Klarinet Archive - Posting 000844.txt from 1997/07

From: "Edwin V. Lacy" <el2@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: old news
Date: Sat, 26 Jul 1997 21:53:20 -0400

On Sat, 26 Jul 1997, T.R. Baun wrote:

> I have been told that in the reed-making process, most manufacturers do
> not cure their cane. Therefore, if this is true, it is necessary to cure
> one's purchased reeds. If this is so, why did my entire box of reeds
> warp so badly that had I sanded them in order to level them out, they
> would have had a thickness of "0?"

In my opinion, it is not necessary to "cure" reeds, although there is a
process I go through to prepare them for playing. This consists of
soaking them for a minimum period of about 20 minutes and then placing
them on a flat surface (an "easel") and sanding them smooth with #600
wet-or-dry sandpaper or silicon carbide paper. Then, test each reed, be
prepared to scrape the rails and tip of the harder one, and clip the
softer ones.

If you are talking about a reed being warped while it is dry, I think that
should be of no concern whatsoever to you. After you wet it thoroughly,
perhaps pressing the tip on a flat surface with your thumb for a few
seconds, it should flatten out again. Warping is a problem only when a
reed warps while you are playing on it due to uneven moisture content in
the pores of the cane.

Ed Lacy
el2@-----.edu