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Re: "Qualite Superieure" Mouthpieces?

Author: Vytas
Date: 2011-02-04 19:11

The word "Qualite Superieure" was used from the 1930s until the late 1960s on Lelandais/Chedeville mouthpieces and blanks.

1. "Qualite Superieure" 30's-early 40's. Golden age.
This marking appeared on Lelandais/Chedeville mouthpieces and on stencils like Bettoney, Martin Freres, Bundy Paris etc. Material is the best but some of them are poorly finished. On the "Golden Age" blanks the "Qualite Superieure" marking is positioned in different location in comparison to the later "Qualite Superieure" blanks, it goes over the bottom ligature lines. The earlier "Golden Age" version also has "France" stamped just below the "Qualite Superieure" marking. (see pic.)

2. "Qualite Superieure" late 40's-60's.
This marking appeared on Lelandais/Chedeville mouthpieces and on stencils like Thibouville Freres, SML, D.Bonade etc. Material is GOOD but usually mouthpieces are poorly finished. The "Qualite Superieure" marking appears "strictly" in between the ligature lines. (see pic.)

Chetclarinet Wrote:
>>"There are also mixed opinions on the quality of the Chedeville scrolling on the bottom blanks".<<

When you throw everything in one basket you get mixed opinions on the quality. I've worked on 4 different patterns of the scrolling on Chedeville/Lelandais mouthpieces.

1. Egyptian scrolling of 1930's
Egyptian scrolling of 1930's appeared on Lelandais mouthpieces. These are first rate exceptional blanks. These blanks cannot be compared to any other blanks that were made years later. http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/download.html?1,1623/Lelandais-1939.JPG

2. Egyptian scrolling on D.Bonade "Clarity" and other stencils. 1940-1950
To the untrained eye Egyptian scrolling on the D.Bonade "Clarity" and other stencils of 1940's-1950's looks identical to the Egyptian scrolling of 1930's but unfortunately the scrolling is not the same. I have to admit that I also made a mistake thinking it was the same blank from the 30's. Take a closer look and you probably notice that the scrolling is the mirror image of the 1930's blank. The material is very good but not the same quality as the 30's. Wide A-shaped throat is a bit too much for classical use IMO. http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/download.html?1,1622/Bonade-Clarity.JPG

3. Two patterns of simple scrolling 1950-1970?
These two patterns of scrolling are responsible for mixed opinions on the quality on these blanks. Material itself is GOOD but the mouthpieces are usually finished poorly. http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/download.html?1,1624/Chedeville-1950s.JPG
http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/download.html?1,1625/Chedeville-1960s.JPG

Vytas Krass
Custom clarinet mouthpiece maker
Professional clarinet technician
Former professional clarinet player

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