🎵 BACKUN Corrado Signature Bb Mouthpiece — The Italian Soul of Sound by Maestro Corrado Giuffredi
The BACKUN Corrado Signature Series Bb Clarinet Mouthpiece is a signature model created in collaboration with Corrado Giuffredi, one of the world's most celebrated clarinetists, Principal Clarinet of the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, and a leader of the new Italian clarinet school. A traditional bore design with an open/long facing delivers gorgeous flexibility and a centred tone. Crafted from marbled green hard-rod rubber, the Corrado Signature offers playable ease and smoothness across registers, yielding an altissimo that produces wonderfully strong overtones and rich character.
🎶 Sound Characteristics
The Corrado Signature is a mouthpiece of unmatched flexibility and centred tone, reflecting the aesthetic of the Italian clarinet school: singing quality, expressiveness, and freedom.
✔️ Flexible, centred tone — the Traditional bore design provides a stable, focused tonal core with incredible flexibility for dynamic nuances and timbral variety
✔️ Powerful altissimo with rich overtones — the unique combination of bore and facing produces wonderfully strong overtones in the upper register, giving the sound a rich, vibrant character
✔️ Ease and smoothness across all registers — register transitions happen smoothly and effortlessly, ensuring comfort during extended performances
✔️ Balanced and vibrant — as Maestro Giuffredi himself describes it: balanced and vibrant, with comfort throughout the entire range
✔️ Versatility across genres — equally effective for orchestral, chamber, modern contemporary classical, and even klezmer music, reflecting the breadth of Corrado Giuffredi's artistic range
🔧 Construction and Technology
The Corrado Signature combines a traditional approach to bore design with BACKUN's cutting-edge manufacturing technology.
✔️ Traditional Bore — a classic bore design providing a stable, centred tone with natural flexibility. Unlike the A-Frame used in the Euro, Hawkins, McGill, and Shifrin models, the Corrado uses a traditional bore for a more classical sound
✔️ Open/Long facing — delivers free-blowing sound and flexibility, allowing musicians to control a wide range of dynamics and timbre
✔️ 1.20 mm tip opening — large enough for a powerful, rich sound, yet controllable for precise articulation and intonation
✔️ Marbled green hard-rod rubber — a unique material selected specifically for the Corrado Signature. The green marble finish is not only aesthetically refined but also provides optimal acoustic characteristics
✔️ 9-axis CNC machining — crafted on a highly advanced 9-axis CNC machine using a unique "done-in-one" machining program that combines milling and lathing without a second setup or recalibration, ensuring exceptional consistency for every unit
✔️ CAD/CAM design and 3D prototyping — designed using advanced CAD/CAM software and tested with 3D printing technology
⚙️ O-Ring System
✔️ Self-lubricating O-Rings instead of traditional cork — all Backun Signature Series mouthpieces feature rubber O-Rings instead of cork. This provides improved durability, reduced maintenance, and a stable fit on the barrel
✔️ Three O-Ring sizes included — medium-sized O-Rings are installed by default and fit the majority of clarinet barrel tenons
💡 Tip from Hawkins: to re-lubricate the O-Rings, use a drop of almond oil or a tiny bit of cork grease on the inner wall of the barrel top tenon to improve ease of use
📊 Technical Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
| Key | Bb |
| Series | Signature Series |
| Model | Corrado (CG) |
| Artist | Corrado Giuffredi (Principal Clarinet, Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana) |
| Designer | Richard Hawkins (Professor, Oberlin Conservatory) |
| Tip Opening | 1.20 mm — Open |
| Facing | Open / Long |
| Bore | Traditional |
| Material | Marbled green hard-rod rubber |
| Engraving | «CG» on the table |
| Fitting | Self-lubricating O-Rings (3 pcs, medium size installed) |
| Manufacturing | 🇨🇦 Backun Musical Services, Canada — 9-axis CNC |
📦 Included
✔️ Corrado Signature Bb Clarinet Mouthpiece (1 pc)
✔️ Medium-sized self-lubricating O-Rings (3 pcs)
✔️ Small flathead screwdriver for O-Rings (1 pc)
✔️ Mouthpiece patch (1 pc)
✔️ BACKUN Warranty
🎯 Who Is the Corrado Signature For
✔️ Orchestral players — flexible, centred tone with excellent projection for orchestral parts
✔️ Chamber musicians — balanced sound with rich overtones for ensemble playing
✔️ Soloists — powerful altissimo and timbral diversity for concert performances
✔️ Fans of the Italian school — reflects the aesthetic of Italian clarinet sound: singing quality, warmth, and expressiveness
