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Re: "Qualite Superieure" Mouthpieces?

Author: Vytas
Date: 2011-02-06 16:16

Chetclarinet wrote:
>>"To add additional confusion to this topic, I have a close friend, formerly Principal Clarinet in the Houston Symphony during the 1950's who purchased three "Aristic Facing" Charles Chedeville mouthpieces that also have "Steele Ebonite" stamped on them and no scrolling at all. He purchased them new in 1945, when he was a student at Julliard. During a run of Camelot a few years ago , he brought me a different Chedeville" Artistic Facing" mouthpiece, without scrolling at all for me to play for several nights in a row. On the last night, he brought me a Bettoney "Artist Facing" mouthpiece to play. It was a great time for me"!<<

We haven't discussed Chedeville "Artistic Facing" mouthpieces yet. The "Artistic Facing" mouthpieces belong to the "Golden Era" category and actually PREDATE the Greek Key pattern (Egyptian scrolling) mouthpieces.

You mentioned that he purchased them new in 1945 but it doesn't mean that they were actually made in 1945. The WWII started in 1939 and ended in 1945. A lot of French factories have been bombed during the war. Many businesses were completely paralyzed or destroyed. I think mouthpieces he purchased in 1945 were made way before the war.

One thing always puzzled me. The "Artistic Facing" marking appears on both (before the merger) Lelandais and Chedeville mouthpieces. The marking is identical on both and stamped in the same location. It seems that these mouthpieces come from a single source and were not made by two different companies. According to Brad Behn "Artistic Facing" mouthpieces were actually made by Chedeville in the thirties.

Brad Behn wrote:
>>"It is important to note that the "Artistic Facing" and interlocking C's logos did not always appear together and they did not only appear on great Chedevilles. Lelandais, after the merger with Chedeville was also associated with these trademarks. They used remaining mouthpiece inventories made by Chedeville that had already been branded with “Artistic Facing.” This occurred in the forties but it is likely that the blanks were actually made in the thirties".<<
http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=20&i=913&t=913

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

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