Inventory Sale!

We have inventory that must go!  Check it out here. 

Mouthpieces for $65.00 and underparts for $45.00. 

If you see an underpart you like, we may even have a rim in stock to fit.

Additional comments from Edward Blok

“As a matter of fact: after a couple of days of trying I feel free to say this: The Reeves #42 underpart with Warburton #5 top gives excellent results despite of the little mismatch. The sound is rather fat, warm and jazzy. I play a large bore Bach Strad New York #7 edition 2007 by the way. This horn produces already a warm sound. – Also good is the Bach # 7B underpart with the same Warb #5 rim on top. This Bach mouthpiece was already exceptional before the threading, in comparison with other Bach mpcs. It gives a Chet Baker like sound. I’m glad I sent it too you for threading. – And last but not least the GR #65MX underpart goes well with your rim #42 on top! (although the rim is slightly to thick for me and although again there is a mismatch between the two parts). This last combination gives the more clean sound and most ease of intonation.
I can imagine that a classical player would fall for this kind of sound.
I as a jazz trumpeter feel that the GR mpc produces too clean a sound. It seems that the GR people in their quest to make a scientific masterpiece that is perfectly calculated have succeeded in making a mouthpiece that creates too much of a sinusoidal sound, i.e. it is too clean and therefore too cold. Obviously they have sacrificed the warmth (which is essentially permitting a few slightly out of tune frequencies in the whole sound spectre) in favor of ease of intonation and full sound. As they say: discontinuities are in ALL other mpcs (a bold statement) and not in theirs; this might very well be the reason that their mpcs (at least the few #65s that I have tried) produce too clean sounds. At least for jazz musicians like me who have a different sound ideal in their minds. At the same time this is an illustration of the fact that you always end up with a compromise: more warmth means a slighly less pure sound.
I did not mean to criticize one of the best mpc makers, it is all a matter of taste. I hope you don’t publish this second part of my writing. And maybe you don’t even agree with what I am writing and think that I as an amateur should stay away from the physics.
Anyway, I am glad with the parts and I might come back to you in the future.

Yours truly,

Edward H.J. Ninck Blok.

PS. I also was happy that there were no traces of a lathe on the parts. Nice work! Thanks again!”

Thanks, Edward!

Hello Jose Carlos,

your package arrived last Saturday and I am very happy with the results.
Thank you so much for this work done. I’m glad I didn’t bring these precious
mouthpieces to someone with a european lathe that counts in millimeters,
because the tolerances are less close then. Technically speaking I have now
two truly modern mouthpieces: the Reeves #42 and the GR #65 and both fitting
with identical rims, my favorite Warburton # 5. The Bach #7B comes somewhat
behind in intonation and openness. But that doesn’t matter. I am very happy
with the two.

Yours truly,

Edward Ninck Blok.

Thanks, Mark!

Another appreciated email regarding a valve alignment on a New York Bach:

“Hi Jose,

I just got my horn back.
It looks BEAUTIFUL ! ! ! !

Of course, it also plays BEAUTIFUL ! ! ! !

You guys are awesome. . .

Thank You
Mark Del Hoyo”

Thank you, Mark.

Bob works hard to do the best job possible, at the same time, understanding that players don’t want to be without their horn(s) for extended periods of time. When you make your valve alignment appointment, our best effort is put into getting the horn sent out on the same day.

Thanks, Jason!

Here is an email we received recently from one of Bob’s many loyal customers regarding his valve alignment:

“Good morning Mr. Reeves,

I just received the horn last night (Yamaha Heavy Wall) and I only have 3 words about the valve alignment you did on my horn, YOU ARE AMAZING!!!!!!!! WOW, more color in tone, more sound with less effort, better highs, lows, projection is unbelievable, (wife was amazed at the volume and tone in the upper register), and the horn slots now—I know where the notes are on the horn now–no more guessing or adjusting or praying. I didn’t know this horn could do all of these things. I did what we spoke about on the phone with the heavy bottom valve caps and decided to just put the original caps on the horn and see what happens—–I love it and the horn does not weigh a ton like it did before. Just wanted to tell you and your wonderful staff how pleased I am with the work you performed and to thank you so much for your phone call and advice you gave me on how to set the horn up after it is aligned.

