Product Reviews: Celestine Raw Brass Piccolo Rexonator

Having been impressed with the positive difference the rexonator made on my flute, I bought one for my piccolo. While there is some improvement, particularly in the middle register, the difference is marginal given the cost.

I also found the rexonator really difficult to fit. While the metal section fitted the headjoint size, once a rubber ring was added, the additional bulk prevented the rexonator slotting inside the headjoint without extreme force. When I eventually got the device in the headjoint, the inside edge of the embouchure hole shredded the ring when I tried to push the rexonator into position.

The only way I found to fix this problem was to sightly unscrew the rexonator to loosen the ring (reducing the bulk), then I pushed the rexonator through the headjoint until it emerged from the top of the piccolo. Once there (well above the embouchure hole) I tightened the rexonator and then slid it down into position. This worked, and the rexonator was correctly positioned and air tight. However, I was on the point of sending it back to the shop, because the rings proved far too bulky for the piccolo headjoint. If you do buy one, I'd recommend using the brown rings because they are the hardest and least likely to shred - but be prepared for a challenge!