 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Chetclarinet
Date: 2007-02-24 01:39
I recently purchased from an active member of this board, a beautiful playing Goldbeck Co. Chicago gold lined mouthpiece made by Frank L. Kaspar. Also included in the purchase were two extremely interesting letters sent to the seller by Mr. Kaspar in 1953. This very rare mouthpiece has a gold table, tip, and lining and was among a collection of metal lined mouthpieces that were popular in the 1920's. In one of the letters, Mr. Kaspar gives some interesting history of these silver and gold lined mouthpieces---" F. Starke was the originator of the metal lined mouthpieces and his patent expired about fifty years ago" (which would make that near 1903). He continues " He (Starke) made very few of these kind of mouthpieces. As time went on, there was a growing demand for silver lined clarinet mouthpieces and while I was in partnership with Arthur Goldbeck in Chicago, I made about one hundred twenty-five of them, some in gold , but mostly in silver. Some were sold under the name of "Goldbeck"& Co. Chicago" and when I bought Mr.Goldbeck's interest in the business, I made two hundred more of them which were sold under my own name." He later states in another letter that he probably made the mouthpiece( that I recently purchased ) in 1928 for Rudy Smitt of the San Francisco Symphony or the late Sam Evenson or the Chicago Symphony. Mr. Kaspar evidently quit making these mouthpieces soon after that time. In addition, he mentioned popular facings of some symphony musicians at the time of his letter(1953) "All of the clarinetists with the Philadelphia Symphony use, tip opening 101, length 34, Portnoy(Cleveland Orchestra) tip 113, length 35, George Waln(Oberlin, Ohio) tip 108, length 22( he probably meant 32).He further mentioned that " the other measurements are in proportion with the length and the tip opening and also the dimensions of the bore and the channel." I just found both of these letters fascinating and had to share some of the information with this list! The mouthpiece that I received is just Suberb!
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2007-02-24 12:31
I've read that David Glazer played on a silver-lined mouthpiece. Perhaps one of his students can tell us whether it was a Kaspar.
In his book on The Clarinet, Jack Brymer wrote that many English players (himself included) had their mouthpieces lined with metal when the original rubber rails wore down too far to be refaced.
Selmer formerly made solid metal mouthpieces, mostly for sax but also for clarinet. Today, metal sax mouthpieces are made mostly for jazz players, but Marcel Mule played during the first part of his career on a metal mouthpiece (I think by Selmer), which is clearly shown in photos included with the two historical CDs issued by Clarinet Classics.
Ken Shaw
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Author: BobD
Date: 2007-02-24 13:09
I get the impression that the use of metal (in the subject mps and today's sax mps) is mainly for combatting wear and not for some musicality factor. Anyone know if this is true?
Bob Draznik
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2007-02-24 15:40
I studied with David Glazer...he used a Goldbeck mouthpiece from the 30s era with a silver lay. He also owned a great amount of mouthpieces...I worked with him for three summers which added up to about a year's lessons in total(this in the mid 80s)..
however, he was not a finicky person when it came to mouthpieces....he tried for a dark sound and had used Goldbeck pieces from what I believe was the outset his long career..his Weber recordings are remarkable clean and well played with no overtly extreme tempi..these were on Vox.
As to his approach to playing he stressed scales and studies quite heavily.
David Glazer also told me never to veer outside the normal dimension of tip openings...however, being an old school player he believed that open facings were tiring in the long run.
As to his particular facing I never got into to that with him..I found his sound to be rather deep and warm with not a trace of harshness....
others here on the board may know more about the complex markings of older facings..Leladais and Chedevilles all seem to have a system of marking that changed periodically.
David Dow
Post Edited (2007-02-24 15:43)
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Author: mk
Date: 2007-02-25 00:27
fabulous historical mile marker in clarinet history. I have tried a few of them throughout the years. Its awesome that you have acquired them, and i am glad to hear that they are in good hands as you will value their historical value. Does anyone know if a clarinet museum exists? I think the clarinet world deserves one!
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2007-02-25 11:17
Gold lined? Sounds interesting. does anyone know how he bonded the metal with the rubber? Superglue? =)
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Author: mk
Date: 2007-02-26 00:05
I haven't a clue, but superglue was not likely available. Did Marcellus play on one at one time?
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Author: Chetclarinet
Date: 2016-09-11 17:47
I am happy to provide a photo copy of the letters. Email me directly and I will send them to you. Thankyou
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Author: Douglas
Date: 2016-09-13 18:37
Apparently both of the Kaspars made the silver and gold lined mouthpieces after
the Goldbeck and Makers company was bought out by Frank L Kaspar. There
have been examples of silver lined mouthpieces made by the younger Kaspar
sold on eBay. In addition, Rick Sayre, who studied mouthpiece making with
the younger Kaspar in Chicago also made some similar metal lined mouthpieces.
I tried, years ago, a gold lined mouthpiece made by Sayre in his shop in
Lombard, Illinois.
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