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Since 1919 the focus of jj Babbitt
has been quality. |
Where the mind meets the method...thus begins the music. Tonight you might be charting your way through an old standard. Tomorrow it might be the sounds of fusion that emanate from your instrument. Either way, you need the right mouthpiece to help you give a moving performance. That's what jj Babbitt Company, Inc. has been doing for over 80 years - the right mouthpiece for the moment. The family-owned and operated business has been giving musicians what they need to create a sound all their own. Since the first order was made in the garage of founder Jesse James Babbitt, the company has focused on craftsmanship as the key to progressive mouthpieces. |
 Jesse learned the trade at C.G. Conn Ltd. in Elkhart, Indiana, prior to World War I.
After the war, he decided to go into business for himself.
His first client was the Holton Co. in Wisconsin and the job was for clarinet mouthpieces.
With the help of his brother, Rollie Babbitt, his idea became reality.
Today the company --one of the oldest mouthpiece manufacturers in the business - distributes professional products worldwide and is an OEM supplier to major instrument manufacturers. Mouthpiece lines include Guy Hawkins hard rubber and forged metal mouthpieces; Otto Link hard rubber & 24k gold-plated metal mouthpieces; Meyer hard rubber and metal mouthpieces; Wolfe Tayne hard rubber and metal mouthpieces; and jjBabbitt hard rubber and Supreme Metal Jazz and sculptured plastic mouthpieces. The company also does custom-design work for individuals who want to design and market their own line of mouthpieces.
Bill learned the fundamentals of the business while still in high school. He made local deliveries in the Elkhart area and spent time with the craftsmen on the production floor, asking questions while he watched. After serving in the Vietnam War, he returned to the business, without any real intention of staying. But he needed a job and he knew this one. Thirty-three years later, he appears to be sitting in for a long session. He likes the current arrangement and has gained knowledge on running a mouthpiece manufacturing company from his father. The importance of training is one of the most critical lessons he has learned. jj Babbitt trains its people in its method of the craft. There is a wide range of dynamics among the company's 40 employees. There are over 400 years of mouthpiece craftsmanship among the ensemble. The second most important lesson Bud taught his son is that without the employees, who are the backbone of the company, there wouldn't be a company.
"There are certain things we don't want to change." Bill said. When a new product comes along, it is developed from the knowledge of the craftsmen and is tested by players. Some changes are subtle, others are radical. Almost any challenge to make a different mouthpiece will be accepted. "If there's something out there to be made, we'll do it," Bill said. Bill isn't a player, nor are his predecessors. But being only a lifelong listener doesn't affect the quality of the product. In fact, he believes it gives it more clarity. "In this type of business, you learn a lot more about mouthpieces by listening to what the players say than by actually playing," Bill said.
Elkhart is often called the band instrument capital of the world, a statement Bill feels is still true today.
Support of the industry is strong from suppliers and other mainstay industries in the area. jj Babbitt has grown steadily over the years, acquiring new product lines as it goes.
With a melodious past and an upbeat future, jj Babbitt is going to continue to hold steady in producing the right kind of mouthpieces...the ones you want.
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President and Chief Operations Officer William R. Reglein, is a third generation family member to run the company, and is the great nephew of Jesse.
He's taking over the job as front man from his father Eugene Reglein, better known as Bud, who joined the business in 1939.
Technology has brought some changes to the small shop, but some things are better left alone.
In 1999, Rocco "Rocky" Giglio joined the company as Vice President of Operations. He brings not only 40 years of experience in the music industry, but the perspective of a long-time professional musician. Giglio's responsibilities include overseeing production, scheduling, testing, shipping and technology. Like Reglein, he listens to what musicians have to say and works closely with them to help staff design new mouthpieces for a variety of individual set-ups and styles of play.
The central location makes it convenient for shipping product.
