About

The Van Cleave trumpet mouthpiece concept was originally developed in the early 1980’s through a collaboration between Mark Van Cleave and Bill Ratzenberger (Jet Tone).  Through the years the concepts and designs have been refined and improved into what they are today.

The rationale for designing and producing a new trumpet mouthpiece when there are so many mouthpiece choices out there was to improve the tools available to the modern trumpet player.  Today’s playing requirements in the commercial genre have evolved much faster than the equipment available.  Many of the commercial style mouthpieces available today are all about the upper register with little or no concern for sound, intonation, projection, presence, efficiency, etc.

The Van Cleave trumpet mouthpiece series is all about the center or core of the sound and real playability.

Player Quotes

Balance and Playability

The critical balance between rim, bite, undercut, cup shape, cup depth, throat, and backbore in the Van Cleave mouthpieces creates very efficient and playable mouthpieces. The Van Cleave trumpet mouthpieces are open blowing, quick responding, secure slotting, while having an unequalled evenness of tone quality throughout all registers at all volume levels that make our mouthpieces a joy to play.

The Van Cleave mouthpieces produce a sound that is both centered and fat at the same time. This allows the sound to not only fill the room, but also stay intact and energized all the way to the back of the hall without spreading and thinning out like many commercial mouthpieces.

If you like a centered sound that also fills the room and projects well, you will love the Van Cleave mouthpiece series!