INFO/FAQ's
Scroll down for MATERIALS, HAND MADE, PROCESS, FACINGS, ORDERS and ENVIRONMENT
MATERIALS
HAND MADE?
Our mouthpieces are 100% produced and handmade from solid rods of ebonite and brass giving every one of our mouthpieces a truly hand crafted soul and sound whilst continuing and honouring an art form and tradition that has existed for decades.
EBONITE AND THE ART-DECO MOVEMENT
Ebonite has had many uses since its invention in 1839 by Charles Goodyear: electrical and battery insulation,
pnuematic vehicle tyres through to bowling balls, high quality fountain pens and our beloved woodwind mouthpieces.
In the 1920's the worlds foremost jeweller Cartier had many clocks made which exploited the beauty of ebonite.
Cartier ebonite was renowned for being very dark black compared to other contemporary sources and finished to a glass-like appearance, in fact, the first Mont Blanc fountain pens were also made from this darker ebonite.
This ebonite has since been analysed and re-created, and here at Corry Bros after many trials experimenting with various sources of ebonite we now only use this version to produce our alto, tenor and baritone hard rubber range.
We find it to be of the highest quality, machine friendly and tonally superior to other sources of ebonite we have used and tried. It also produces and gives us the desired finish which we require after machining and polishing to give all our mouthpieces an exceptional finish. Produced and cured in the same way as the finest Cartier ebonite of the 1920's through to the '40's this ebonite is also 100% FDA approved.
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Our metal mouthpieces are made from the finest brass, with phosphur bronze and nickel silver options available soon.
We source the finest metals from here in the UK.
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Here at Corry Bros we will only use the finest materials available for our mouthpieces. We feel that SEM Ebonite in Germany not only produce the highest quality ebonite in the world, but also have a wonderful outlook on furthering the potential of this wonderful material and its place in modern manufacturing.
We are proud to use and be associated with the world leaders in ebonite production.
FACINGS
Our mouthpieces are truly HANDMADE.
Every operation from turning on a lathe, the several processes involved on a milling machine through to the final stages of rails, tip, baffle and tip rail are done by hand.
NO COMPUTERS, JUST MATHEMATICS
AND SOLID ENGINEERING.
This is how many classic mouthpieces of the past were created, and is how we will continue to make ours here at Corry Bros.
PROCESS
We make each mouthpiece by hand and start with a solid rod of Ebonite or Brass.
Each mouthpiece starts it's life through us on a manual Lathe, and once the basic 'blank' is completed it is transferred to our manual Milling Machine to complete the other processes for the Table, rough Facing Curve, Window, Baffle ,Beak and Chamber.
We sourced classic British machines to work on and we produce batches for either Alto, Tenor or Baritone at the same time to exacting measurements to maximise time and output.
Once the various model blanks are completed on our machines it is at this point that the hand finishing work and play testing begins. We shape and sculpt the baffle, tip, throat, perfect the facing curve, polish and finish each piece by hand. We both play test every mouthpiece extensively before we both agree its finished and ready for sale.
Every Hand-Made mouthpiece has its own voice. Like people, this is what makes them unique.
They are all machined together to the same tolerances, but subtle differences are what give them character and will make a musician prefer one piece over another.
Example of Cartier ebonite clock.
CLICK TO ENLARGE
We do not hold the copyright on this image..
no infringement intended.
Here at Corry Bros, we believe that RADIAL facing curves are the only curves to offer a truly EVEN mechanical response along the length of the reed.
The simplicity of the RADIAL curve (a curve created from a portion of a PERFECT CIRCLE) allows for ease of mechanical flex in the reed, as the mouthpiece falls away from the reed in a CONSISTENT arc, and as the reed closes, it does so smoothly and evenly around a curve that progresses with the same ratio, evenly and uniformly.
Although it must be recognised that the BAFFLE plays a more significant role in how a mouthpiece 'sounds', the facing curve plays a greater part in how a mouthpiece 'feels'. This marriage between 'sound' and 'feel' is what every player strives to find.
For our mouthpieces, we use facing lengths and tip openings that create the sounds and responses that we, as players want to both hear and feel, giving our mouthpieces great response in all dynamics.
Below is a diagram, explaining the relationship between TIP OPENING, FACING LENGTH, and RESISTANCE.
Many players attribute the general "feel" of a mouthpiece to the tip opening, however, the FACING LENGTH is more of a determining factor in this regard.
It must also be noted that chamber size can also determine the feeling of 'resistance' in the sense of "back pressure", but in this instance we are talking about facing resistance.
FIG. 1-SHORTER FACING
Fig.1 is a mouthpiece where the TIP OPENING
is 2.04mm ( 0.080") and the FACING LENGTH
is 21mm.
FIG. 2- LONGER FACING
Fig.2 is a mouthpiece where the TIP OPENING
is 2.04mm (0.080") and the FACING LENGTH
is 24mm.
Let us say that both diagrams relate to a fictional mouthpiece with a "7" tip opening.
Fig.1 has a Facing Length of 21mm, and Fig.2 has a Facing Length of 24mm.
They may both be a "7" but they will both play, respond and feel different.
These basic principles will become more noticable to you once you have tried several mouthpiece brands together
and is part of the instant "like/dislike" feeling we get when trialling mouthpieces.
The beauty of Saxophone mouthpieces lies in the combinations that are possible in the FACING CURVE / TIP OPENING relationship combined with appropriate baffle shaping.
ORDERS
Once you have placed your order with us, you will recieve confirmation of the order via email, if there are any mistakes in the order, do let us know and we will correct the order at this stage.
We will keep you informed about the status of your order. When shipment has been made, all postage and tracking number information will be emailed to you as soon as possible. We want our customers to feel that we are approachable in this regard and if you have any queries about the status of your order please do not hestitate to contact us.
There are only two of us here at Corry Bros and we will not rush our work. The pride in our work and the finish of our product takes priority over everything. These are handmade mouthpieces so please be aware that there may be a waiting time before you receive your mouthpiece.
We feel that our customers will appreciate this when the mouthpiece arrives and is put to work.
ENVIRONMENT
Here at Corry Bros we are committed to doing all we can to help the environment around us.
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We no longer send paper invoices with our products, instead we prefer to send it digitally.
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When turning our mouthpiece blanks on our Lathes we use a rod of Ebonite closest in diameter and length to our required measurement. This saves a lot of material being wasted, which in turn, helps us pass this material saving onto you, our customer.
All our manufacturing machines do not draw huge amounts of power as they are not built for high speed production. We could have invested in much larger, faster and high powered machines, but we feel that this is not neccessary; we are only making mouthpieces!
Turning a mouthpiece blank only takes a few minutes more on a Lathe that draws less power, as do the processes on all our other machines.
Our classic British machines do us just fine
We recycle ALL our brass and hard rubber ebonite waste from turning and milling.