✔️ Musicians seeking a flexible mouthpiece — Open/Long facing with Traditional bore provides maximum freedom of expression
✔️ Multi-genre performers — classical, chamber, klezmer, and contemporary classical — the Corrado Signature handles it all
🏆 Comparison within the BACKUN Signature Series Bb
| Model | Tip Opening | Facing | Bore | Material | Character |
| Shifrin | 1.04 mm | Medium/Long | A-Frame | Marbled slate hard-rod rubber | Compact, chamber |
| Hawkins | 1.08 mm | Medium | A-Frame | Hard-rod rubber | Clear, dark, compact |
| McGill | 1.15 mm | Medium/Long | A-Frame | Hard-rod rubber | Rich tone, easy articulation |
| 🔥 Corrado | 1.20 mm | Open/Long | Traditional | Marbled green hard-rod rubber | Flexible, centred, rich overtones |
| Euro | 1.30 mm | Open+/Long | A-Frame | Spanish marble hard-rod rubber | Loudest, refined |
🏭 About Corrado Giuffredi
🇮🇹 Corrado Giuffredi is an Italian clarinetist, one of the most celebrated in the world, and a leader of the new Italian clarinet school. He began his studies at age 10 at the Conservatory of Parma, graduating with honours. As Principal Clarinet of the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, he has performed with the Orchestra Filarmonica della Scala under the batons of Riccardo Muti and Daniel Barenboim. His chamber music collaborations include Martha Argerich, David Shifrin, Eddie Daniels, and many other distinguished musicians. He has recorded for labels including Decca, Warner, and Stradivarius. He teaches clarinet at the Istituto Musicale Superiore di Modena. Renowned as a master of classical, chamber, jazz, and klezmer performance.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How does the Corrado differ from other Signature Series mouthpieces?
The Corrado is the only model in the Signature Series with a Traditional bore (unlike the A-Frame in all other models). This yields a more classical, centred tone. The 1.20 mm tip opening with Open/Long facing delivers a powerful, free-blowing sound with superb overtones. The marbled green hard-rod rubber is a unique material exclusive to this model.
What is a Traditional bore and how does it differ from A-Frame?
A Traditional bore is a classic internal chamber design with straight walls. It provides a powerful, centred tone with natural projection. The A-Frame is a more modern design with a distinctive baffle profile that produces a different articulation and tonal character. Corrado chose the Traditional bore to preserve the Italian tonal aesthetic.
What reeds work best with the Corrado Signature?
With its 1.20 mm opening and long facing, medium-strength reeds are recommended. For cane reeds, Vandoren 3.0–3.5 works well. The mouthpiece also performs beautifully with Légère synthetic reeds. Corrado Giuffredi is personally a Légère artist.
Why O-Rings instead of cork?
Self-lubricating O-Rings offer improved durability compared to traditional cork, require less maintenance, don't need regular replacement, and provide a stable, secure fit on the barrel. Three sizes are included to achieve a perfect fit on any barrel.
Is the Corrado Signature suitable for klezmer?
Absolutely! Corrado Giuffredi himself is renowned as a klezmer master. The flexibility of the Traditional bore and Open/Long facing allows for the characteristic klezmer sound with rich overtones and expressive dynamic nuances.
What does the "CG" engraving on the table mean?
"CG" stands for Corrado Giuffredi — the initials of the artist for whom this mouthpiece was created. Each Signature Series model has a unique engraving: CG (Corrado), EU (Euro), RH (Hawkins), AM (McGill), DS (Shifrin).
How does the Corrado Signature differ from the Corrado Vocalise CG?
The Corrado Signature is the premium model from the Signature Series, crafted from marbled green hard-rod rubber with Open/Long facing and O-Rings. The Vocalise CG is a more affordable model from the Vocalise series with a different level of finish. The Signature Series represents the pinnacle of the BACKUN mouthpiece lineup.
Is the Corrado Signature compatible with other brands' clarinets?
Yes, the Corrado Signature is compatible with barrel tenons from most clarinet manufacturers thanks to its O-Ring system with three sizes. The medium size, installed by default, fits the majority of barrels.
🚚 Shipping and Payment
✅ Free shipping across Ukraine from 4000 UAH
🚚 Nova Poshta — 1-3 days across Ukraine
💳 Pay in installments — Monobank, PrivatBank
✅ Official warranty from BACKUN
🇨🇦 Made in Canada — BACKUN instruments and accessories
SoundsGood — official BACKUN dealer in Ukraine. Shipping across all of Ukraine: Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Dnipro, and more.
🎵 Order the BACKUN Corrado Signature Bb Mouthpiece at SoundsGood — the Italian soul of sound by Maestro Giuffredi! 🎶
