The mouthpiece – link between wind player & instrument

The cup diameter has to be selected big enough to guarantee the mobility of the lips.
This way, a perfect sound quality and a vibrating tone are archived. The appropriate cup diameter is determined by the physiologic properties of the individual wind player (jaw position, teeth position, constitution of the ring musculature).

A deep cup means a big sound volume, it creates a resonant and smooth sound. This sound quality is preferred in the concert sector.

The medium cup allows the most extensive sound variation. Stylistically, its bright, clear sound offers the most possibilities.

The flat cup creates a medium hard, brilliant sound, suitable particularly for the jazz and dance music sector. High pitches are achieved in an easier way.

The extremely flat cup with its hard, brilliant sound is suitable especially for wind players with very thin lips.
Difficulties in the high sound range can be reduced.

Thanks to its especially designed flow of lines, the cup run of the JK mouthpieces represents a linking unit between lips and bore.

Therefore, the JK mouthpieces distinguish themselves by an extraordinary clear and excellent sound quality.

The following specifications apply to all JK-USA Line mouthpieces:

Thin rims guarantee the most mobility and allow all tongue techniques. However, it is more exhausting to play on them because the pressure on the lip musculature emanates from a very narrow area and therefore, its impact is stronger.

A rim that is too wide often gives a comfortable feeling but it fixes the lips into a certain position and thus restricts their mobility.

The rim of the JK mouthpiece is shaped to create a contact that is as comfortable as possible. The shape of the lips determines the width of the rim and also the shape of the cup.

Therefore, wind players with thick lips tend to use a mouthpiece with a wider rim and a bigger cup. The inner and the outer rim build the contour whose highest point(with all JK mouthpices) is located in the first third of the inner rim area.

If the highest point is transferred to the outside and the radius of the inner rim is amplified, the rim of the mouthpiece seems to lay more comfortably on the lips. 

However, the strong fit is affected and the brilliant sound gets lost, because the tones get faint.

The bore

determines how much sound volume is developed in the instrument.

The size of the bore determines how much sound volume is developed inside the instrument. The length of the inner bore (= cylindrical part of the bore) influences the resistance and attack decisively. If it is too short, this will affect the sound stability. If it is too long, this will affect especially the high register and the intonation.

The back bore is also a very important part of every mouthpiece. It is significant for the continuation of a concentrated air column inside the instrument.

For all JK-mouthpieces the following variants of the back bores are valid:

• Trumpet ➔
• Flugelhorn ➔
• Cornet ➔
• Screw rim ➔
• Cologne model Trumpet (jazz/rotary/fanfare) ➔
• Cologne model Flugelhorn ➔
• Cologne model Cornet ➔

• French Horn ➔
• Cologne model French Horn ➔

• Trombone ➔
• Bass Trombone ➔
• Contrabass Trombone ➔
• Euphonium ➔
• Tenor Horn ➔
• Alto Horn ➔
• Tuba ➔
• Cologne models ➔

• Baroque Trumpet ➔
• Baroque Trombone ➔
• Fürst Plesshorn ➔
• Parforcehorn ➔
• Trompe de Chasse ➔
• Cologne model Fürst-Plesshorn ➔

Cortex, lined

Mouthpiece brushes

Adapter silver plated

Adjusting sleeves silver plated