Klarinet Archive - Posting 000920.txt from 1997/05

From: "Lorne G. Buick" <lgbuick@-----.net>
Subj: Re: Ligatures - OK Please explain
Date: Sat, 31 May 1997 21:15:08 -0400

> In a message dated 5/30/97 113500, Jerry wrote:
>
> >I sand my
> >reeds in a taper so that there is no unsupported surface under a rovner
> >ligature.
>
>
> do you mean the edges? I am trying to picture my reed under my ligature and
> can't seem to figure out what part is unsupported. By the inherinant design
> of the Rovner lig (flexible material) I thought all of the reed the was
> within the lig was supported.

I think what Jerry meant was to avoid having any of the table of the reed
hanging off the sides of the mouthpiece. This may be a desirable thing, but
I have some mouthpieces with very narrow tables - I would have to cut the
reed down to about 1/3 its width! Others have tables wider than any reed.
>
> >(I also think that reeds are manufactured too wide at the tip of the
> >mouthpiece and should generally be sanded down to the width of the rails.)
>
> I agree with this and have a further point as well, why don't the reed tips
> curvature match those of a mouthpiece. I have noticed quite a bit of
> inconsistancy between the two. Can this be corrected by some means of
> sanding or cutting?

Each mouthpiece, or at least each model, has a different curve on the tip
rail - it would be impossible for reed makers to match all of them. If you
find a reed trimmer that matches the curve of your mouthpiece you can trim
each reed to fit; otherwise you can very easily sand the reed tip to match,
with no. 600 or 400 wet-or-dry sandpaper. Sand the reed when dry, and
always sand towards the center.

If you want to get really fussy about it, I knew a clarinetist many years
ago who had a brass block cut to the exact curve of his tip rail - thus he
could put the reed on the block and sand exactly to the block. I'm not at
all convinced that it's worth the trouble...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
LGB Lorne G Buick St. John's
lgbuick@-----.net Newfoundland
Canada