Where can I try your mouthpieces?
All of our sales are made directly via this website or in person. We do not have a brick & mortar storefront. If our mouthpieces become available with retail partners in the future, we will list them here.
If you would like to try in person without buying, your current options are:
- By appointment only in the greater New York City area. Contact us for details.
- Visit us at a mouthpiece event or trade show. (Nothing scheduled at the moment.)
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Trial & Return Policy
Area Flat Five LLC will accept return requests for Stachelvarius mouthpieces within 7 days of customer receipt of the product. Please contact us within the 7-day period for return authorization (to receive an RMA number).
- The customer shall bear the cost of return shipping.
- We are not responsible for lost or damaged return shipments. Insure your shipment.
- Any return made without an RMA number will be denied.
- All mouthpieces are subject to a 7% restocking fee.
- We will honor one size exchange request per original purchase for same model product, charging an additional shipping fee of $15 domestic or $35 international.
- Products must returned undamaged. Products with nicks, dirt, teeth marks, discoloration, dents, or other damage will be treated as purchased and returned to you, only after we receive additional shipping fee of $15 domestic or $35 international.
- All original accessories and packaging must be included with each item returned.
Delivery Time
The majority of Stachelvarius Orca mouthpieces are made to order. Our production cycle involves several vendors, in addition to the work we do in-house. Our lengthy and deliberate process assures you the highest quality possible. We ask that you please understand that fulfillment will take 8 to 12 weeks.
Custom mouthpiece orders are considered pre-orders. Your payment information will be taken at time of order, but you will not be charged until your product is shipped.
If demand exceeds our capacity to deliver within 12 weeks, we will suspend orders and allow customers to join a wait list.
For quick turnaround, we may have a limited supply of finished mouthpieces available for immediate shipment. In-stock mouthpieces will be listed on this site as individual items in our Depot.
Limited Warranty
Area Flat Five LLC warrants its Stachelvarius mouthpieces to be free from defects in materials and workmanship, to the original purchaser only, for a period of one (1) year from original date of purchase.
This warranty does not cover damage caused by abuse, neglect, misuse, tampering, modification, accident, or normal wear and tear.
Discoloration or peeling of plating caused by damage, perspiration, corrosion, or other external sources are not covered under this warranty.
Minor cosmetic imperfections, voids, and irregularities are typical to our casting and finishing process. These vary from one piece to the next, and do not affect the playability of our mouthpieces. They are part of the subjective artistic beauty of each piece, thus are not covered under this warranty.
Why is there no tip opening marked?
Stachelvarius mouthpieces are marked only with a unique serial number. We believe that there is too much relevant information (e.g. tip opening, facing length, chamber size, window length, etc.) to mark it all on the mouthpiece. For aesthetic reasons, we’ve opted to omit these markings. We will soon provide an online portal in which you may enter your serial number to view much more detailed information about your mouthpiece.
Do you have an Artist or Endorser program?
Not currently. Our production costs limit the special pricing we can offer and the sales volume necessary to support a promotional program.
Do you do offer refacing services?
Area Flat Five does not offer refacing. However, you can experience Norbert Stachel’s incredible facing work by working with him directly. Soprano through bass, plus all sizes of clarinet, too.
How can I become a dealer or distributor?
Some retailers have already expressed interest. It will be a while before we can provide a meaningful quantity of merchandise to any one shop. Nevertheless, we are open to this discussion. Feel free to contact us.
Where are your mouthpieces made?
Our original mouthpiece blanks are designed, prototyped, cast, finished, and plated in the USA by Kevin Danenberg, Norbert Stachel, and a small number of artisan vendors. We do not source any of our core mouthpiece production overseas.
Our packaging and accessories are made in the USA from materials sourced locally and worldwide.
The stock caps and ligatures we include are sourced from China.