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Re: Higher end plastic/acrylic mouthpieces?

Author: Dan Shusta
Date: 2026-06-05 00:49

Jimis4klar,

I have a Vito Classic which has a 0.563" bore. I just measured the top of the barrel width and my caliper read: 0.584" which I think is pretty standard.

I did try plumber's tape only. I had to wrap it twice for a nice solid fit The J5 went in and out as if it had cork on the tenon. Maybe I was wrong, however, I began to think of just how much plumber's tape I would be going through and the expense of it all.

As delighted as I was to be able to play in the upper clarion with a Juno 2 reed (which is actually a 1.75 on reed charts), after playing in that range for a couple of minutes, I experienced something I haven't felt before...pain. The pressure inside of my mouth pushed against my cheek which then pushed against my acrylic embouchure brace on the other side. In essence, I was flattening my cheek area far too much.

The tone was brighter (which I expected) and I began to miss the mellowness of my Gennusa Mezzo acrylic mouthpiece. If I'm going to be stuck playing primarily in the chalumeau range, I would rather listen to a mellow tone than a brighter one.

p.s. I just remembered one more thing about the J5 vs the Mezzo; When using the J5 in the chalumeau range, when I went from the left hand "C4" to the right hand added "B", the change in timbre was very noticeable. The "C4" was clear and the "B" was quite muted and muffled. I didn't notice that with the Mezzo.

Post Edited (2026-06-05 01:54)

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