 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Adam Murphy
Date: 2002-10-06 17:29
Hi everyone,
I own a Frank L. Kaspar mouthpiece from Ann Arbor Michigan. There are a few markings on my mouthpiece that i believe may be rather rare. Maybe you could help me decide whether or not they are rare and what they may indicate.
The first is a six point star. It appears in the center of the oval stamping that contains Kaspar's name and Ann Arbor. Nothing seems too unususal about this marking. However....
This same 6 point star also appears centered between the two inscribed bands on the back of the mouthpiece and a little less than an inch above the oval stamping. It is centered and would be covered by a ligature or at least in that ligature location. Is this rare? Does it mean anything?
But in addition.....
Above this second star is stamped the word "SUPERB" all in caps and in quotation marks. It is stamped directly below the top band. It has always puzzled me why there would be some many unique markings on this one mouthpiece. All of the markings are stamped and are equally warn, which indicates to me that they were all made around the same time. So....
Any comments or suggestions? Have you seen anything like this before? Thanks,
Adam Murphy
UNCG
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Author: E. Thomas
Date: 2002-10-07 02:16
My Ann Arbor Frank L. Kaspar has the two six-pointed stars that you mention, one in the middle of the oval trade-mark and another just up towards the tip, and it also has the word "superb" stamped just below the top ligature line. It has the number 10147 stamped on the lower body. 'Tis a great old mouthpiece that I played for years and years. I guess the Cicero Kaspars are more favored today, and I certainly enjoy the great playing traits my 13 still has. But it's quite a compliment to those two great craftsmen that their mouthpieces are so assidously copied and still widely used. My best copy of their original work is a great Borbeck 13. Overall, it is quite obvious to me that very narrow rails and tips are a common characteric in all of the mouthpieces with which I've had high satisfaction and good response - going all the way back to a 1921 H.Selmer B* that was given to me years ago by its original owner. It, too, is a great mouthpiece.
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Author: d d
Date: 2002-10-07 04:10
Hi, I have an Ann Arbor just like it. It was my best mouthpiece until it blew out a few years back. I would hold onto it; if its anything like mine, it is or has the potential to be a great mouthpiece.
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Author: d dow
Date: 2002-10-07 15:20
I have two Cicero's which are quite old and green with that lovely smell that only comes from age and must.
I must add that if your Ann Arbor's are up an running well --then you are certainly quite lucky to have one. They play quite nicely in my opinion... It seems makers of mouthpieces adorn their work with all kind of designs and stuff. What it all means is nothing, just simply identifying marks what have you....
it also seems we have another dd as above....... not of course moi!
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Author: Adam Murphy
Date: 2002-10-08 03:31
hey guys thanks for the input..... i do have a question though....
what do you mean by blowing out a mouthpiece?
thanks
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Author: d dow
Date: 2002-10-09 00:41
Mouthpieces can't be blown out, just busted or skewed. Check with previous posts on refacing.
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