・Easy high notes
・Stable low register
・Great endurance
・Clear articulation
・More sound from less effort
・Precise pitch

A revolutionary concept
- The Groove Mouthpieces -

The Groove Series Mouthpieces:
A new generation in design with a multi-length system and “groove” concept

Feature 1: Maximizing potential of the instrument.　―――――――

The Groove mouthpieces adopt a unique concept called a “Multi-Length System.” With this new concept, the hidden potential of your instrument will blossom. Brass instrumentalists want to make the best quality sound on their instruments, and the Groove mouthpiece will help you achieve that goal.

Feature 2: Boosting up the player’s potential.――――――――――

The basis of beautiful sound of any brass instrument is in the vibration of the lips. Groove mouthpieces have a special structure called “The Groove.”which efficiently assists this vibration. With this patent-registered invention, it will be easier to play in both high or low registers, which subsequently enhances endurance and richness of tone.

The unique concepts which characterize Best Brass mouthpieces.

Multi-length System

“The more shallow the cup, the longer the length. The deeper the cup, the shorter the length.” This new approach means the preliminary tuning of the instrument is accomplished by mouthpiece length. The appropriate length of each mouthpiece model is derived from years of experience and research, and the pitch always stays in tune on any Groove model while maintaining the original placement of the tuning slide. With the Multi-length system, the instrument naturally finds its most efficient slot.

Does a mouthpiece change the pitch?

As every brass instrumentalist knows, we pull out/push in the tuning slide when the pitch is high/low. Why, then, does the pitch change? These two major factors are well known: ①a Player's level of skill, ②Temperature and humidity. However, brass instrumentalists need to know two further important factors: ③The cup depth of a mouthpiece, ④The performance of a mute.

Check the cup depth of your mouthpiece.

On the acoustical basis of brass instrument mouthpieces, the deeper the cup, the lower the pitch. On the other hand, the shallower the cup, the higher the pitch. If you have to pull out the tuning slide more than 30mm (1.18”) or push it in all the way, it would be worth questioning the mouthpiece. It is a great idea to know what instrument/mouthpiece combination you are playing. The description of mouthpieces are often available on a manufacturer’s web site or see the comparison chart. In this the comparison chart, look at the y-axis to check the cup depth. Above the Best Brass C cup, the shallower the mouthpiece is, and below the deeper the cup.

The optimal position of the tuning slide.

With our mouthpieces, the tuning slide can usually be set in an optimal position, avoiding having to pull out or push in beyond the manufacturer's specifications.

The Groove Structure

As you can see in the picture above, all Groove mouthpieces have a special invention at the throat. Best Brass named this concept “The Groove,” generating slight resistance which assists the vibration of the lips. Though “resistance” may sound like a bad thing, this will actually achieve a smoother blow and larger sound because lips vibrate more efficiently when the air encounters resistance.

Resistance??

An appropriate resistance is definitely necessary to play the brass instruments, and the reflection from the cup and throat is recognized as one of the main factors which generate the necessary resistance for playing the brass instruments Many brass instrumentalists would agree that nobody can do a lip buzz in a normal way with Visualizer. That is because Vizualizer does not have cup and throat, and it is obvious that lips cannot earn the sufficient resistance from only an air.

Where is the best part to generate the resistance??

To think about this question, let’s see the instrument and mouthpiece as one acoustical tube. Then, the answer can be acoustically described as “the part at which both the sound and breath pressure record maximum on every note”. Any resistance generated at other part will only cause bad effect and make sound irregularities. Without further ado, the throat and cup meet the condition. (It is observed by a simple experiment with a small microphone.) And this is why the Groove structure is at the throat of the mouthpiece.
Anyhow, “Blowing” is believing. The first step to feel the difference is to actually try it. Please ask these specialized dealers for giving it a shot. You will be surprised by the Groove magic, and your music will start grooving.

A new mouthpiece standard !?
– introducing the model 'KAI(改)'

A new invention from Best Brass :
the "Accelerator"

Debuting five new models for trumpet: 1C改, 3C改, 5C改, 7C改,and 9C改, powered by a completely new structure (pictured above). This is a new development from Best Brass, and we call it 'Accelerator.'
As described above, ‘Groove' assists the vibration of the lips in all registers, but the 'Accelerator' produces this effect specifically in high registers, and will literally accelerate the vibration, allowing the player to easily add up to a fifth to your range*, all while keeping the rich sound and rim comfort of our C cup. Whether you currently play our mouthpieces or not, you're going to want to give Kai a try!
* we should note that some of our testers were unable to adapt to this unorthodox design, but about three out of four were able to add significantly to their high register. The result is quite surprising even to us!

