Klarinet Archive - Posting 000325.txt from 1998/02

From: Daron Bradford <jdb27@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: Warped Reeds
Date: Fri, 6 Feb 1998 21:39:47 -0500

Jdclar@-----.com wrote:

> Hello, I'm looking for possible causes for my reed warping. It warps
> from left
> to right instead of heel to tip. This has happened several times in
> the last
> year. I have never experienced it before then or at least didn't
> realize it.
> The reed stops responding and acts as if it were dry. When I lay it on
> a flat
> surface it rocks from left to right. Rubbing the back of the reed over
> a file
> shows that the materials is raised in the center along the length of
> the reed.
> I have had reeds warp 90 degrees to this direction but warping across
> the
> width is new to me. It has happened with different types of reeds and
> different ligatures. The mouthpiece (Fobes) does not appear to be
> warped using
> a straight edge but Clark has offered to check it for me. Is this
> normal and
> I am just now getting my fair share of a typical headache?
> Thanks,
> Jack Dannenberg
> jdclar@-----.com

In Utah and other dry climates, this is a constant problem. The cane
dries out too much and it dries unevenly. Wood swells when wet and
contracts as it dries. The thinnest parts of the reed (sides and tip)
dry before the rest and tend to curl up, leaving a somewhat convex back.
If the back is sanded, filed or scraped flat when wet, too much may be
taken off, leaving a concave surface when dry, which is not much better,
if any. The best solution, of course, is to prevent the reed from
warping, or at least give it a better chance by providing an
artificially humid climate for reed storage. (Keep the reed from drying
during rehearsals, practice sessions, etc., too). I personally use a
microscope slide case that is air-tight, with the reed attached to the
slides with rubber bands, and a slice of damp (not wet) sponge saturated
with salt to provide approximately 75% humidity and keep mildew from
growing. This is very cheap, compact storage. For tenor saxophone reeds
I use a piece of plexiglass (2 or 3 reeds per side) in a zip-lock bag
with the same kind of sponge/salt combination. There are lots of ways of
doing this.

I had very little problem with reeds warping while I was in New York or
North Carolina, but here in Utah the reeds can go through a much more
drastic and rapid change of moisture levels. This is also why I try to
never let a reed get waterlogged. By the way, it seems that the reason a
warped reed feels hard and less responsive is that with the back curved,
it now resists bending . The front of the reed is curved to provide
resistance to bending, but that taper is designed assuming a flat back.
Add a curve to the back, and we've got problems.

For a severely warped reed that would be too soft if flattened again, I
had a friend (Mark Watkins in Fargo, ND) suggest that you try warping
the reed back the other way: lay the reed on a piece of glass or table
with the back up, with the back dry and the front wet. This sort of
reverses the situation of when the reed is on the mouthpiece (not being
played) or in a standard reed guard (don't ask me to define that!)

My reed life has improved tremendously since I figured out this
solution. Reeds stay stable for me and last much longer. Good luck to
all who have this particular frustration.

Daron Bradford