The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Bill
Date: 2005-08-31 23:24
How can you determine whether a Kaspar "Cicero" was turned out on a Chedeville or a Babbitt blank? I have a Kaspar 13 "Cicero" with three rings down and one up, but I don't know any history about it.
Bill.
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Author: Bill
Date: 2005-09-01 00:02
This is also great:
http://test.woodwind.org/Databases/Klarinet/2003/12/000304.txt
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Author: Chetclarinet
Date: 2005-09-02 19:27
The Babbit blanks that are easily identified are the ones that Frank Kaspar used after about 1972--they do have three lines around the bottom--many modern blanks made by Babbit also have three lines---the difference between the Babbit blanks and the older blanks that Kaspar used is mainly in the length of the beak. The Babbit blanks had shorter beaks . I played a newer Kaspar Cicero Babbit blank for many years professionally. I own and play both types of Kaspar mouthpieces with much pleasure! It is also harder to tell the non French blanks of the older Frank L. Kaspar also--he did use older style two line blanks that were Babbit and two lines that were French. I own several three line Frank L. Kaspars and several two line Kaspars that are fine--these mouthpieces should be judged individually by performance quality. The types of Chedeville blanks that these great men used also varied --some had A frame throats, some did not, some had numbers like 08,09, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, etc. The older Frank L. Kaspar also made mouthpieces that read 108, 109, 113, etc.
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Author: Bill
Date: 2005-09-02 20:29
Thank you! I suspected the blank used for the Kaspar was a Babbitt - it does seem short. But, yes, it's very nice! (Although I think my favorite mouthpiece is still the older Charles Bay I got from Chet!)
Thanks!
Bill.
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