Mouthpiece Review - Randefalk R3S Mouthpiece

I have been really excited to review the Randefalk R3S Mouthpiece for the past few weeks and I have finally got around to putting my thoughts down on paper.

My initial impressions upon opening my package from Randefalk Music was that of surprise. The R3S Mouthpiece arrived safely packaged in a high quality PolarCase which is guaranteed to protect the mouthpiece. It was really nice to get a mouthpiece case along with this mouthpiece which is not often done by other companies. The PolarCase is small enough to fit into gig bags and hard cases and is padded to prevent any unwanted dents or scratches to the mouthpiece.

Upon seeing the mouthpiece for the first time, I was quite intrigued by the outer shape and inner shape of the mouthpiece which is quite different to anything that I had previously seen. The mouthpiece has a U and V shaped cup which allows the transition to a small cone in the throat of the mouthpiece. The gold plating on the mouthpiece was absolutely perfect and the whole presentation of this mouthpiece was impressive. I felt as though I was being treated to a high quality experience before I even got to test the mouthpiece.

I have tested the mouthpiece for around a month in direct comparison to a number of other mouthpiece to gain a balanced perspective on the new mouthpiece.

The first thing that I noticed about the new Randefalk R3S Mouthpiece was that the shape of the Rim was flat at it's highest point, this did not impact on the comfort of the mouthpiece on my lip and I felt that the mouthpiece was a perfect fit in regards to my lip and teeth structure which is something that I consider to be quite important to me personally.

The real surprise came when playing the mouthpiece for the first time. I have no way of accurately describing this experience apart from feeling that I had upgraded to a sports model type of mouthpiece. I felt an instant resonance within the mouthpiece which spoke throughout the whole register but especially for me in the lower register. I found myself having to use less air to produce a full sound than I normally would use which really supported and enhanced my own playing especially within the quieter dynamics.

The sound that I made with the mouthpiece stood out to me most of all and  found myself stopping my practice and returning later just to check that the mouthpiece performed in the same way which had initially excited me. I often gravitate towards mouthpieces with a rounded rim, 26.00mm cup and a medium sized backbore to aid in the higher register, these specifications often that I have to work harder in the lower register. I honestly feel that the Randefalk R3S Mouthpiece gives me the sound that I want in the low register as well as still maintaining that support in the high register.

Other points which impressed me were the ease in which I could produce and articulate notes with clarity which I really noticed when performing my daily scale routineand the flexibility of the mouthpiece which just seemed to offer support to my air flow. 

The R3S Mouthpiece has the following specifications:

Euphonium R3S (Shape of rim is flat on highest peak)

• Rim Ø  26.00 mm

• Outer Ø 40.00 mm

• Bore size 7.60 mm

• Cup Depth 37.00 mm

• Total length 83.00 mm

• Backbore 10.70 mm

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We have such a strong market of top quality mouthpieces that it can be hard for an individual to make a decision in regards to getting a new mouthpiece. The Randefalk R3S Mouthpiece is a mouthpiece that is trailblazing in it's design and has already made an impact with some of the top musicians around the world. I cannot wait to see how this mouthpiece will impact the future of Euphonium Mouthpieces!

In a final thought, if you are looking for a new mouthpiece then I would strongly recommend making sure that you check out the Randefalk mouthpiece range.