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Doublereed Archive - Posting 000002.txt from 2008/02
From: Richard D Bush <rbushidioglot@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [DR-L] Bassoon plaques
Date: Fri, 01 Feb 2008 12:32:20 -0500
I hesitate to even open my mouth and keep company with the likes of =20
Herb and Dr. Weait,
First, I hope I'm not jumping in too obviously unprepared, as I've not =20=
yet read everything that has been contributed to this thread. I will. =20=
Also, if my comments are so far off topic that they cause the =20
discussion to change course, I apologize for that right now.
I too use one of the late Don Christlieb's soldering iron mandrels, =20
but for a slightly different reason. Once heated, I melt its long =20
forming mandrel tip into a brick of bees wax and use the melted wax on =20=
the hot mandrel to seal and impregnate the wax into the tube and butt =20=
end of the cane. Bees wax provides an outstanding grip to the tube and =20=
really grabs the bocal. Also important, is that bees wax eliminates =20
seam leaks.
I also believe that sealing the butt end of the reed reduces or =20
discourages nature's phenomenon of capillary action. This, of course, =20=
is how liquids and sap travel hundreds of feet into the air to give =20
sequoias and all other trees, plants and especially the cane we use =20
their needed moisture By sealing off the back end of these tubules, =20
the tubules become, in affect, dead end streets, or more accurately, =20
tubes capped at one end. This eliminates or radically diminishes =20
capillary action. I feel this is good for the cane and extends its =20
useful life as a reed because it slows down the accumulation of the =20
lime and other hard mineral deposits that are natural components of =20
saliva. I do believe that as reeds become increasingly impregnated =20
with these minerals, they stiffen and loose their ability to flex and =20=
play with full resonance. Tea kettles, on the other hand, when full of =20=
lime deposits, continue to sing until the singing hole itself clogs =20
with the lime build-up.
A second reason often given as an explanation of why reeds get old is =20=
the fact that saliva is full of enzymes that chemically break down =20
meat and vegetable matter. Saliva and chewing are the first two steps =20=
of digestion for most of the animal kingdom, including people. We must =20=
live with this fact, but do have the option of rinsing and back-=20
flushing our reeds with fresh, fast running water when playing =20
concludes.
A third factor that degrades and eventually kills reeds is the =20
physical trauma the cane goes through as it vacillates through each =20
dry to wet and then wet to dry cycle. Microscopically, the fibers tear =20=
and/or are stretched as moisture is introduced and then taken away. =20
This is the theory held by the gentleman who invented a series of =20
single reed cases that maintain reeds to a near playing level of =20
moisture. The
Reed-Mate=99 reed holder has a bottom compartment that holds a mix of =20=
hygro-based materials designed to do just such a job. Charcoal is one =20=
of the ingredients. The Charcoal 'sweetens' the air and discourages =20
things that grow and crawl in the dark. Rock salt, which is highly =20
hygroscopic (moisture soaking and releasing) is another. In fact =20
ingredient. There seems to be a third ingredient, but I don't know =20
what it is.
Another part of the Reed-mate=99 system is the fact that the lexan cast =20=
containers are clear. The inventor suggests that his reed cases be =20
left out of the instrument cases and put somewhere in the room so that =20=
UV light will also discourage fugal growth.
I have some customers who swear by this system and claim that their =20
reeds last much, much longer. The down side is showing up to a gig and =20=
suddenly remembering that your reeds are home in the window sill. If =20
you go this route and devise a similar type of box for your oboe or =20
bassoon reeds, have the whole humidor system tied to the instrument =20
case with a piece of string!
I'm also experimenting with using a prep on some of the reeds I make. =20=
This will be a field test of personally kept and used samples, not =20
anything I'll be selling commercially. A musician friend who also =20
likes the above Reed-Mate=99 system, has taken it a step further by =20
rubbing pure lanolin into his single clarinet and saxophone reeds. He =20=
claims the same deal....the reeds retain moisture and therefore, =20
aren't subjected to the extremes of the wet-dry cycle. The product is =20=
called Lansinoh and is a high grade of pure lanolin sold to breast =20
feeding mothers. It can be found in stores in the section devoted to =20
baby bottles, and similar nursery supplies.
I cannot yet report any results from trying this on any bassoon reeds =20=
because I've only begun the testing. Will report later.
Dear Chris Weait, who's reed dimensions I use according to your book, =20=
Bassoon Reed-making: A Basic Technique,
I would also be interested in your comments about the wet-dry theory =20
and the lanolin rub down variation of this theory.
Yours truly,
Richard Bush
P.S. To any customers reading this and waiting to hear from me about =20
filling back orders for reeds...I had a computer crash and lost all my =20=
address book and contact info. Please contact me again so I can put =20
you on my list of orders to be filled. Thanks!
