Klarinet Archive - Posting 000231.txt from 2005/08

From: Martin Marks <martymarks@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] reeds warping
Date: Sat, 13 Aug 2005 00:07:26 -0400


On Friday, August 12, 2005, at 06:46PM, Fred <fred.sheim@-----.net> wrote:

>I let my reed air dry standing up in the ligature. In 45 years of
>playing I have yet to see a reed warp.
>
>Fred
>
Has anyone tried using a cigar humidifier. The come in all shapes and sizes. A small one can be put in a small plastic bag.
They keep the humidity at 75% so the reeds never become too dry or too wet. They need almost no wetting before playing,
never warp and have a longer life because they don't completely dry out. Mildew has not been a problem because they are never really in a wet state.
I keep my back up boxes of reeds(cellophane wrappers removed) in an airtight plastic box with a larger humidifier and these reeds do not have to be soaked before being prepared. I use a hygrometer to make sure that everything is working.
The humidifiers and hygrometer are available in almost any cigar store and are quite inexpensive.
I've been doing this for about three months without any problems. I'll gladly answer any questions anyone might have about this system and would like to know if anyone has done any experimenting along these lines.
Marty

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