Making plastic mouthpieces

[DrDave]

We have done direct comparisons of live playing and recordings of otherwise identical silver plated brass and Delrin plastic Wedge H2 (our version of the Schilke Helleberg II). The Delrin models are CNC turned and machined using the same program as the metal ones. (We do the same thing with trumpet and trombone mouthpieces.) Players consistently report that Delriin mouthpieces are very responsive to soft articulation and are great for very soft passages. They certainly speak more quickly than brass, providing great security for very quiet passages. However, they lack some of the clarity of sound found in the brass models, especially in the upper register. Some people actually prefer the Delrin mouthpieces, especially if they have a naturally bright sound but want to produce a darker one for some applications.