 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ebclarinet1
Date: 2026-10-12 18:50
Was thinking about purchasing one of the Behn EPIC mouthpieces but thought I woulod run it by the board fiirst. I do like the idea of his recreation of the Chedeville rubber in these mouthpieces.
Eefer guy
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Author: farabout
Date: 2026-10-12 20:56
Overpriced extravaganza. Instead, consider the Chedeville Umbra:
https://youtu.be/oOoYYvQZLnc?si=Lb7cDai-G5QDdJbv
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Author: brycon
Date: 2026-10-12 23:19
If you really like the color, intonation, etc. of the mouthpiece, maybe try one.
The recreation of old rubber isn't a huge selling point, in my mind. I have several vintage mouthpieces and never play them because the intonation is wacky and they don't blend particularly well in an ensemble. Playing tastes have changed in the past 75ish years or so, and vintage mouthpieces aren't the easiest to play in modern ensembles (or so I've found). For me, any mouthpiece over a couple hundred bucks isn't really worth it: just get a Vandoren and spend the extra money on reeds or lessons (or a good bottle of scotch!).
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Author: Ebclarinet1
Date: 2026-10-13 03:23
Thanks for your thoughts. The price seemed high to me and I'm fairly happy with what I have.
Eefer guy
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Author: Bog_Roll
Date: 2026-10-13 15:03
Good gravy, the term EPIC clearly refers to the price! Twelve hundred US dollars, for a clarinet mouthpiece -- I'll take half a dozen, thanks...![[right]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie8.gif)
Any extra resonance offered by this amazing new mouthpiece, is clearly caused by the emptiness of one's bank account after purchase.
Still, the Behn EPIC would be excellent value, if you play a clarinet from the likes of Schwenk & Seggelke.
The old Chedeville they copied to make the Behn EPIC mouthpiece looks absolutely hideous; I wouldn't have put that thing anywhere near my mouth, let alone inside it.
Apparently, they had to "revert back" to the original process, not just revert to it.
They thank the "collector who gifted us this wonderful mouthpiece". I thought he just gave it to them.
Sorry to carry on about minor grammatical issues, but they do seem to jump out at me.
Even if the EPIC were to feel and sound so much better to the player, than anything you've ever played before, I doubt the audience would notice any difference.
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Author: farabout
Date: 2026-10-13 16:18
Bog_Roll wrote:
> Good gravy, the term EPIC clearly refers to the price! Twelve
> hundred US dollars, for a clarinet mouthpiece
For that money, one could easily get more than a decent clarinet (Bb/Eb), including mpc.
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Author: David H. Kinder
Date: 2026-10-13 18:43
I'm very curious about Behn mouthpieces myself, but I don't have (nor do I see the practicality of spending) $1,200 for just one mouthpiece.
When I dip my toe in those waters, I'll start with either the Behn Overture+ (Behn's newest Bb 3D printed mouthpiece), Luna (also 3D printed) or the Prescott. The 3D printed mouthpieces are not returnable, but you can get a credit toward an upgrade.
I've been very happy with my pocket 6 reed cases and my hard rubber adjustable barrel from Behn, so I suspect that I'd be very happy with a budget-friendly mouthpeice offering from him. I'd also want to get his screw ligature with metal rails that he finally put on his website a few days ago.
But without some kind of other economic incentive (as I just play in a community band), I don't see the justification for buying 1 Epic, Vintage, or Evoke mouthpiece.
Maybe one day it can make sense. Today is not that day.
Ridenour AureA Bb clarinet
Ridenour Artist MT36 mouthpiece
Vandoren Optimum black ligature (plate 1)
Vandoren Traditional #3.5 reeds
Brad Behn HR adjustable barrel
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Author: sonicbang
Date: 2026-10-13 23:25
I've owned and played quite a few of Brad's original models over the years: Vintage Series D, Vintage II, Sono, 0 Degree Artist (a short-lived but excellent design), Epic HCV, G-4, and even a Bass mouthpiece.
I didn't keep all of them simply because I only needed one to play on and a backup. Still, I wish I could have kept the whole collection!
My first purchase dates back to 2013, when I wasn't yet working on mouthpieces myself. Since then, every new model I've tried has brought significant improvements, along with innovative and sometimes genuinely experimental ideas. Developing products like these is neither cheap nor straightforward, and comparing their prices directly with those of mass-produced mouthpieces doesn't make much sense to me. Just too different dimensions.
A few words about materials, intonation, and design.
Over the years, I've had the chance to work on quite a few vintage mouthpieces from the golden era: Henri Chedeville, examples with the “Artistic Facing,” Charles Chedeville, Leroy, Robert, Penzel Mueller “Hard India Rubber,” later QS series, Lelandais from different periods—you name it.
The resonance characteristics of some of these vintage materials are exceptional. They can produce a richness of overtones that contemporary materials mostly lack. Do you need that if you don't play in large concert halls? Probably not. Has the clarinet sound changed since the golden age of mouthpiece making? Absolutely. But if you ask me, not necessarily for the better.
And then there's intonation. Vintage mouthpieces can have bore dimensions that don't work particularly well with modern clarinets. Brad's models, on the other hand, tune exceptionally well with most modern clarinet brands. In that respect, I'd actually put them ahead of some of the original vintage mouthpieces that inspired them. I've worked on quite a few Kaspars (I also own a couple of them for reference), for example, where intonation quirks were simply something the player had to learn to live with.
As for the modern Chedeville brand, I consider those mouthpieces decent pieces in their own right. However, to my ears and under my fingers, Brad's recreations come much closer to the sound and playing feel of the golden-era Chedevilles.
There's also the finishing. Brad's mouthpieces are hand-finished to an exceptionally high standard, and I personally prefer that approach to relying on CNC machining alone. 12-axis CNC machines are remarkable tools, but they aren't almighty—not even the most expensive ones. There's still room for the trained eye, the experienced hand, and the judgment that comes from knowing what to look for.
Having experienced both the original vintage pieces and Brad's interpretations, I think that's what makes his work particularly interesting: it's not simply about recreating an old design, but about preserving its best qualities while addressing some of its shortcomings.
It's also worth mentioning that Brad offers the considerably more affordable Sono and Prescott models. These are both exceptionally well-conceived mouthpieces, hand-finished to a very high standard. Their prices are also directly comparable to those of some of the other mouthpieces mentioned above.
(Disclaimer: I have no business relationship with Brad and receive no financial or other benefits from expressing these views. This is simply my personal and professional opinion, based on my own experience as a former professional player and mouthpiece technician.)
Mark Szavin
🎵mouthpiece specialist🎵
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