[nigeld]

Last Year I bought an old soprano sax and there were a couple of soprano mouthpieces in the case.
One of them is a Berg Larsen Hard Rubber 65 2 SMS.
It is old and well-used, but the SMS is offset, so I am wondering if this is a vintage mouthpiece and whether it is worth much.
(I prefer my PPT mouthpiece, so I aim to sell the Berg Larsen.)

On the top it says "LONDON ENGLAND" in square caps, slightly offset to the left and "Berg Larsen" in script.
On the shank it says "65", with "2" centred under the 65 and "SMS" on the same line as the 2.
It has very little baffle, but has a bullet chamber.
The ligature and cap are generic - not Berg Larsen.

Can anybody tell me more about it?

 

[1saxman]

I'd say '60s-'70s, but I would want to see what condition the beak is in under that patch. Normally you would remove the patch and clean up the goo before trying to sell.

 

[nigeld]

I'd say '60s-'70s, but I would want to see what condition the beak is in under that patch. Normally you would remove the patch and clean up the goo before trying to sell.

Thanks for your reply.
The beak has some tooth damage, but not very deep.

For some reason the system won't let me upload a picture.

 

[1saxman]

I'd say from the look of it, it has been well-played and well taken care-of, so its probably a nice player.

 

[nigeld]

Here is the beak.

 

[nigeld]

Any idea what it is worth?

 

[1958SelmerMarkVI]

I wouldn't read too much into the "SMS" being offset on this one. It is true that that is an indicator of an older piece, but normally the "SMS" (or "M") would appear beneath and to the right of the single digit. Here it is simply to the right, and I think the reason is related to space...there simply isn't enough space to stack the marking one on top of another on the narrow shank of a soprano mouthpiece. It is quite common for soprano mouthpieces to be marked a bit different than their alto or tenor counterparts. For example, Dukoff soprano pieces are not marked "Super Power Chamber", presumably because there isn't enough space. All that being said, it might well be from the 60's or 70's, or maybe newer. That's my two cents anyway.

 

[nigeld]

Thank you for the information.
It plays well, but I prefer my PPT mouthpiece.