Klarinet Archive - Posting 000481.txt from 2003/01

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausmann1@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Reed design using cnc machines
Date: Sun, 26 Jan 2003 19:59:13 -0500

At 11:56 PM 1/26/2003 +0100, Keith Bowen wrote:
>This is actually what Guy Legere did when designing his reeds. He gave a
>very interesting lecture on this at Clarinetfest 2000. One result of his
>work was discovering that the profile is very similar for both hard and
>soft reeds. The manufacturers do NOT scrape soft reeds thinner, as we do
>when adjusting them, they make them out of less stiff parts of the cane.
>No doubt there are some difference between the profiles used by
>different makers, but within one make the profile was essentially the
>same for different grades. So Legere reeds are made out of different
>composition polymer for the different grades (or maybe the same grade
>with different heat treatments, since you can soften them by heat
>treatment).
>
>So you must add another factor. In addition to shaping the reed
>identically each time, you must set up a cane stiffness selector to be
>sure you are using the same stiffness material. And since it is
>anisotropic (and the lateral stiffness is influential on squeaks) you
>need to measure this both along and across the grain. I have no idea to
>what tolerance you need to measure this.

As I understand it, all the reeds are cut the same. The finished reeds are
THEN graded for strength, which will vary according to the density of the
individual piece of cane. Sometimes we find it impossible to get the more
extreme strengths of bari sax and contra reeds from Vandoren. The story we
get from the supplier is that they do not have the cane available to make
them (not soft or stiff enough when finished). Apparently the strength can
be measured to AT LEAST the 10ths of a strength (3.1, 3.2, etc.).

Bill Hausmann

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is TOO LOUD!

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