Klarinet Archive - Posting 000524.txt from 1996/02

From: Donald Yungkurth <DYungkurth@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: conditioning reeds by soaking
Date: Sat, 17 Feb 1996 00:34:14 -0500

Bill Fogel bfogle@-----.edu asks:

>I've seen this "soak 'em first" wisdom posted here a >couple of times. I've
always wanted to ask: don't you find >the reeds warp and the tips go wacky
when you put them >through this wet-to-dry-to-wet cycle? (Cut)

I find the soak and dry cycling very helpful in stabilizing reeds to further
change. The instructions given me about this approach are to soak the entire
reed in water for about 15 minutes. Dry by placing placing the reed on a
surface in the open air, *with the bark side down and the flat side up*. so
that essentially all surfaces of the reed are exposed to the air.

Do four soak/dry cycles (one day/cycle) with a few minutes of playing each
day after soaking, starting on day two. After this cycling, sand the back of
the reed to make certain it is flat. Use a few strokes on 600 wet or dry
paper and then polish the sanded reed on the *back* of the sandpaper. If it
is truly flat, you will be able to see a uniform gloss or sheen to the flat
area when viewed at a low angle. If dull spots are obvious, it is not flat
and needs additional sanding. Continue the sanding and polishing until it is
flat. At this point you can begin additional adjusting if you care to do so.

If the reed ever fails to respond as you feel it had when originally
adjusted, repeat the sanding and polishing. That is usually sufficient to
bring it back to life. I've never had warpage problems with reeds
conditioned in this way, and they last and last and last! I've been doing
this with V12s.

I haven't found any warpage problems going through this conditioning process.

Don Yungkurth (DYungkurth@-----.com)