Klarinet Archive - Posting 000425.txt from 1998/04

From: "Brian Catchlove" <bcatch@-----.au>
Subj: Re: Reed Life Span
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1998 10:05:55 -0400

I have until recently been making my own reeds from tubes. I had some
moderate success of increasing reed life by wetting and drying the
blanks(sometimes several times a day) over a period of up to 2 weeks before
finishing the reed. To make the "vamp" I use a machine made in Ulm, Germany
by Wilfried Schmidt in his basement.

How many clarinettists make their own reeds? And how?

Forgive me if this has already been discussed as I only joined the list
recently.

Brian Catchlove

-----Original Message-----
From: C E Field <CEField@-----.com>
Date: Wednesday, 8 April 1998 8:24am
Subject: Reed Life Span

>My experience is that some reeds seem to last forever (or at least a month
>which is like forever if you play a lot). On the other hand, some reeds
crap
>out on the first try. You can occasionally take a "bad" reed, set it aside,
>try it during another season (climatic, that is), and the reed will
suddenly
>come to life.
>
>I know one professional player whose everyday reeds look like he used them
>when he played during World War II. The Board of Health would shut down
this
>guy's reed case in a heartbeat...but who am I to criticize? When this man
>plays, the angels draw near.
>
>The good news is that as much as we obsess over reeds, clarinetists are not
>nearly as neurotic as oboe players are. Their reed variables are
exponential
>compared to ours.
>
>Cindy
>