Legendary flugel player, Stan Lippeatt, has collaborated with instrument manufacturer, Stomvi, to adapt the mouthpiece that he has played on for decades - originally developed in the 1800s and given to him by Alec Garbutt, who taught both Stan and Roger Webster.

The new Stomvi Flugel Mouthpiece is a less ‘cupped’, straighter, narrower-rimmed mouthpiece than the more contemporary breeds and the first Stan Lippeatt Mouthpiece from the Stomvi stable is ideal for high register jazz work, although the Company is also planning a Stan Lippeatt Flugel Mouthpiece to offer a mellower, more sonorous sound for brass bands.

Said Stan Lippeatt: “The mouthpiece that I’ve played on throughout my career was a prototype, which I doctored by opening up the throat a little bit and making it a bit deeper. At the time, everyone raved about it and I’m still playing on it today - I’ve had it silver-plated three times and the last time I had it plated in gold. It’s very similar to the old mouthpieces for French horn, which 100 years ago were straighter and tapered, and only ‘cupped’ slightly, producing a round, sonorous sound

“Don Owen, who distributes Stomvi, asked me about the mouthpiece and I showed it to him; he liked it and said he would get Stomvi to make one. Stomvi is now going to make a deeper version aimed at the brass band market.”

Asked why he prefers playing on a narrower- rimmed mouthpiece, Stan commented: “It just feels right to me, so I’ve stuck with it. The new mouthpieces are very good - it’s all about personal preference and this is what I prefer.”

The mouthpiece retails at £70.00 including VAT and profits from sales are being donated for six months to the breast cancer charity, Boobs and Brass, with which Stan Lippeatt is involved.

Said Don Owen, whose Company distributes Stomvi: “We thought that donating to such a good charity, which is popular with brass bands, would be a nice thing to do.”

 

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