[Gh0stC0de]

I am not a huge fan of the feel of the mouthpieces on my two melodicas, a Suzuki Student 32 and a Yamaha P32d. However, I am an avid 3D modeler and printer, so I have decided to print my own.

I am a beginner to melodica, I picked it up a few years ago and then proceeded to start a new job and move to a new home that needed repair, so my hobby time has been little until recently. Do any more experienced players have ideas as to what would make an ideal mouthpiece for comfort and playing angle?

[Marcia C.]

I love this idea. We have a 3D printer. If you create code for it, please post a link here.

What I would like for a melodica is a hard mouthpiece that is long enough so I can hold it level and see the keyboard when I play. And also that I could stand up and play it. I have a Yamaha.

[Alan Brinton]

There has been a fair amount of discussion here about mouthpiece preferences, GhOstCOde, and some also about creation of 3D mouthpieces. Search the forums for “3d print” and “mouthpiece” and you should be able to dig it up.

Preferences among members are all over the map. I guess everyone agrees that a mouthpiece should be smooth and feel comfortable in the mouth or against the lips. And most will also agree that we need more options. This is especially true with the Yamahas. Suzuki has offered the most options, but they don’t fit other popular brands, Yamaha in particular.

I personally like short, minimalistic mouthpieces such as the Suzuki MP-142. Another favorite of mine is the melodica-end fitting from a Suzuki tube.

Some nicely crafted new options would be very popular, though it’s probably not a get-rich propositions. I hope you will pursue this vigorously!

[Melodica-Me]

For most parts I usually use a trumpet mouth piece because I like the control I get. I have used the Hohner and Suzuki ones that come with the melodica and for the Melodicas I have made, I have incorporated trumpet, French horn and soprano sax modified mouth pieces. I have been doing some research to make a mouth piece for a project I am almost done with and I have chosen Ebonite (hard rubber) The same material used on some older saxophone mouth pieces (not Plastic) so I can turn on the lathe and shape on the mill. I also considered Bakelite but I could not find a rod the size I needed with out paying a small fortune. I do have some ideas in mind, I do know that it will most likely not be a trumpet style mouth piece for this project. I order this material from Russia, unfortunately it can take as mush as 8 weeks to get, so my project sits 🙁
Melodica-Me

[Daren]

I use the standard Yamaha mouthpiece, but I file off the lip (about 5mm), as its easier for me to play. If you 3D print one, make sure it’s printed with a food safe plastic. Even if it is, there will be thousands of tiny holes which can collect bacteria, so look into using some sort of (food safe) sealant, and wash it regularly.

I’ve looked into 3D printing mouthpieces a couple of years ago, and decided that the best option was to use a company to print it in ceramic, which they then glaze. They’re sealed, food safe and washable, slightly less accurate because of the glaze, but you’d need to use a rubber seal anyway.

Technology will have changed since my research, so I’m sure there’s other options out there now.

MM – feel free to make a post about your mouthpieces, sounds really interesting! 🙂

[Gary Oblock]

Regarding reducing the porosity of a printed plastic mouthpiece. I’d lightly brush it’s surface (interior and exterior) with a safe solvent. If acetone will dissolve your plastic it’s safe to use because it occurs naturally in the body.

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