Klarinet Archive - Posting 000261.txt from 1996/02

From: "Lorne G. Buick" <mcheramy@-----.CA>
Subj: Re: Kaspar mouthpieces
Date: Sat, 10 Feb 1996 10:24:47 -0500

>I have five Kaspar mouthpieces. On the logo, they say "Ann Arbor
>Michigan" and the word "Superb" is printed above the logo. I know there
>were two Kaspars working--one in Ann Arbor and one in Cicero. My
>questions are--Do the Cicero mouthpieces have "Cicero" printed on the
>mouthpiece? Which Kaspar produced the mouthpiece that so many people are
>still talking about? Thanks for any help someone might offer.
>
>Mike Acord
>m.acord@-----.edu

Hi Mike- I looked in the Klarinet FAQ (ably maintained by Victor Freyer at
<http://www.lookup.com/Homepages/47146/home.html>) and found the following
info:
Kaspar Mouthpieces, which are highly coveted, range from $350-$600 and may
be available through private sources.

------------
The following about Kaspar mouthpieces is based on information from
Rochelle Oddo (raquel@-----.EDU) and
David Bourque (bassethn@-----.com):

There were two different Frank Kaspars. Frank Kaspar worked in Cicero,
Illinois (a suburb of Chicago), and Frank L.
Kaspar worked in Ann Arbor, Michigan. They were cousins, and were orphaned
after World War I. They went to work
making mouthpieces for a famous maker (perhaps Chedeville?) and made the
most extraordinary mouthpieces. These
mouthpieces are very rare, especially the ones made for Eb and Bass,
because those instruments were much less
commonly owned in the time of the Kaspars. Rochelle recently bought an Eb
mouthpiece (which she describes as
exceptional) for $350, which could have easily sold for $500. If you find
one, hang on to it.
---------------

I thought Frank L. was Frank's uncle, but if David says they were cousins
I'll take his word for it. As far as markings, I have a Cicero Kaspar which
does indeed have the word "Cicero" stamped on it (inside an oval, just like
the Ann Arbor mark).

I believe there was an article on the Kaspars in the Clarinet magazine-
does anyone know which issue? Speaking of which, does anyone have an index
in digital format? I'm thinking of doing one myself, but if someone's
already done it it would save me a lot of typing if they're willing to
share it. Perhaps it could even go into the FAQ- it would be a very useful
resource.

If you do a database search on Kaspar, you'll find a recent discussion-
it's a recurring topic. If you don't know how to do a database search, look
in the FAQ or email me privately and I'll send you the info.