Klarinet Archive - Posting 001079.txt from 2000/12

From: "Don Yungkurth" <clarinet@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] Reeds (Legere)
Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2000 19:28:16 -0500

William Wright wrote about Legere reeds:

><><> 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.

I'm one of those who wrote earlier about treating Legere reeds in boiling
water. This is what I was told by Guy Legere via email:

>Yes, you can dip the tip of the reed in boiling water (take off the heat
>first) for a second or two to lighten the reed up a quarter to half a
>strength. You need to wait a day for the reed to recover. It will seem soft
>at first but if you wait a day the reed gets harder but not as hard as it
>was originally. When you do this place a mark with a permanent marker to
>know where you are in the water. The mark can be removed with acetone or
>nail polish remover.

>Hope this helps.

>P.S. Don't do the whole reed, it will warp it and there is no going back
>after this procedure.

I did this (dipped 2 cm for one second) to an essentially new 3-1/2 Legere
and saw an immediate significant decrease in strength. The next day this
reed had regained some of the lost strength and played just like a 3-1/4
Legere I had purchased at the same time as the 3-1/2. It has continued to
play well.

The original 3-1/4 reed eventually softened somewhat from use, and I clipped
it (not recommended by Legere, as far as I know). I removed as small an
amount as I could, certainly less than 1/32 inch, and it seems to again play
well at the 3-1/4 strength. It took about ten times the effort to clip the
Legere that it takes to clip a cane reed. If your reed trimmer doesn't cut
cleanly on cane, it might *really* mangle a Legere!

Don Yungkurth (clarinet@-----.net)

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
Subscribe to the Digest: klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org