10. How do we find out the exact shape and sizes of a mouthpieces?

In the last "Boquilleando" posts (Nos. 8 and 9), we talked about why mouthpiece measurements from different brands don't match even if they are the same size and we saw the exact point where we take the measurements of the inner rim diameter of our mouthpieces. But how do we take exact measurements of a mouthpiece?

Today we are going to discover our method for determining the exact shape and measurements of a mouthpiece, both our own and those from other brands.

In our workshop, we have a three-dimensional measuring machine to which, before starting work, we must indicate the parameters of where the scan should begin and end. Once this is done, it will only be a matter of seconds to visualize on our screen the exact shapes of the inside of the mouthpiece, the bore, the cup, and the rim shape. But what about the measurements?

Now it's our turn. Simply by drawing a line indicating from what point to what point we want to know the size, we will obtain the exact measurement. That is, once the entire mouthpiece is scanned, we can get the measurements we are interested in for any part of the mouthpiece.

Having all this information is very important and essential for:

• Being able to inform the musician about the real or more technical measurements of the mouthpiece they are playing and, often, to debunk their perception of what their own mouthpiece looks like inside, since it's impossible to know just by looking at it or putting a finger inside the cup. To know its shape, scanning will be necessary.
• Being able to manufacture a custom mouthpiece perfectly adapted to the musician's needs. Knowing what their mouthpiece is like, which parts work for them and which parts don't, gives us the starting point to replicate the correct measurements and modify/improve those that are not optimal.

Don't miss the next video where you can see how we scan mouthpieces with the three-dimensional measuring machine and which will also help you understand much better, through practical examples, how we determine the exact shape and measurements of a mouthpiece.

In the next post, I will show you how we measure the cup depth. Don't miss it!

I await your comments, greetings, and lots of music!