Also, I'm hoping to meet many of you from July 22-26, in Provo, Utah. =20=
I've got to re-up my membership and pay my entry fees and I'm there, =20
since I live but two hours north in Ogden, Utah...Yey!
On Jan 31, 2008, at 4:23 PM, herb fawcett wrote:
Chris,
I use the black plaque also (for the same reasons), but spend most of =20=
the
time with the clear one. Tried the lighted plaque idea and found it =20
might be
useful in a pit, but not much help in my lighted room. I prefer to =20
use the
shielded light behind the reed. The blade which is on the "away" side =20=
has
little to no effect on what is revealed. I also have one of Christlieb's
lighted mandrels, and sometimes use it if I am really getting picky. His
heated mandrel is invaluable for me in shaping blanks.
Herb
On 1/31/08 1:07 PM, "chrisweait@-----.com> wrote:
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: herb fawcett <herbgosia@-----.net>
> To: doublereed@-----.org>
> Sent: Thu, 31 Jan 2008 1:45 pm
> Subject: Re: [DR-L] Re: Reed Making
>
> Dear bassoonists, I need to amend my friend Herb Fawcett's statement:
>
>> the clear plastic plaque (I believe originated by Chris Weait)
>
> I did not originate that idea. I learned about it from Don Christlieb
> who sold a lighted mandrel along with many other useful reed tools
> through Christlieb Products (still in business!)
>
> Since the thread is about plaques: the plaque I recommend is black
> plastic made by Rieger. Might be the least expensive one available. It
> is large for a bassoon plaque - some might call it a contra plaque. I
> want the plaque to completely support the entire blade and both blade
> edges as I work on the reed in order to avoid thinning the edges too
> much at any point. The black color makes it very easy to assess the
> thickness and taper of the balde edges. Best wishes, Christopher Weait
> =3D=3D=3D=3D
> PLEASE NOTE MY NEW E-MAIL ADDRESS effective now:
>
> chris@-----.com
>
> Christopher Weait, (Emeritus Professor of Bassoon, The Ohio State
> University School of Music)
> 272 Longfellow Ave. Worthington Ohio 43085-3021 USA
> tel. 614/885-6633
> chrisweait@-----.com
> =
> ___
> Author of "Bassoon Strategies for the Next Level", "Bassoon Scales for
> Reading", "Oboe Scales for Reading", "Bassoon Warmups" (Emerson
> Edition) and "Bassoon Reed-Making, A Basic Technique, 3rd Edition
> (McGinnis & Marx Music Publishers)
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: herb fawcett <herbgosia@-----.net>
> To: doublereed@-----.org>
> Sent: Thu, 31 Jan 2008 1:45 pm
> Subject: Re: [DR-L] Re: Reed Making
>
> For bassoon reeds: I make them commercially for a few select
> performers.
> Very few things are indispensable. Knochenhauer and Mechler used a
> kitchen
> knife and shaped free-hand. They profiled on a broom handle. Their =20
> reeds
> were adequate for Schoenbach.
>
> Personally I have found a lighted plaque to be an enormous waste of
> time and
> money, however the clear plastic plaque (I believe originated by Chris
> Weait) saves a bit of time when I am using my 75W light as a tool for
> visualizing inequalities in the blades.
> I'd like to watch the manufacture of 5 blanks in a hour; I take a bit
> longer. What's the rush? Norm Herzberg was as expert as they get in =20=
> reed
> making, and he was not that fast.
> The hand micrometer is another expensive tool, one which is useful in
> the
> beginning and when setting the profiler or buying gouged cane. It is
> hardly
> indispensable. The same thinking applies to hardness testers, tip
> profilers
> etc. All are useful if you make a lot of reeds. The important thing is
> to
> know what you want to produce and then proceed carefully. Never scrape
> cane
> away unless you know exactly what you hope to achieve. FIRST !!!!
> Adjust the
> wires.
> Some lucky players can play on nearly any old reed; the rest of us
> continue
> the struggle!
> Herb
>
>
> On 1/31/08 5:02 AM, "Peggy Church" <peggychurch@-----.net> wrote:
>
>> We have a double discussion going on here- oboe reeds and bassoon
> reeds,
>> which is my interest. Give us a clue as to which kind in the first
>> sentence, please.
>>
>> My teacher is a very good bassoon reed maker and he can make 5 blanks
> in
>> an hour. I photographed his process to help me remember exactly what
> to
>> do.
>>
>> The scrape is something else, ever seeking the perfect reed. He has a
>> collection of reed models from some of the important bassoonists,
> which
>> gives us ideas about subtleties.
>>
>> He located a source for a neat little hand held micrometer for =20
>> precise
>> thickness measurements. This saves us a lot of guessing.
>>
>> I like using a clear plastic plaque because the light shines right
>> through it. But I am yearning for a lighted plaque. Does anyone use
>> one, and if so, has it become indispensible?
>>
>> Peggy Church
>> Adult learner!
>> peggychurch@-----.net
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