Klarinet Archive - Posting 001031.txt from 1997/02

From: "David C. Blumberg" <reedman@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Rehashing Blue Reed Cases
Date: Fri, 28 Feb 1997 10:40:54 -0500

The groves help with air flow to the bottom side of the reed. Problem with
letting your reeds dry out back side up, is that they dry out too quickly
which can cause warping. They need a sealed environment to dry out more
gradually. Wavy tips are inconsequential- all you have to do is press on
the reed tip on a flat surface and pull the tip out from under your finger
(thumb) to flatten out waves in the tip. I use to use the reedmate, but
found that they broke every year, and would leak the crystals.
And blue is my favorite color. ;)

At 04:47 PM 2/27/97 -0600, Neil Leupold wrote:
>On Thu, 27 Feb 1997, David C. Blumberg wrote:
>
>> Kim,
>> Cost is never a concern for me musically. I use the Vandoren reed case,
>> and like it a lot. It's pretty cheap too.
>
>David,
>
>Do you mean those small 4-reed plastic cases with the desiccant tube
>in the middle? If so, what is it about that particular case which
>pleases you beyond its size? That particular case has grooves on the
>resting surface, as opposed to a perfectly flat plane. What impact do
>those grooves have on the way a reed dries and whether or not a reed
>will warp?
>
>I've gone through so many reed cases that I've forgotten what I
>liked and disliked about each model. I finally just stopped using
>them altogether and just left the reeds in their original plastic
>Vandoren sleeves. The problem with warpage, especially as I
>endeavor to regain all of my lost technical skills, is making
>life very difficult in terms of reed response and consistency,
>so now I'm noodling with the idea of using a reed case again.
>
>I know that the Reedmate case, in clear plastic and also containing
>a desiccant inside, is a very popular model. But it's also kind of
>expensive ($15.00). The Harrison and Selmer flat glass cigarette-
>holder type cases are also very popular, but there has been some
>controversy about their design actually *promoting* reed warpage due
>to the way a reed dries when resting on a perfectly flat surface
>without air exposure along the entire moist surface. And these
>cases, with their fancy craftsmanship, are among the most expensive
>of available reed cases on the market. Cost does not always equal
>effectiveness.
>
>I've seen a reed case which props the reed up on its long edge
>(right or left side), thereby leaving the entire lateral surface
>exposed to air. Is this type of even air exposure important?
>Does the small Vandoren case, with its dessicant and the grooves
>along the bottom of the reed, answer to the issues of having a
>flat resting surface while enabling greater exposure to air along
>the moist surface area?
>
>I assume that the most vital issue when considering the purchase
>of a reed case is whether or not it is effective in preventing
>warpage of the cane, including the tip. What works best for the
>rest of you?
>
>Neil
>
>
David C. Blumberg
Principal Clarinet Riverside Symphonia
reedman@-----.com