Klarinet Archive - Posting 000611.txt from 2000/10
From: "Gregory Smith" <Gregory@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Kaspar facings
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2000 19:02:13 -0400
----- Original Message -----
From: "Clark W Fobes" <reedman@-----.com>
Subject: [kl] Kaspar facings
Clark said:
>>I don't ascribe the Kaspar sound to just the facing - that was my point.
<<<
Greg said:
Yes, that is how I believe I understood it.
Clark etc,
>>In respect to the short facings on Zinner blanks Greg responded:
>"But most importantly, because of the concavity in the table of this type
of
>Zinner blank, the final playing characteristic is one of a medium length,
>medium tip mouthpiece."
>I thought you said in an earlier post that you used a flat table for your
Kaspar copies? I confess that I have not seen any of >your Kaspar
mouthpieces, but most of the other Gregory Smith mouthpieces seem to retain
the concavity from the maker.>>
I make a flat table for the Kaspar style and a concavity for the Chedeville
style - two different model Zinner blanks to start with (I take the
concavity out of the Kaspar style.)
>I am not convinced that a concave table makes the mouthpiece feel like it
has a longer curve. It may increase the resistance >at the tip because the
reed is springing from a definite fulcrum. The pressure from the ligature
might also "lift" the reed tip a bit.>>
I meant to say that the mouthpiece has the sound characteristics of a longer
curve and the feel of a more open tip
>I use a concave table ( slight), but only because I like to know that the
reed is sitting square on the table. Making a truly flat >table is almost
impossible. In measuring mouthpieces made by makers that insist that the
table is flat I find that they are >actually "humped". One can cause the
.0015 gauge to slip all over depending on the thumb placement on the glass.
In my >experince this type of table causes the facing to feel longer because
the reed has no definite fulcrum from which to spring. >Attacks feel mushy
and reeds tend to warp to the tip on mouthpieces with more pronounced humps.
Again I will refer to the >Kaspars. In my *limited* experience Kaspar
mouthpieces all had a beautiful concavity. Wish I knew how they did it.>>>
I agree about the hump. I've seen this phenomenon before too. I just haven't
found the concavity though in the orig. Kaspars you are speaking of. Oh
well...
>I have to relate a story about Greg Smith. I knew Greg and and Carol Lee
when they lived in San Francisco for two years >when Greg was assistant
principal and Eb in the SF Symphony Greg brought me his Eb? clarinet to
make some tuning >adjustments. I removed one of the keys and saw that he had
already placed some tape very neatly and meticulously in one of >the tone
holes. I asked "Why should you pay me to do this, you obviously know what
you are doing"?
>Greg replied, "No, I am all thumbs and have no aptitude for that kind of
work".
>I guess you proved yourself wrong, Greg! Best wishes, Clark>>>
And many thanks for your fine repair work! (It was the Eb by the way.)
All the best,
Gregory Smith
=========================
Clarinetist
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Mouthpiece Handcraftsman
=
2737 Hurd Avenue
Evanston, Illinois. 60201-1209 USA
1.847.866.8331
1.847.866.9551 (fax)
Email: Gregory@-----.com (NEW)
Website: WWW.gregory-smith.com
=========================
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