Berg Larsen originally made his name as a professional musician in London. He was also known for his reed making, and mouthpiece facing work.
In 1945 he began manufacturing a variety of hard rubber clarinet and saxophone mouthpieces. His earliest metal mouthpieces were made out of brass, and they would later evolve into stainless steel. Today the most sought after vintage Berg Larsen mouthpieces are:
Slant Signature Hard Rubber and Stainless Steel
Deluxe - Gold Brass
Charlie Ventura 100/2 offset M
Slant Signature Precision
Although Vintage Berg Larsen mouthpieces are fantastic players, they don't tend to fetch nearly as much money as their contemporary counterparts Meyer and Otto Link. The rarest Berg Larsen mouthpieces are the Charlie Ventura models, and they are the only vintage Bergs that we have ever seen that have cracked the $1000 mark in sales.
Even though Vintage Berg Larsen mouthpieces don't sell for as much as some other mouthpieces, they are great works of craftsmanship, and provide an excellent pallet for players who use them. With the different baffle sizes ranging from 0 to 3, where 0 = bright and 3 = dark, plus different chambers such as the bullet chamber, and the drop chamber. Virtually anyone can find some kind of Berg Larsen mouthpiece that works for them.
Berg Larsen mouthpieces have been used by many famous saxophone players over the years. Here are some of them.
Sonny Rollins
Lenny Pickett
Pete Christlieb
Jan Gabarek
Bill Clinton
Berg Larsen originally made his name as a professional musician in London. He was also known for his reed making, and mouthpiece facing work.
In 1945 he began manufacturing a variety of hard rubber clarinet and saxophone mouthpieces. His earliest metal mouthpieces we... [more]