Klarinet Archive - Posting 000356.txt from 2001/12

From: GrabnerWG@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] how to store reeds?
Date: Sun, 16 Dec 2001 13:49:48 -0500

Floyd says (Hi Floyd):

<<I have stored reeds in such a way as to allow them to dry evenly(not on a flat surface). This year,I devised a neater way of doing this by sticking part of an ordinary comb in a small food storage box(about 6 inches by 3-4 inches).The comb is held in place by Blu-tack at the mid-way point.the reeds then are placed on their sides and held in place by the comb's tines.They don't fall out of place and I think warpage is much less than I have experienced with storing reeds on a flat surface in the usual way.>>

Walter Says:

This sounds to me like an EXCELLENT idea. I'm going to try this. How do you control the humidity? Is the "food storage box" airtight?

I also (we had a big controvesy on the list about 6 months ago on this topic) do NOT store my reeds on a flat surface (flat side down) even though this was how I was taught. My experience is that doing so will promote warping.

(For those who wonder, the warping we are talking about is not the "wrinkles" in the tip of the reed, which disappear quickly after wetting, but the misuch more serious and destructive convex warping that occurs to the back of the reed. This warp, where the sides of the reed make less contact with the mouthpiece than the middle of the reed, has ruined many a reed - and many a concert).

I believe the key to the issue is to arrange to allow the reed to dry EVENLY, and not too much. For this reason, during the dry heating season, I "humidify" my reeds, often placing my reed holder in a zip lock bag after playing. I dry them carefully by hand before putting them in the reed holder. I use the Vandoren holders that have slots, not theo old fashioned REEDGUARD.

Walter Grabner
www.clarinetxpress.com

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