Klarinet Archive - Posting 000135.txt from 2007/02

From: "Bill Foss" <billfoss47@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Kaspar mouthpieces
Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2007 13:41:50 -0500

I second Dr. Garrett's comments.

I play a Cicero Kaspar that I purchased in Cicero in 1964. It appears to be
a Chedeville blank. It plays phenomenally ! - And I would not trade it for
any mouthpiece I have played in the almost 50 years since, though several
"modern" mouthpieces have come very close.

Personally, I would not pay more than $100-$200 for any mouthpiece, though I
absolutely respect the time and effort that a mouthpiece maker puts into
producing a high-quality mouthpiece.

I believe that producing a good mouthpiece is both a craft and an art.

Bill Foss
US Army Retired
USC Aiken, Clarinet Professor
Director of Bands, Aiken Prep

----- Original Message -----
From: "Roger Garrett" <rgarrett@-----.edu>
To: <klarinet@-----.org>
Sent: Friday, February 16, 2007 1:29 PM
Subject: [kl] Kaspar mouthpieces

>I was sent a recent posting about the Kaspar mouthpieces - and I read with
>great interest the discussion regarding Ann Arbor Kaspars vs. Cicero Kaspar
>mouthpieces.
>
> First - should there be any confusion - know that a member (former?)
> member of the list, Clark Fobes, can answer many questions regarding
> Kaspar mouthpieces and the history associated with them. In fact, he used
> to have an article about them up on Sneezy..........but, honestly, it has
> been many years since I have frequented those pages - I don't know if they
> still exist.
>
> I own an original, 1954 Kaspar mouthpiece that was made and purchased in
> Ann Arbor, MI. It is a good mouthpiece with problems. I can tell it was
> voiced properly, and the facing is quite good. However, the purchaser
> spent $20 on it rather than $30 for the more expensive blank. As a
> result, the blank is probably a Babbitt blank rather than the more popular
> Chedevilles that were still available at the time.
>
> Let me just tell you this - the blank makes all the difference in the
> world!
> I personally feel that there are many mouthpiece makers who are creating
> mouthpieces today that put the majority of Kaspar mouthpieces to shame.
> This is not because the Kaspar mouthpieces are inferior - to the
> contrary - many play wonderfully. However - clarinet playing has
> evolved - as has equipment, reeds, etc. Mouthpiece makers such as Fobes,
> Pyne, Johnstone, Hawkins, Smith, Lomax (just to name a few) put out many
> models and are capable of creating mouthpieces that easily match or
> surpass even the best Kaspars. The Chedeville was a great blank.
> However, the newer blanks made by Babbitt and Zinner are very good - and
> with the correct blank - a beautiful mouthpiece can be created.
> I've played on many, many Kaspars - Cicero and Ann Arbor, and while the
> Ciceros tend to be a little better, there are many great Ann Arbor
> mouthpieces also. I wouldn't pay $400 for one however. In fact - $400
> seems a bit steep to pay for any mouthpiece. A Zinnerblank costs between
> $45 and 75 (depending on how many you purchase at a time). A finished JJ
> Babbitt blank costs about $20. A Zinner blank can be turned into a very
> fine mouthpiece within 10 minutes. A Babbitt requires a bit more work,
> but 10-30 minutes is a good guess. Even if a $300 reamer (or several) is
> used - that doesn't change the cost of the blank and the amount of time to
> create the mouthpiece.
>
> The mouthpiece is expensive because you are willing to pay that.
>
> Best wishes,
> Roger Garrett
>
>
> --
> Roger Garrett
> Clarinet Professor
> Director, Symphonic Winds
> Illinois Wesleyan University
> School of Music
> Bloomington, IL 61702-2900
> (309) 556-3268
>
> http://sun.iwu.edu/~rgarrett/RogerGarrett/Welcome.html
>
>
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