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Doublereed Archive - Posting 000033.txt from 2004/01

From: "arthur grossman" <artg@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [DR-L] Plastic reeds, from Arthur Weisbereg
Date: Fri, 9 Jan 2004 13:19:06 -0500

I have tried for years to get some people in material science to work on a
substance for plastic reeds. I am convinced that if the right material is
developed, we will be much better off. In the first place, as each piece w
ill be the same, the learning curve for reedmaking will be much shorter, as
the same operation will have the same effect each time. It seems to me tha
t the critical parameters are the following: it should have approximately
the same specific density as average cane, it should have longitudinal fibr
ous structure, and it should be workable with normal reed tools. The latte
r is important because we all use different shapes, profiles, etc. and inje
ction molding will simply not satisfy enough people. It should be a materi
al which could be supplied either as tubes or at the minimum as gouged piec
es of cane to permit various profiles and shapes.
----- Original Message -----
From: AWeis98@-----.com
To: doublereed-l@-----.edu
Sent: Friday, January 09, 2004 7:52 AM
Subject: Re: [DR-L] Plastic reeds, from Arthur Weisbereg

Phil, I applaud your efforts, and urge you to continue. I have fooled ar
ound with plastic reeds for years and years. They are the future of bassoo
n playing. And I cannot agree that they play as poorly as you say. I have
played several concerts on a plastic reed with the New York Woodwind Quint
et, and they did not even know. There are some definite differences, but t
hese should be able to be worked out with more experimentation with which p
lastic is used, and perhaps more importantly, with the shape and other dime
nsions. I will probably start trying to solve the problems after I have fi
nished launching my automatic double octave key system.
Keep going!

Arthur Weisberg