At DONAT, the cornet holds a singular place.
An instrument of elegance and softness, it requires a different approach from the trumpet: particular attention to the cup shape, the radius, and the way the vibration must settle without hardness.
Where many manufacturers offer very straight cups, often too rigid, DONAT has chosen another path.
Dimitri developed his models in close collaboration with several professional cornet players, including the Dutch musicians Ko de Rooij and Hugh Steketee, passionate and demanding players deeply committed to the cornet tradition.
These exchanges made it possible to refine more enveloping, warmer cups, capable of offering the characteristic carrying quality of the cornet while maintaining precision and stability.
A cornet mouthpiece must be technically flawless — but also offer natural comfort and stable endurance, essential for allowing the vibration to unfold fully.
A mouthpiece is never a simple equation.
The diameter / depth / throat relationship does not function as an isolated mechanism:
– certain depths do not tolerate certain throats;
– deeper cups require a precise backbore to maintain balance;
– the mass transforms the anchoring and stability of the vibration;
– the rim directly influences softness, freedom, and warmth of sound.
Each DONAT cornet model is therefore a carefully sought balance, designed so that the vibration remains stable, natural, and faithful to the instrument’s aesthetic.
Choosing your mouthpiece
Choosing a mouthpiece means finding the right balance between diameter, cup, throat, and mass.
To support musicians in this choice, we have gathered several simple reference points, each explained in a dedicated section.
You can therefore:
– explore the most popular models, to discover the sound signatures that work best among musicians;
– choose your diameter, according to your natural comfort and your playing goals;
– choose your cup, to adjust your register, sound volume and the sensation of density in the lips;
– choose your plating, according to your feeling in contact with the metal and the level of maintenance you prefer;
– consult the cup information, to understand depths from B to F and their impact on the register;
– consult the mass information, which influences stability, precision;
– consult the blank information, which influences the way the mouthpiece responds;
– read our advice on how to play your mouthpiece, in order to obtain a free, regular and comfortable vibration.
These elements will guide you toward the model that best matches your playing style, sound aesthetic and way of shaping the vibration.
Models – small and intermediate diameters
The name of most of our models refers directly to their inner diameter: a 161 therefore corresponds to 16.1 mm
The 161 TR – A soft and comfortable mouthpiece with a smooth and contained sound
The 163 A – A rich and warm mouthpiece, ideal for beautiful cornet lines
The 163 B – A very pleasant small mouthpiece, ideal for beginners
The 165 A – A soft and comfortable mouthpiece, perfect for a round and warm sound
The 165 B – A soft and easy mouthpiece, with a stable middle register and a bright top
The 165 D – An easy and precise mouthpiece for soprano cornet
The 165 TR – A big sound!
The 167 A – A mouthpiece with a broad and open sound
The 167 B – A sound that projects
The 167 C – A mouthpiece for wind band and brass band
The 168 D – A mouthpiece that offers precision
The 169 TR – A big sound
The 170 – A mouthpiece that offers a very dark sound
The 170 A – A dark and powerful sound for 2nd and 3rd cornets
The 170 B – A mouthpiece for soloists seeking projection
The 170 B Courte – A mouthpiece for soloists seeking projection
Custom mouthpieces
DONAT is one of the very few workshops capable of offering true custom work. This demanding expertise is built on years of research, prototypes, and collaborations with musicians of all levels.
It is important to clarify that the DONAT workshop never makes copies: we do not reproduce mouthpieces from other brands, and we do not attempt to “imitate” external models. When a musician wishes to approach a particular sensation or aesthetic, the workshop guides them toward personalized work built exclusively from DONAT models.
Custom work is therefore not a blank starting point, nor the reconstruction of an existing model. It is a controlled variation, based on the acoustic stability of the catalogue. Starting from a specific model, we may adjust a rim, refine a cup depth, modify the cup–backbore combination, adapt a throat or a mass. These are subtle workshop gestures, precise adjustments that cannot be achieved through simple imitation.
To guarantee this balance, every custom project begins with a Premium Trial. The musician first chooses several catalogue models that approach their intention. These trials allow us to identify what works, what should be preserved, and what needs to be adjusted.
Only after this stage can the workshop create a custom model — work built on real playing sensations, not on an abstract idea or a requested copy.
The DONAT custom approach exists only because the workshop possesses:
– a large and coherent catalogue,
– a refined understanding of acoustic balances,
– rare craftsmanship and in-house manufacturing.
This is the rarity we wish to preserve: personalized work that remains faithful, respecting both the musician’s vibration and the DONAT sonic identity.