I have developed the "San Francisco" series mouthpieces over a period of twenty years. All of these mouthpieces reflect my attention to the love of the craft of mouthpiece making and correct acoustical design. I use only Zinner blanks for my "San Francisco" Bb and Eb clarinet mouthpieces.These fine blanks represent the best in material and consistency currently available. Hans and Carsten Zinner have been extremely helpful in producing a very fine custom blank for me. This blank is not available to other makers and should not be confused or compared to the Zinner blanks used by others.

In addition to using this very fine custom blank, I further customize the bore by reaming it to specs that produce superior intonation and a characteristic "Fobes" ring.

The CICERO series is a nod to one of the great masters of the clarinet mouthpiece craft in the 20th century. The CICERO mouthpieces are not to be construed as copies, but rather as "made in the style of..". The shorter facing produces a beautiful compact quality to the tone. There is also a special treatment of the tip baffle area to lend response and clarity to the sound.

The EUROPA series is the latest addition to my professional line. These mouthpieces are designed to reflect the preference of most European players for long, open facings with wide tip rails. The resistance inherent in this design requires a slightly softer reed than my other mouthpieces. (I suggest a Van Doren V-12 3-3 1/2). With the proper reed strength these mouthpieces play with an extremely rich and dark sound, but are supple and responsive.

The CF+ facing is by far my most popular mouthpiece. If you are not familiar with my facings I believe this is an excellent "middle of the road" facing that suits many players and a good place to begin when trying my mouthpieces.

 

All "San Francisco" mouthpieces are $200

Mouthpiece comparisons are meant as a general reference only. No direct comparisons are being claimed.