Klarinet Archive - Posting 000345.txt from 2003/01

From: "James Fay" <n3hpz@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] legere reeds and ligatures
Date: Sun, 19 Jan 2003 10:54:22 -0500

19th C clarinettists playing on newly hand made reeds sometimes would leave
the reed -- tied to the mouthpiece with a string ligature -- on overnite to
help the reed conform to the mouthpiece table.

Mabye we should consider this.

I just bought 4 Legere's today for the 1st time and hope to spend some time
with them tonight.

--Jim Fay

----- Original Message -----
From: "Alan J. Nussbaum" <ajn8@-----.edu>
Subject: Re: [kl] legere reeds and ligatures

> I have a somewhat different point about Legeres that I'd be
> interested in hearing about. I wonder if the Legere users on the
> list would mind making the following quick and simple experiments and
> reporting back: Take a Legere, lay it flat-side-down on a flat
> surface (like a piece of glass) and press down on the extreme butt
> end of the reed with your thumb. Does the tip visibly rise off the
> surface? Now press down on the tip in the same way. Does the butt
> end rise off the surface? This *does* happen with all three Legeres
> that I own. Now put the Legere on your mouthpiece and secure it with
> the ligature in the usual way. Look at the mouthpiece and reed from
> the side and form an impression of how far down the mouthpiece the
> you can see light between the reed and the facing. If your
> experience is like mine, the reed will stand away from mouthpiece for
> an astoundingly long distance--well below the intended bottom of the
> curve of the facing. Now do the same with a brand-new cane reed
> (that has not had enough time and wetting to get warped). Is the
> narrow V of light between reed and mouthpiece not noticeably shorter?
> From my experiences with Legeres I think I have to conclude that they
> have a marked tendency to warp away from their flat side for some
> reason. If others have the same experience, I'd be interested to
> know that. If not, I wonder what I could possibly be doing wrong to
> make them curl away from the mouthpiece in this way.
>
> Alan Nussbaum
>
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>

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