play on it.
They're also quite expensive and probably appeal to collectors who are interested in the whole limited edition 120-mouthpiece run to celebrate Vandoren's 120th anniversary. The big benefit I guess is that the facing is basically never going to wear down or change, even if it is played every single day.
Yes, I did try their ~$600 carbon fiber ligature with it, and it is quite free-feeling and works well with it. However, I don't find it significantly different than Brad Behn's ligatures, or the Spriggs floating rail ligature, not to the point that I'd spend six times more for it.
Post Edited (2025-04-17 00:19)
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Author: sonicbang
Date: 2025-04-17 02:27
Even if Vandoren were to use the most luxurious materials—cut diamonds, pure 24K gold, or platinum—the fundamental design would still suffer from the same limitations and compromises. The issue isn’t the material; it’s the design philosophy and production approach.
Yes, some players sound great on Vandoren mouthpieces. But in many cases, they could achieve even better results with a truly high-quality, custom setup.
As for the idea that large-scale manufacturing could push independent refacers out of business—that’s simply not realistic, for two main reasons:
Mass production inherently involves compromises. To keep products affordable and scalable, manufacturers must simplify designs and standardize processes. This inevitably affects the performance and precision of the final product.
Fit matters. Think of buying shoes—you can find a decent pair off the shelf, but if you’ve ever had custom-fitted shoes, you know the difference is dramatic. Mouthpieces are no different. A boutique, custom approach tailored to a player's needs will always offer a level of performance and comfort that mass-produced pieces can't match.
(Disclaimer: I work on mouthpieces on a daily basis)
Mark
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Author: David H. Kinder
Date: 2025-04-17 04:37
BD5 Titanium or Brad Behn Epic mouthpiece... hmmm.
For the money, I'd go with Behn.
I can't imagine being so in love with a mouthpiece model that one is willing to spend 4-6x as much for something that's mostly the same thing as the base or HD models?
Speaking as someone who has a BD5 myself, it's a good mouthpiece, but I wouldn't pay that much. Now if it was about $300 or so, then it might be worth a consideration. $900? Forget it.
Ridenour AureA Bb clarinet
Vandoren BD5 HD 13-series mouthpiece
Vandoren Optimum Silver ligature (plate 1)
Vandoren #4 Blue-box reeds
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Author: donald
Date: 2025-04-17 04:48
I thought this was an Aprils fools day joke. Apparently not.
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Author: gwie
Date: 2025-04-17 05:24
I don't think their intention with these mouthpieces was to put them into mass production--they only made 120 of them in total, divided among the clarinet BD4, BD5, and alto saxophone AP2 and AP3, so 30 of each. They're an interesting collectors item and proof-of-concept. I think Vandoren achieves the same kind of effect with their HD series mouthpieces, and those are certainly much more affordable (~$200).
This past year, I played a production of Into the Woods in a fully-enclosed orchestra pit where everyone was mic'd up and while it isn't usually my cup of tea, the BD5 actually worked very well for that application in that space.
FWIW, I've played on a Behn Epic HCV since 2016, and recently added his new Epic Dark to my mouthpiece stable.
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Author: kilo
Date: 2025-04-17 12:39
Quote:
As for the idea that large-scale manufacturing could push independent refacers out of business—that’s simply not realistic, for two main reasons...
For one main reason, actually – it was a facetious remark. I used to play metal mouthpieces on tenor sax. Nearly all the refacers refused to work on stainless steel mouthpieces because of the difficulty in filing the material. Titanium is even more resistant to manual abrasion. Ergo, the facing you get is close to eternal.
As JTJC points out, if the facing is good out of the box you've got it made. If not, good luck.
Mark, if you've worked on titanium mouthpieces and don't find the material a challenge, I stand corrected, but that is the impression I got from the handful of professional refacers that hung around the sax forum.
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Author: sonicbang
Date: 2025-04-17 16:37
Kilo,
I haven’t worked on titanium mouthpieces, they are incredibly rare. But I worked on 20+ Berg Larsen steel mouthpieces (mostly tenors and a few bari) last year only - sure, they are tough as hell. But I never refuse to work on these, someone has to do this for the players who chose to play on these.
Mark Szavin
🎵mouthpiece specialist🎵
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Author: ruben
Date: 2025-04-19 21:46
I don't know what these mouthpieces are like, but I do know that raw material makes a difference in tone. For years, American mouthpiece makers used Zinner blanks, and I didn't like them. They were lacking in "ping" ; in harmonics. I think the ebonite they used was too soft.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: cigleris
Date: 2025-04-20 02:19
I guess no one tried them in Dublin at ClarinetFest?
Peter Cigleris
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Author: JTJC
Date: 2025-04-20 13:24
I don't know why were all wondering about this mouthpiece. Virtually none of us will get to try, let alone own it, and nobody else's experiences of it are of any use to us, really. So somebody tells you they had the most fantastic meal, ever. You're pleased for them, but why discuss it further?
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