Custom Trumpet Mouthpiece: Personalized Craftsmanship by Ken Titmus
Finding the right custom trumpet mouthpiece can make a meaningful difference in how a trumpet feels and responds. Every player has different physical characteristics, musical demands, and preferences, so a standard mouthpiece is not always the perfect solution. Custom mouthpiece work allows specific parts of a mouthpiece to be adjusted to address a player’s individual needs.
Ken Titmus, a brass mouthpiece craftsman and trumpet player, specializes in custom mouthpiece work through KT Custom Mouthpiece. His services include alterations, repairs, refinishing, plating, and custom components for trumpet and other brass instruments.
Custom Trumpet Mouthpiece Alterations
One of the most common types of custom work involves changing the rim, cup, or throat entrance. A rim can be slightly flattened or its inside or outside radius can be reshaped to change the feel and response. Cup modifications can provide additional room under the rim or change the cup shape to influence the playing characteristics. Even a carefully shaped throat entrance can affect how a mouthpiece responds without changing the actual bore size.
Ken also performs bore and throat modifications. A bore can be enlarged when appropriate, or reduced through a plug-and-redrill process. Bore reduction is a specialized service that requires careful blending so the modification follows the original contours of the mouthpiece.
Custom Backbores for Trumpet Players
Backbore design is another specialty of Ken Titmus. His RT Reverse Taper backbores were developed with commercial and lead trumpet playing in mind. Different models provide different combinations of resistance, response, projection, sound, and flexibility, allowing players to explore characteristics that match their style.
Ken can also alter existing backbores, change gaps, re-shank mouthpieces, bend mouthpiece shanks, cut and thread components, cut for Reeves sleeves and restore worn or damaged mouthpieces. Silver plating is performed in-house as part of alteration services.
Personalized Mouthpiece Work
The purpose of a custom trumpet mouthpiece is not simply to make something unusual. It is to solve a specific playing problem or help a musician achieve a desired feel and sound. Ken likes to work with players to understand what they are experiencing before recommending modifications or starting their requested work.
Whether you need a rim alteration, cup modification, bore adjustment, specialty backbore, repair, or complete custom work, Ken Titmus brings years of trumpet-playing and mouthpiece-making experience to each project.