 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: donald
Date: 2006-09-05 10:41
anyone heard of Sumner mouthpieces? Gordon Richards (Principal of APO) found one with an Evette Schaeffer clarinet he restored. We are both very impressed with it, tonally it reminds me of the Vintage Kaspars and Chedevilles i've played.
i can provide a more detailed description of it tomorrow
anyone out there played one of these?
donald
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Author: OpusII
Date: 2006-09-05 12:53
Just try the search button and you will find several posts about it..
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Author: Bill
Date: 2006-09-05 13:24
I've had two, and chetclarinet once had one for auction that, I dont remember with accuracy, was a Sumner "Professional" or, somehow, of a higher quality. John Butler noted that they tune well with wide-bore clarinets. David Pino used a refaced one at the time he wrote his book.
Both of mine left me cold. I didn't get it.
Bill.
Bill Fogle
Ellsworth, Maine
(formerly Washington, DC)
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Author: William
Date: 2006-09-05 14:08
Played one, once, and didn't particularily like it. As I remember, it seemed too stuffy, dull and non-responsive. However, at theatre pit gig, a fellow woodwind doubler was sounding extremly well on his clarinet. And, upon inquiring "what mpc?", he replied "a Sumner". No specific model..... So I guess it is really what we all eventually learn during our own Great Mouthpiece Quests through life, is that you must find that particular mouthpiece that "does it for you!!" through a lot of trial and error. My Kaspar #14 may not be "the one" for anyone else except me. A Larry Combs 3 will not make me sound like Him, either.
So, if you find a Sumner that plays for you, you've "arrived". Buy it and play well.............
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Author: Brad Behn
Date: 2006-09-05 14:43
Hi Donald,
Sumner mouthpieces can be excellent. I have had many come through and the ones with nicely finished interiors had a beautiful sound with fine working intonational characteristics. I have seen them on Ebay from time to time and they rarely go for much more than $60.
Sumner mouthpieces had a number of facings and two different designs, but they were all good as blanks. They did have some problems including inconsistent levels of finish, and their facings could often be improved. A good Sumner however could be an excellent mouthpiece. Stanley Hasty http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D._Stanley_Hasty used one for some time.
I wouldn’t be concerned about the model “Acousticut” or “Professional” as they both seem to have been made from the same high quality material. Although I have not found a Sumner that plays up to its potential (with its original facing), once it has been refaced it may end up being a better player than many Kaspars out there!
I think their best attribute is that their material is of high quality. When you find a good one, with an interior that was made with care, you may have a real keeper. Good luck on the hunt.
By the way, Chet is a great source for old mouthpieces and he is a man who can be trusted. If you were to ask him about the condition of any mouthpieces he has for sale, he will give you an honest answer.
Brad Behn
http://www.clarinetmouthpiece.com
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2006-09-08 19:29
A "W C Sumner Accusticut" #3 mouthpiece came in the case with a Selmer Signet Special that dates from the mid-1980s. I bought it from the original owner, who played it in high school. She bought this mouthpiece to replace the original Selmer Goldentone. The Sumner plays vastly better than the Goldentone on this instrument and plays well on my other post-WWII clarinets, but flattens the pitch too much on my clarinets from the 1920s and 1930s, and worse pitch problems on older clarinets. I'm an amateur, but a bit of a fussbudget about pitch, and fwiw, I've found that in general, my clarinets and saxophones play better in tune with mouthpieces made at around the same time as the instruments or with replicas of period mouthpieces. Proportions change over the years.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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