 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Bill
Date: 2006-02-12 17:36
Apologies in advance - geeky stuff to follow. Really.
I have two (genuine) Chedeville mouthpieces, in different styles and with different model designations (but both with the familiar "C/C" logo on the back, and both with one line up and two lines down).
#1 has has the facing designation "M" and has that scroll stuff on the bottom. The "paint" used is white. It is still largely present.
#2 has the facing designation "7"; the "painting" is less deeply engraved upon the blank, has faded almost entirely, and was never white - I believe it was gold when new. Blank #2 bears the marking "Qualite Superieure" where it is always to be found. This blank has NO scroll work at the bottom. Looking down at the facing (table), Blank #2 has a window slot that is narrower at the bottom, and the tip is shaped in a wider arc (i.e., like it was cut from a quarter rather than from a penny). Looking up through the bottom into the chamber of the blank #2, the throat opening is narrower than Blank #1 (but with the same basic "A" shape).
What interests me most of all is that the exit bores of the two differ so much. Somebody might (?) expect Blank #1 to have the larger exit bore - going on the assumption that it is older than Blank #2. Surprisingly, Blank #2 has the wider exit bore, one that actually works with my old wide-bore Selmers (as few mouthpieces do!). Why would the newer mpc. have the wider bore?
Both were refaced by artists who are very well-known here. But, for my money (which it was! LOL!), Blank #2 plays the heck out of Blank #1 - more focused and glassy sound, more "Chedeville-y." On the other hand, there is just a bit more "depth" to the sound of Blank #1, like it smoked a pack of Chesterfields every day.
OK, well now I am getting outside for some fresh air and to "have a life." But, I do find these equipment variances interesting, and I find the whole matter of the Chedeville Co. and their output very interesting - like a detective story that was never written.
Bill.
Bill Fogle
Ellsworth, Maine
(formerly Washington, DC)
Post Edited (2006-02-12 22:35)
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Author: J. J.
Date: 2006-02-12 17:44
I believe that #2 is actually the older of the two.
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2006-02-12 20:29
A little off topic - has anyone tried the Glotin Chedville recreations - which model (of the many made) are they modeled after?
L. Omar Henderson
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Author: Bill
Date: 2006-02-12 21:19
Omar,
I did have a Glotin Chedeville. It was much like the two Cheds I have today, with what I call a "glassy" tone. There are several posts about this mouthpuiece in the Klarinet mailing list archives. I later sold it.
J.J.:
I believe Blank #2 is the newer of the two Cheds. I base that on the engraving depth and the tip shape. I'm sure some here will know whether the "M" model came before the numbers ("7," etc.) - or not. I have always found the *depth* of engraving to be a relatively trusty gauge of the age of equipment. It seems that all the relatively new stuff is engraved superficially - clarinets as well as mouthpieces. The labels, writing, whatever is just never deeply engraved on newer equipment. On older Buffets I have, the writing is literally "gouged" into the wood. The paint has worn away, but the wriitng can be read because it is carved so deeply.
The tip of Blank #1 is more typical of older mouthpieces.
Bill.
Bill Fogle
Ellsworth, Maine
(formerly Washington, DC)
Post Edited (2006-02-12 21:20)
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Author: Chris Hill
Date: 2006-02-13 14:03
The Glotin Chedevilles are modeled after the Ch. Chedevilles from the 1930's. (The ones marked, "Artistic Facing", "Steel Ebonite" and with the interlocking "C's".) I made them for Glotin.
Chris Hill
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2006-02-13 15:24
Chris, Thank you for the information. I read the Klarinet listings but it was not clear if indeed you had made them for Glotin - Thanks
L. Omar Henderson
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Author: Bill
Date: 2006-02-13 19:02
Chris,
Any insights on the two Chedevilles I described? Just curious!
Bill.
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Author: Chris Hill
Date: 2006-02-13 21:28
Generally, the Qualitie Superiour blanks are better than the scroll blanks. That said, I've tried some scroll Chedevilles that were quite good, and in fact, won my job on one of them. As far as I know the scroll blanks were from the 60's (some say as late as the 70's.) The QS blanks are older, something on the order of the 40's-50's. They usually have larger bores.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2006-02-13 21:38
Around 1965, I spoke to a number of people who played older Chedevilles and was told that Chedeville-label mouthpieces being made at that time had nothing to do with the older ones, were not good and should be avoided. I had to look quite a while to find an old Qualité Superieure Lelandais.
Ken Shaw
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Author: susieray
Date: 2006-02-13 21:52
Now you guys have me curious about a mouthpiece I have. It came with an old 1928 Buffet I got from a fellow in southern California which had obviously been in storage for a VERY long time. It was like opening a time capsule because everything was still in such good shape. This clarinet had two mouthpieces with it, and the other one was a very old Selmer clarion that I kicked myself for selling because it was the only glass mouthpiece I have ever tried that played really well for me.
Anyway, the other one, which I still have, was distributed by Baxter-Northrup and is marked "Steel Ebonite" on the front. It says "Artistic Facing" and "France" to the right of the table and it has a serial number on the bottom of the shank. Does anyone know who made this one?
Sue
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Author: Bill
Date: 2006-02-13 23:47
Chris:
Thanks! For some reason,. I always thought my "scroll" mpc was older than the QS Ched. Thanks for the nput.
Susieray:
"Steel Ebonite," and "Artistic Facing"?! Good that you kept this one! I'm sure others will know what you have, but those two markings are excellent indications! The "SE" and "AF" Cheds are said to be ther best (as Chris notes above). But is yours a Ched?
Bill.
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