Klarinet Archive - Posting 000511.txt from 1998/05

From: Roger Garrett <rgarrett@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Reed Storage
Date: Mon, 11 May 1998 08:55:59 -0400

On Mon, 11 May 1998, MARY A. VINQUIST wrote:
> So let me suggest a bit of heresy. You *want* the reed to warp. As much
> as possible.
> One of the main purposes of the seasoning process is to let the reed warp
> and then
> sand it flat, and keep doing this until it is stable. The same principle
> as "pre-shrinking"
> cotton or wool.
>
> Does anyone else do it this way?
>
> Ken Shaw

The wonderful thing about reed discussion is that not everybody agrees
about them, and, given the nature of their construction and the meterial,
they don't provide us much help when a study is done. Let's face it,
clarinet playing is subjective enough before adding the infinite variables
of the reaction of cane to moisture to that subjectivity!
However......everyone gains a belief in what they do and how it works for
them.

I used to soak reeds first before preparing them........to get them to
warp as much as possible. I found that, upon drying, they warped
concave......that is...the opposite direction! When I sanded them flat,
they warped worse over time. I have changed my ideas about reed
preparation over time..........so much that I am almost back to where I
started.......preparing commercial reeds over a 3-5 day schedule as I did
when I made reeds.

Again.....everyone has his own approach....mine is to flatten the back
over a period of days and seal it to help retain shape and
moisture.......I like to seal the top also.......

My reeds have warped very little over time.

BTW.......the reeds that I do not store in a reed wallet warp
significantly less than those that I store in a box, paper holder, or
Vandoren reed sleeve..........I tried this several years ago, and it only
took a few tests to discover that the reed wallet/case really does affect
the reed's "desire" to warp.

Roger Garrett
IWU

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