Problems in the brass music scene
Making mouthpieces had long been a hobby of my grandfather, Karl Breslmair Senior, since the late 1960s, and from 1985 onwards a challenge for my father Karl Breslmair, who was not a technician. It was the passion and ambition to manufacture extraordinary products that were suitable to meet the demands of great artists. Recognition from the music scene followed on its heels and time and again my predecessors were confronted with ideas in the form of orders that meant breaking new ground.
Still known as "Seiberdorf" mouthpieces, my grandfather's products first became famous in Vienna and increasingly internationally. Beyond the classical orchestral scene, our mouthpieces also found their way into traditional folk brass music as well as into high-level Austrian military music. Anyone who has even a slight insight into the brass music scene knows the problems that this type of instrument has to overcome. Thin brass with often voluminous circumferences (tuba), little protection in unsuitable bags and cases. The instruments are played on every occasion, regardless of wind, weather and season. While rural bands have the privilege of informality, military bands are subject to obedience and the compulsion to drill according to strict rituals. There is no room to warm the mouthpiece to body temperature in the trouser pocket: From the "Habt Acht" position, it is put on and played. The nightmare of every brass player. Such shortcomings and inadequacies were feared, but could not be solved. They also got through to my grandfather, who was concerned about them. Wood was obvious, this was available in abundance from his violin making. Wood swells, does not stay smooth, breaks if it is made too thin. These were all obvious facts that Karl Breslmair also discussed with his research colleagues in Seibersdorf. The result from their minds was the patent "polymer wood", which was produced and also processed for many years with the equipment created there. The disadvantage of this sensational material was the length and diameter of the raw parts. The "source", as the part of the plant was called in which the ionisation took place, only held parts with a maximum length of 50 centimetres. In modern technology, standardised lengths and diameters are required, which obey a standardised workpiece clamping. After demand began to decline in addition to the disadvantages mentioned above, the polymer wood became quiet. The production of this material was discontinued, the "source" and other components were stowed away in a warehouse where they still stand today. My father acquired all the remaining stocks of the material in the early 1990s and we can still make mouthpieces from it if needed. In any case, the embouchure problems of brass players were solved with this material, and in addition, allergy sufferers were relieved from the torment of fever blisters and rashes.
Research and coincidences
Many problems of daily life can be solved through intensive thought. An essential helper at all times, however, is chance, which comes to the rescue when logic has led to a dead end.
The materials used in brass instrument making are limited to non-ferrous metal. Easy to machine, flexible, soft and hard to solder, quick to polish to a high shine and, moreover, suitable for galvanic surface finishing. By chance, my father came into contact with titanium and he became obsessed with giving Breslmair KG the unique selling point of mastering this extraordinary material and using it successfully in mouthpiece construction.
Mass production is not the desired goal of our company, it is the special features that our company can offer and thus become a magnet for artists. The use of titanium offers us a very special platform to present ourselves as innovators.
From space travel to the mouthpiece
The name alone inspires the imagination to flights of fancy. Known for its use in space travel, with the predicate of indestructibility and the special feature of not causing any reactions in the human body. It is obvious that this extraordinary material should be considered for use at the interface between the wind (lip) and the sounding instrument. As described at the beginning of the article, the wind player's lip always suffers from low temperatures. Titanium is a very poor conductor of heat, therefore immediately gives the lip the impression of well-being. Every non-ferrous metal must be surface-treated to meet current hygiene regulations. The mouthpiece is plugged in and pulled out of the instrument dozens of times a day. It is subjected to constant physical stress, under which the galvanisation suffers. The mouthpiece falls to the floor, is put in the pocket of the trousers together with the bunch of keys or is kept in designated pockets together with other utensils. After a short time, scratches and small dents mar the formerly flawless appearance.
The rim is an exposed part of the mouthpiece and must provide the lip with a perfectly bright surface. If this is damaged, the embouchure suffers and the musical result is poor. If the silver layer that normally coats the non-ferrous metal is damaged, the sometimes aggressive saliva can lead to severe erosion, causing unsightly micro-holes. At these points, however, the lip is in contact with the base non-ferrous metal, which also contains lead and zinc. These shortcomings of the standard material are the reason for us to use titanium.
Conclusion
Pure, noble, hygienic, warm, indestructible. In combination with our established modular system, an excellent way to combine fit with well-being and timelessness. The titanium rim can accompany the musician for a lifetime; excessive use will not damage the material. The term "value for money" takes on a new dimension.
Lukas Breslmair Production, Quality Assurance, Marketing
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