The distinctive designs.

The distinctive design of the Groove mouthpiece creates a visual as well as tonal personality, and the simple yet ingenious set up differentiates them from any other brand and leaves a strong impression. The Groove mouthpieces are characterized by an incredible attention to every single part of the mouthpieces: BB (Best Brass) rim, textured cup, Groove throat, and Mensur backbore, and is shaped from a round bar of brass using a precisian diamond lathe and tools developed in-house. Once you try our mouthpieces, your playing experience will forever be changed for the better.

BB Rim

The shape of the BB rim has been designed for optimum comfort and 100% efficiency – more sound from less effort – and the ideal sharpness of the bite has not sacrificed comfort but achieves easy lip control. These designs are based on over 30 years experience and exchanges with the world’s top players at the world’s leading musical instrument manufacturer, and all models of each instrument follow a specific design. Also, trumpet, cornet, and flugelhorn mouthpieces have a same rim design, so it will be comfortable to switch from instrument to instrument.

Textured Cup

The cup surface of the Groove mouthpieces have a unique appearance, and this unique feature is called “the textured cup”. Not only does the texture increase the accuracy during the cutting process, but also it assists the Groove effect. This synergy will achieve even more efficient lip vibration. (Attention: Older series and the early model of Groove Trombone mouthpiece do not have the textured cup.)
Should the cup surface be brightly polished? The cup surface of present mouthpieces is usually brightly polished by buffing, but many of the old masterpieces are not. Best Brass had taken this fact into account and figured out that the buffing actually diminished the acoustic accuracy of the cup design.

Throat

The throat size of the Groove mouthpieces is a little larger than standard. Generally, an advanced player tends to prefer a large throat and a large throat actually makes a large sound. However, a lot of exercise is needed to maintain strength in the lips with a large throat. Though the throat size of the Groove mouthpieces is larger than average, an efficient vibration of the lips can be obtained by the Groove structure. The largest volume will be achieved with the least effort.

Backbore

The backbore of the Groove mouthpieces is intricately designed, and this allows precise pitch and intonation from the low to high register. Best Brass has developed dozens of backbore designs, and actually over 15 backbores were newly developed for the Groove mouthpieces. These new backbores are designed with each cup depth, throat size, and its instrument in mind, resulting in the best performance. Though the backbore is one of the most important acoustical sections of the mouthpiece, this might be confusing to regular players. However, it might not be an exaggeration to say that the configuration of the backbore shows the levels of acoustic technology of the company. In fact, there are many mouthpieces with a mere straight taper backbore because it cannot be seen once the mouthpiece becomes a product.

Shank

The shank of the Groove mouthpieces has a 0.05 taper, which is also called the “American shank." Best Brass is pleased to make a custom-built mouthpiece for anyone who plays instruments that have a European shank, Medium Large Shank, Remington shank, or old Couesnon shank. Please feel free to inquire about a custom-built mouthpiece →here.

Outer shape design and weight.

These mouthpieces are not merely a work of art. The design reflects optimum playability and affects the tonal richness of the instrument. The lightweight and elegantly curved design of the French horn mouthpiece achieves a smooth air flow, and the weight is concentrated in the rim end of the trombone mouthpiece, providing a well-balanced character and richness of tone. Also, the relatively heavy design of trumpet, cornet, and flugelhorn models projects extremely well while the two acoustic 'slits' produce excellent flexibility.

For more detail

→ please download these PDF files!

・Foreword：Transitions of brass instruments and mouthpieces
・Part 1：How to select the best mouthpiece for you.
：Parts descriptions of brass mouthpieces
・Part 2：Groove Series
・Part 3：Improving your performance
・ Tips：Fingering chart - TrumpetTrumpet
Horn
Euphonium
: Position chart - Trombone
: Correlation chart of piano fingerboard and registers of brass instruments

These PDF files are from a mouthpiece handbook called “We’ve got the Groove”. It would be our pleasure to include this handbook to anyone who purchases a mouthpiece from Best Brass.

Model

For Trumpet

For Flugelhorn

For Cornet

For Horn

For Horn(AX model)

For Trombone

For BassTrombone

For Euphonium/Trombone

New! Pure Titanium!

Here is the world's first pure titanium mouthpiece using our M.I.M technology! This totally new product will be great for all trumpeters who looking for a new sound.