 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: xingfan1227
Date: 2009-09-23 21:56
After reading Mr. Fobes' article
http://www.woodwind.org/clarinet/Equipment/MBL/Kaspar.html
I suppose that the older Kaspar is the "Frank L. Kaspar" and the younger is "Frank Kaspar".
He mentioned in the end that it was the younger Kaspar (Frank Kaspar) who used the Babbitt blanks. Does this mean that if on the mouthpiece it says "Frank L. Kaspar", then it was made by the elder Kaspar and thus was not made on Babbitt blanks?
I am a little confused because of two things.
1. All the Ann Arbor I have seen (mostly on ebay) are stamped "Frank L. Kaspar", and
2. I have also read comments on BB that the Ann Arbor ones that have 1 line up and 3 line down are made on Babbitt blanks (people also say that the Ann Arbors with 1 line up and 2 line down are made on Chedeville). However if they have the "Frank L. Kaspar" on them, does it mean that it was made by the elder Kaspar and thus perhaps it is on Chedeville blanks, no matter how many lines down?
Post Edited (2009-09-23 22:18)
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Author: bcl1dso
Date: 2009-09-23 22:46
I could be wrong, however I am fairly certain that the older Kaspar is "Frank Kaspar". I also am fairly certain that the Chicago "Frank Kaspar" made his own blanks during most of his career.
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2009-09-24 12:39
I believe that Frank L. Kaspar was the senior. Both Kaspars used a variety of blanks - none of which they actually made themselves - over the years which include several variations of lines down. These blanks included Chedeville, LeLandais, Rafault, and Babbitt. Most of the earlier mouthpieces were Chedeville blanks while later mouthpieces were some left over Chedeville blanks labeled LeLandais and later still Babbitt. Both worked their trade on blanks available to them at the time. They would shave off the blank maker logo on a lathe before adding their own logo.
L. Omar Henderson
www.doctorsprod.com
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Author: xingfan1227
Date: 2009-09-24 14:26
But my question is still not answered. If it's done by the younger Kaspar (Frank Kaspar), then would he still put the senior Kaspar (Frank L. Kaspar)'s logo?
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2009-09-24 14:44
As indicated in the Fobes article - both Kaspars apparently worked together for a while in Chicago before the elder moved to Ann Arbor and the younger to Cicero and at that time it is anyone's guess who put what logo on what mouthpiece. According to Clark the Frank L. Kaspar logo is a product of the elder in Ann Arbor but again I cannot really answer your question but perhaps the experts on Kaspar mouthpieces - e.g. Clark Fobes, Gregory Smith and others can shed some light. The number of lines down is a byproduct of the blanks used which were variable due to availability and time.
L. Omar Henderson
www.doctorsprod.com
Post Edited (2009-09-24 14:46)
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Author: doublej
Date: 2009-09-24 21:59
the elder was frank L. kaspar. His mouthpieces as far as I know where most if not all the Chicago and Ann Harbor. I am not sure if Frank Kaspar made any of the late chicago mouthpieces or not. Once there was the Frank L. Kaspar those were all made by the elder Kaspar and as far as I can tell all of the Ciceros were made by the younger. I have not seen many ann harbors but I would not worry so much about the line designation If I remember right I think that they would sometimes turn that line on themselves. That would open up the possibility of a few other blanks being used but I have seen three definate different blanks. The ciceros that I have tried have varied a bit in the blank sizes. The "standard" 1up 3 down was probably a chedeville blank it has a rather large body and nice ring to the sound. The babbitt blanks that I have seen and played had a warm sound with a bit less ring and were thicher about the body of the blank than the chedeville the also have a different look to the rubber much more like a zinner look than a chedeville look if that makes sense. I also met a gentleman that baught blanks from babbitt that were Kaspar's mold and those too were much thicker at the shank than the chedevilles. I also had a cicero which was much smaller than the "standard' and that one was the only one that was smaller so I am not sure what that blank was it did not sound like the riffault that i have played and made and was a beautiful mouthpiece.
I am sure that there those on the board who will have more information than this. I have only played a couple of dozen Kaspars and there are probably folks here that have played far more.
All the Best,
Jeff
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Author: Chetclarinet
Date: 2009-09-24 23:16
I regularly perform professionally on Chicago mouthpieces made by the younger Frank Kaspar, not Frank L. Kaspar. I have clearly seen a good number of Chicago mouthpieces made by both Kaspars and are clearly labeled as such. The younger Frank made Chicago mouthpieces for a good while even when the older Frank retired to Ann Arbor, Mich. , as the older Frank L. retired in 1951 to Ann Arbor, and the younger Frank moved from Chicago to Cicero in the early 1960's. The younger Frank worked with the older Frank L. at the Frank Kaspar Co. for many years and both made mouthpieces there, clearly labeled. It is interesting to note that the oldest Chicago mouthpieces of Frank Kaspar had a bottom logo on the back, and the "newer' ones--made in the 1950'-60's had the logo on the middle of the back. The younger Frank also made some fine mouthpieces for Robert Lindeman, principal clarinetist with the Chicago Symphony during the late 1940's. Instead of numbers to the left side of the table, the Lindeman mouthpieces had an L written to the left of the table.
Post Edited (2009-09-24 23:20)
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Author: xingfan1227
Date: 2009-09-25 03:49
Thanks everyone for the input.
Mr. Rowell, have you seen any Ann Arbors that had "Frank Kaspar" printed instead of "Frank L. Kaspar"?
About the 1940's ones, yah I've heard those were very nice, but probably very hard to fine one now..
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Author: Chetclarinet
Date: 2009-09-26 01:28
In answer to your question, I have never seen an Ann Arbor mouthpiece with the younger Kaspar's name on it. Both of these great mouthpiece makers were well known and extremely well respected clarinet repair technicians for many many years. A large number of the original mouthpieces made by the Kaspar's have been refaced and reworked, for better or worse over the years. I have two favorites in my collection ,both Frank Kaspar Chicago's--one has been refaced by Jeffrey Lerner, and the other is original.
Post Edited (2009-09-26 01:31)
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