Thanks again

Jason K Burchard”

Thanks again Jason for the kind words!

Japan Visit

I had the pleasure of visiting our Japanese distributor, Shires Co., during my recent vacation to Tokyo. Sanada-san (left) is the owner, and his store is a brass players’ dream with new and vintage trumpets and trombones lining the walls in beautiful displays. Nakagawa-san (second from the left) and Kazutaka-san (right) are trumpet experts and provide the highest level of service to their customers.

My wife and I had a great time visiting the shop and enjoyed some amazing sushi and Fugu, which at the time, we did not know it was the famous blowfish.

I was also lucky to see some customers that have done work with Bob Reeves and myself before. Mukaide-san is a professional trumpet player at Tokyo DisneySea. We did a valve alignment on his vintage Calicchio during our last visit in 2006. He is the leader of a band that plays regularly in the park. He sounded great, and was nice enough to pose for a picture with me!

If you find yourself in Tokyo, please by all means drop by their shop and try out some horns and maybe even a Bob Reeves Mouthpiece or two!

Bud Brisbois Story

Bud was a long time friend and customer of mine. I had done some work for him before, including aligning his Holton Bb trumpet #516449, when in 1978 he visited my shop.

When I asked Bud what I could do for him he said, “I want you to make a new and improved Bob Reeves’ version of my Herrick mouthpiece.”

“You got it!” I replied.

He was playing a custom Burt Herrick piece (pictured left) that I had altered the shank on before. It was a completely custom mouthpiece – hand carved rim and cup, short length and a complex backbore.

It took me most of the morning and afternoon to get the piece done. I was able to modify the piece from the original to give him a little more sound for less work.

I had barely taken it out of the silver-plating tank when he grabbed it out of my hand and started running for the door.

“I have a session I have to get to. Thanks for the piece!” Bud said running out of the shop.

“Hey, don’t you want to take the old one with you just in case?” I yelled out, chasing after him with his old Burt Herrick piece in my hand. I couldn’t believe he would show up to a studio session with a new, untested piece.

“What the hell do I need that old thing for…yours is better isn’t it?”

I stood there speechless.

The session ended up being one of his best recordings with Henry Mancini. He never came back for his old piece, where it has been sitting in the same drawer for 30 years.

Doc Severinsen Video

Here is a great video of long time customer and friend, Doc Severinsen. There are a couple of great shots of his Bob Reeves Mouthpiece. Enjoy!

Mouthpiece Comparison Tool

For those of you who haven’t discovered it yet, our Mouthpiece Advisor has been an invaluable tool for trumpet players switching over to the Bob Reeves’ mouthpiece line.

We have hundreds of mouthpiece makes and models in our database, from the complete Vincent Bach mouthpiece line, to Schilke, Monette, and GR mouthpieces.

Here is a partial list of the mouthpiece makers we have listed:

• Bach
• Bob Reeves
•  GR
• Greg Black
• Kanstul
• Laskey
• Marcinkiewicz
• Monette
• Purviance
• Schilke
• Stork
• Warburton
• Yamaha

If you can’t find your particular make and model, look for a comparable model from another manufacturer to see if that is listed. If there is nothing close, give us a call and we can assist you.

Click here to go to the Bob Reeves Trumpet Mouthpiece Advisor.

Celebrating 40 Years of Mouthpiece Making and Valve Alignments!

2008 marks the 40th anniversary of Bob Reeves opening up shop.  In commemoration of this feat, we have started up this blog that will feature news, equipment advice, and plenty of great stories from Bob’s arsenal (at least those that can be repeated ).

Our blog will be updated weekly, so check back regularly!