 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: daniel.rathbone
Date: 2007-10-08 00:30
I was wondering if anyone could tell anything about the reed wizard and how it works and how much you like it ?
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Author: DAVE
Date: 2007-10-08 00:56
It cuts two spots on the reed and it works beautifully. A friend has one and I would buy one myself if I had some extra money. I say get one if you can.
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2007-10-08 02:10
It changes the parabola of the reed and is a great tool to use. If you are ever at a ClarFest be sure to have Ben show you tricks with it - makes a difference! What I learned from Ben this past year is that you can use it to adjust the heart of the reed also.
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: William
Date: 2007-10-08 15:09
I've had mine since 1995 and use it everytime I open a new box of reeds. It is a simple, but very effective, reed profiler and enables me to utilize almost every reed out of a box of VD reeds. Many reeds will still need to be balanced with a knife or reed rush for your particular mouthpiece's facing, but the Reed Wizard makes this task much easier. So instead of throwing away 5 to 8 reeds out of ten, I am able to use slmost every one of them at least for practice--a savings that has paid for my RW twice over.
Post Edited (2007-10-08 15:19)
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Author: Old Geezer
Date: 2007-10-08 15:28
It's a neat device...use it all the time. With it you can get something useful out of every reed in the box. Of course you usually need to do some fine adjusting afterwards but sometimes it's all you need to do before a careful breaking in.
Clarinet Redux
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2007-10-08 17:35
William - consider getting the updated version of the Wizard. About 4 years ago he redesigned it with a much, much better blade that never dulls and never gets loaded with the reed material (smooth blade instead of the file)
I have both and the new one works a lot better.
Ben can modify an old one (for a cost, but I don't remember how much) also.
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: C2thew
Date: 2007-10-08 17:43
had the old one, worked when the file wasn't clogged. it made a slight improvement, but like i said the file kept getting clogged.
Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. they are but improved means to an unimproved end, an end which was already but too easy to arrive as railroads lead to Boston to New York
-Walden; Henry Thoreau
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Author: gwie
Date: 2007-10-08 18:10
Bought an original one back in 1997, worked well except for the file getting clogged up as many have mentioned. Visited Ben's booth at CF2007 and acquired one of the new ones...wow!
Besides watching Ben go through several techniques for using the RW though, what I found most useful was his attention to reed placement on the mouthpiece.
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Author: William
Date: 2007-10-08 21:49
David B--Thanks for the suggestion. however, your a few years late. As a result of some back and forth emails, Ben suggested that I send him my original RW which he refitted with a new blade and carrier. No more (or very few) shavings to clean and a blade that never dulls. Great clarinetting tool.
Question, what are the specific reeds you are a rep for??
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Author: Old Geezer
Date: 2007-10-09 17:13
The reed wizard is a neat thing and used properly can enable you to get 10 usable reeds out of 10. Six usable and three or four very good is enough for me. I use it all the time...it's really a help.
Ben also has published a little booklet called "Perfect a Reed...and Beyond". Lots of good info and some bizzare ideas, maybe they're the "...and Beyond!" In one, he recounts how to create a "user friendly" mouthpiece table by inserting grooves on the mouthpiece rails. This is done where the reed leaves the mouthpiece table using a fine file to score the rails about 1/16" deep! I wonder if guys using those $500 and $600 mouthpieces would care give it a try?
Clarinet Redux
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