Klarinet Archive - Posting 000253.txt from 1997/03

From: "David B. Niethamer" <niethamer@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Reed Theory
Date: Fri, 7 Mar 1997 23:30:17 -0500

On 3/7/97 6:19 AM, Gary Young wrote:

>Interesting and refreshing after talking about expensive reed cases that
>> might not work. I assume this is piece of rubber created by two parallel
>> cross-section cuts of the innertube (so it's continuous, like a wide rubber
>> band). Is that right? How wide do you cut it -- how much and what part of
>> the reeds do you put under the innertube?

So, lets see, tomorrow if I want a quick fix for my warped reeds, I could
line them up on the sidewalk and just ride my bike over them! I'll bet
I'd have no more problems with warpage on *those* reeds! ;^)

Seriously, I've had students use a similar setup with large heavy rubber
bands. The inner tube is a great idea.

I have a Harrison case, which was a gift. It does a great job of keeping
reeds from warping. It's a bit open at the sides, so I guess enough air
gets in to dry th reed a bit more slowly and retard warping. Since I make
my reeds, I do a lot of prep work on the backs, which seems to help them
remain flat once they're cut.

Greg Barrett wrote:

>if I wipe my reeds dry (or lightly scrape them
>with a reed knife) before placing them in the holder warpage is not a
>problem.

At one time, I scraped the backs of my reeds with a knife to remove the
impression of the window, which seemed to contribute to deteriorating
response of my reeds. A colleague pointed out that this "opened up" the
grain of the cane, and promoted more and faster moisture absorbtion, and
thus the potential for more warping. Since that time, I polish the back
of the reed on plain paper before putting it in the case. That minimizes
the window impression, and "seals" the reed so that it dries more slowly
and evenly.

David

David Niethamer
Principal Clarinet, Richmond Symphony
niethamer@-----.edu
dbnclar1@-----.com
http://members.aol.com/dbnclar1/

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