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Guitars that sound good need the structure to be very lightly damped. 3D printed structures have too much damping. Mouthpieces for brass instruments are more of a possiblility with direct metal laser sintering method. But they would have to go through a significant polishing routine because DMLS results in a very rough surface. Possible though since they make ball and socket joints this way
In case anyone really is interested, they use computer-controlled lathes to scrape mouthpieces out of a block of brass. Increasingly though, they can make mouthpiece parts (particularly rims that contact the lip) by molding materials such as Delrin. So I was thinking more about having a player like me who doesn't have a machine shop be able to tinker with designs inexpensively. The smallest of adjustments to a myriad of different surface angles in a mouthpiece makes a HUGE difference in playablility. If it didn't, we brass players wouldn't constantly be searching for a better mouthpiece (no matter what we might say in public).
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Matt the issue with 3D printing anything that needs to be smooth is that no 3D technique is inherently smooth and needs post processing. I. Was responsible for 3D printing of custom earpieces for hearing aids and hearing protection using light cured acrylics and the smoothing technique was quite complicated and was just external surfaces. A mouthpiece would need the internal surfaces quite smooth, yes?
I could easily see trumpet mouthpieces designed and printed on a 3-D printer. Would save a lot of time prototyping. Maybe they're already doing it?
Well if they can print full on guitars, I'm sure they are making other stuff too (Like trumpet mouthpieces). Would be nice if someone can find a pic or two
Matt the issue with 3D printing anything that needs to be smooth is that no 3D technique is inherently smooth and needs post processing. I. Was responsible for 3D printing of custom earpieces for hearing aids and hearing protection using light cured acrylics and the smoothing technique was quite complicated and was just external surfaces. A mouthpiece would need the internal surfaces quite smooth, yes?
Oh, absolutely. Inside and especially outside (the rim, where it meets the lips). But I've been mentioning prototyping only. If I had a few minutes with a new mouthpiece shape, I could put up with a rough surface long enough to see if the design worked.
Just to give you a quick example, most people don't know that trumpet maker Vincent Bach made his mouthpieces with a hole of .27" because he expected the user to ream it out. I've taken a mouthpiece all the way from 27 to 17 (wider) in increments of .01 to feel the effect. It's huge. I like mine around .22. But once you get there, going down to .21 ruins the mouthpiece. It works like that, and there are a dozen such places you can adjust. I'm sure you can see the appeal of printing inexpensive prototypes to experiment on. My mouthpieces aren't the inexpensive store Bachs, either.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
If that's the case that reaming is needed anyways, then the rapid prototyping of choice would be machining rather than 3D printing.
3D printing is still generally misunderstood by the public as to what you can realistically fabricate with performance features that come close to more traditional manufacturing. Not even close to making actual guitars with it. Re read the article and you will see that this is a traditional guitar with just the cosmetic body shape printed. The heart of the guitar is wood as well as the neck. The "brighter" comment in the article is because of the lack of resonance in the printed structure.
I was interested in getting a flugel-ish sound from my trumpet, and the Trent Austin ACB-TF looked pretty cool.
But money was (as always) lacking. Fortunately, my co-worker had access to a 3D printer. I found a parametric trumpet mouthpiece model and learned OpenSCAD. I learned a lot about trumpet mouthpieces than I though I'd ever know, and eventually came up with two different models a friend printed for me.
The first was a complete bust. It looked good, but I couldn't coax much sound from it.
The second (based on the ABC TF) was a lot more successful. It required a bit of sanding, but the deep V cup came out with something closer to a flugelhorn. As a novice, I appreciated it being a lot easier to play in the middle register.
As an added bonus, it was - for a number of reasons - a lot quieter, which my family appreciated.
Brass players are not the only ones constantly checking out mouthpieces. I have several sax player friends and it's the same with them. One who has the money will spend $6-700 on a custom piece, use it for a few gigs and go, naaaah.
Then there's the B3 fanatics like me. Don't get me started on all the organ clones out there plus the aftermarket leslie sims. I've got em all. On stage does anybody care except me? Of course not but hey, I'm the man...
Bob, you're right about sax mouthpieces. I've had both my soprano and tenor pieces refaced. It might be easier to print a sax mouthpiece than a brass one; fewer critical angles involved, I think.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Dcuny, some use a Mark Curry piece to approximate a flugelhorn response out of a trumpet. It's popular with those travelling who can take only one horn.
And there's always a flumpet.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
For brass mouthpieces, Schilke has been doing this for decades (to the extent possible concerning technology at the time). I had a few experimental mouthpieces made by them. Rim curve, depth/shape of initial recess/cup, taper to the bore, and bore depth/diameter all customized. Heck, they even stamped my name on the side as a custom mouthpiece back in the 90s. There is an actual RHarvey trumpet mouthpiece in their records somewhere. If I recall (and this was long ago) I think their code was a 6B8C made for my MFHorn bore (large) back in the day .. I think I customized it further by adding a pickup to it .. I'll dig it up and post a pic for fun.
For 3d printing; I found it quite interesting that the military could 'sample' say, a tank part and have it created overseas years ago.
It IS fun to see another technology reaching the point where it is accessible to us musicians. Edit: Sure enough; found it in the MF Horn case with a BB pickup still epoxy'd in .. hey it works! If anyone wants a one of a kind custom mouthpiece like this I have 1 left. Starting price around $120000000000000000000000000000 Hey it's one of a kind! Soft rim, shallow initial cup, tapered bore to the deep end (on a curve) and large end bore to accommodate air flow for large bore horns ..
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
Dcuny, some use a Mark Curry piece to approximate a flugelhorn response out of a trumpet. It's popular with those travelling who can take only one horn.
And there's always a flumpet.
What I really wanted was a C flugelhorn!
I got a Bb trumpet off Craigslist last year for $70. It was in decent shape, and the poor guy was letting it go because his arthritis had bent up his finger something awful. I eventually got a Tromba plastic trumpet in C. Lots of fun, but I'm still nowhere near to being good enough to play in public.
I've seen some attempts at 3D printed trumpets, but the technology isn't really there. And a completely plastic trumpet isn't all that great - that's why I went with Tromba instead of Tiger - some parts still need to be made out of metal.
I've managed to acquire an inexpensive flugelhorn since then, as well as a used plastic Tromba flugelhorn. I think the Tromba trumpet works better than the flugelhorn, but it's nice to have an instrument and leave out and not worry about breaking.
The flumpet looked cool, but it's way out of my price range! The Phatboy looks even cooler, and just as out of reach!
My birthday is coming up, and I was considering getting a Wedge mouthpieces (made of Delrin) or even the Trent Austin I had cloned, when I found out that Nuvo had come up with a new instrument: the jSax, a plastic kid's soprano sax in C. I've already go their plastic flute and Clarineo (a C clarinet) - both of which are very cool.
Although their instruments are made out of plastic, I don't think you could 3D print them - getting a flexible plastic spring would be quite a trick. And that's ignoring any issues with the pads. (The jSax looks like it's got plastic o-ring seals).
I ended up getting a C Melody sax on Craigslist instead, and am getting ready to disassemble and re-pad it, because that's what happens when you buy an old sax. Wish me luck!
I probably should have stuck with the jSax. It's a toy, but cute!
Somebody said above you couldn't make decent guitars. I have seen (but not heard) nice-looking 3D-printed electrics, and I have seen and heard a nice violin. Given composite and carbon-fiber axes like the Ivation Adamas series, I don't know why you couldn't do decent acoustics, too.
Richard
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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