Anyone know who can duplicate an Elliott rim in stainless?

[Jbeckett]

I’ve found one maker that wanted $168 for a bass rim in stainless. I didn’t know if there were any others who could duplicate an LB116.

[Doug Elliott]

Email me.

[hyperbolica]

Doug will of course be the best source of information on this question, but I just wanted to add that I got a Parker stainless rim to fit my DE XT. It's not a perfect fit-tiny mismatch between rim and cup inner surfaces, but it threads together and plays well.

The stainless rim brightens the sound a little.

[WGWTR180]

I guess another question could be Should anyone be copying another maker's product? Is Doug's product copyrighted? I don't know I'm just asking.

[BGuttman]

I guess another question could be Should anyone be copying another maker's product? Is Doug's product copyrighted? I don't know I'm just asking.

Mouthpieces have been copied for years. With mixed success. Often a particular design will be based on an existing mouthpiece with a few tweaks here or there.

If you can demonstrate the superiority of a particular design you could conceivably patent it. Copyrights don't apply to designed devices -- they are intended for works of art.

While Doug's parts seem to work well together, he was not the first to make interchangeable rims or shanks. So no patent. And given the state of the copying art, I doubt anybody could make a good copy anyway.

[WGWTR180]

I guess another question could be Should anyone be copying another maker's product? Is Doug's product copyrighted? I don't know I'm just asking.

Mouthpieces have been copied for years. With mixed success. Often a particular design will be based on an existing mouthpiece with a few tweaks here or there.

If you can demonstrate the superiority of a particular design you could conceivably patent it. Copyrights don't apply to designed devices -- they are intended for works of art.

While Doug's parts seem to work well together, he was not the first to make interchangeable rims or shanks. So no patent. And given the state of the copying art, I doubt anybody could make a good copy anyway.

Okay so maybe I used the wrong choice of words. Some current mouthpiece makers will not copy current models in production. YES I know that mouthpieces have been copied for years. And FWIW I'm not sure where your idea of doubting anyone can make a good copy these days is based on. I can also tell you that Greg Black made a copy of a mouthpiece I was using at the time(an out of production piece) and it was wonderful. Anyway I guess it's just a personal choice whether to do so or not. Now if I wanted an additional piece of a current production model I'd just buy another one.

[BGuttman]

Bill, Doug makes excellent and consistent product. Some makers, Bach in particular, do not. I remember Larry Isaacson with a shoebox FULL of Bach 5G mouthpieces which he told me were all different. Part of the copying was if you got, for example, a Bach mouthpiece that really worked well you'd have it copied rather than buy another one of the same model.

[Jbeckett]

So, after speaking to the man himself, there may be a slight chance in the somewhat distant future that this will be possible.

[jjenkins]

Dave Houser used to, but no longer does. Her once made my friend and I some LT stainless rims. I found the rims to be too flat in comparison, but otherwise great quality of work.