Tom Ridenour: Master Clarinet Mouthpiece Craftsman
Tom Ridenour began mouthpiece making in 1978 with the instruction of Everit Matson and Ken Lagace. Over the years he perfected his own thinking about mouthpieces and clarinet acoustics by working with some of the finest players in the world. Tom's reputation for craftsmanship and knowledge finally lead to him being appointed manager of the woodwind company at G. Leblanc Corp., where he worked on mouthpieces design with clarinet legends such as Larry Combs and Robert Marcellus. Tom brings a lifetime of knowledge and skill into each artist mouthpiece he finishes to serve clarinetists and saxophonists around the world.
Today, there are many new mouthpieces on the market, lines of "boutique" mouthpieces have increased considerably,
and the proverbial "flavor of the month."
What is the difference between Ridenour Artist Mouthpieces and many of the "boutique" products that have sprung up?
In a word, craftsmanship. In plain language, we do more than put our name on the mouthpiece, quadruple (or more) the price and ship it to the unwitting, gullible and image driven. We put the quarter of a century of experience, knowledge, artistry and skill into voicing and finishing mouthpieces that play with unique qualities, sculpting and refining each one into something more than just a mechanically correct mouthpiece; we make it artistically satisfying.