Klarinet Archive - Posting 001042.txt from 2000/12

From: Bilwright@-----.net (William Wright)
Subj: RE: [kl] Reeds
Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2000 20:20:06 -0500

<><> Lacy Schroeder wrote:
Have you tried breaking them in by dipping them in boiling water for a
second or two? I have heard that this works, but have been too chicken
to try it. I've always relied on fine-grit sandpaper!

I've noticed this comment on the list before, but.....

I used to be a salesman of raw plastic resins, and one of the
things that resin
salesmen learn early is that some resins -- thermoplastic resins as well
as thermosetting resins -- 'remember' not only the physical dimensions
to which they were originally formed, but also their original physical
properties such as flexural modulus and so forth.
I don't know anything about the resin used for Legere reeds, but
the instruction sheet that comes with them mentions that the reed may
soften after extended playing, but it will return to its original
condition afterwards. Hence I wonder if heating the reed (to less than
the temperature that would damage it) would be a permanent change or
not?
Of course, changing the reed's stiffness would mean that it was no
longer an accurate reference standard --- which sort of defeats one of
my purposes --- because it is unlikely that you could heat and then cool
the next reed identically.

.... but then, I may be wrong.

Cheers,
Bill

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