Christan's Philosophy

Christan Griego

Christan Griego is Director of Development for Edwards Instruments and the Getzen Instrument Company. Christan has made significant contributions to both the Edwards and Getzen lines of brass instruments since 1998.

He has “fit” thousands of players with Edwards/Getzen Trombones and Trumpets. From Boston to Vienna, Christan has developed instruments for individual musicians that work in their work environment for their genre.

Christan started Griego Mouthpieces in 2000 trying to find what was best for his personal playing. This passion project led to making GSI llc (Griego Sound Inventions) a machine shop that manufactures parts for all industries.

Being an avid audiophile and listener, Christan purchased Sota Turntables in 2019. This company now operates under GSI llc and is manufactured in Delavan, Wisconsin.

Christan loves listening to musicians create beautiful music and spends his spare time listening to albums in his listening room.

Latest Blog Post

Active vs Passive Players

I’ve noticed there are two types of players, active and passive. Active=engaged, passive=relaxed. You will need to be both passive and active to an extent but successful professional players have learned how to remain passive throughout all registers. As always every player is different and has different needs, therefore will need different mouthpiece designs to […]

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New York
Nouveau
The NY blank weighs slightly more than modern day Bach mouthpieces (Elkhart blanks). Its weight is distributed evenly around the bottom of the cup. This results in an even core of sound with overlapping overtones, creating a tone quality that is thicker than conventional mouthpieces. The NY also provides the midrange overtones that are often lost with other mouthpieces.
Deco
Deco
The Deco blank is heavier in mass than the NY blank. The added weight is great for large bass trombone mouthpieces that may have thinner walls due to larger inner cup diameters. It is very free blowing and can provide a bigger, darker sound than mouthpieces with less weight. The Deco also provides stability, which can help define partials on those trombones where extra focus is needed.
Nouveau
Nouveau
Our newest mouthpiece blank, the Nouveau was created to give trombonists the flexibility a lighter mouthpiece can provide. It provides a width of sound and wider partial feel for a natural playing experience. Every tone and timbre can be manipulated, making the Nouveau a very expressive mouthpiece.