Klarinet Archive - Posting 000267.txt from 1999/08

From: Gregory Smith <Gregory_Smith_Clarinet@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Kaspar
Date: Wed, 11 Aug 1999 23:17:12 -0400

On Wed, 11 Aug 1999, Jeff Carwile wrote:
> Wouldn't most kaspar players agree that it is not the kaspar mouthpiece=

> itself that is so sought after, but rather the material it was made fro=
m?
=

> =

> I've tried a bunch of kaspars that didn't work for me. But then the on=
e
I
> currently use has been refaced and it is a dream (I could barely play i=
t
> before it was refaced..)
> =

> Thanks,
> Jeff Carwile
> carwile@-----.org

>Bingo! Jeff gets the golden mouthpiece!

>Pretty astute - and you are very correct. Kaspars were made from blanks=

>that contained ingredients that the EPA no longer allows in the process =
-
>and don't ask me what they are because I don't know! However, I have
>heard it from Jim Green and from Richard Hawkins - so I pass the info
>along.
__
____
>Roger Garrett
>Professor of Clarinet
>Director - Concert Band, Symphonic Winds & Titan Band
>Advisor - Recording Studio
>Illinois Wesleyan University

*************************************************************************=
**
*************************************
Well, in my opinion only partially true.

Kaspars were Kaspars because of a wonderful combination of maker AND
material.
Henri and Charles Chedevilles were Chedevilles because of a wonderful
combination of maker AND material. Neither of these two always made a gre=
at
mouthpiece...no human can.

These makers made many different mouthpieces styles for a variety of
clarinetists over quite a few years. They used a material that was much
more similar to each others' than not.... blanks originating much from th=
e
same company in France.

Yes, one can reface, revise, restore, rebuild, re - whatever a mouthpiece=

from that old material (which emitted sulphur in too high a content when
turned in rod form on a lathe and was therefore banned by the EPA). If i=
n
the end the dimensions end up to be good for a particular player such as =
in
Jeff's case, one could reasonably conclude that Frank Kaspar didn't
necessarily make an inferior mouthpiece, but that Jeff didn't originally=

select it from Kaspar....it was made at one time for someone else who COU=
LD
play it...or perhaps it could have warped over the years.

There were out there at one time during the era of Marcellus, Gigliotti,
Brody and before, some stupendous examples of untouched mouthpieces from
each of these mouthpiece makers that prove that there was no accident
concerning these makers abilities....with the HELP of a superb material. =
It
was the unique combination of maker and material that was unbeatable. =

Gregory Smith =

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