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reed knife

Author: amateur
Date: 2001-02-12 01:56

Alright....I have this reed knife...and I don't know how to use it...are you not supposed to "take down" any thickness form the middle or heart of the reed?
Just from the sides of it....or what? Knife seems to work pretty well....just removes very little at a scraping...Any tips?

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RE: reed knife

Author: Stephen Froehlich
Date: 2001-02-12 03:07

I believe its time to make the standard plug for Larry Guy's reed book. I've only recently started using the techniques outlined there and find that I use sandpaper for most of my work, but it does outline precisely how to adjust reeds and where precisely to use knives in that process.

Its available from <a href="http://www.vcisinc.com"> http://www.vcisinc.com </a>

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RE: reed knife

Author: Anji
Date: 2001-02-13 12:18

Like Stephen said, buy Larry Guy's book. It's cheap, inclusive and offers a method for reed selection that really works.

Here's my two cents' worth;

Heavier reeds tend to have more firm material in the "Heart" of the blank. That makes them stiffer, and they tend to last longer.

I buy #4-#5 reeds with a thick base like the Vandy V12 or the Rico Grand Concert and work them down until they play well.

A reed knife is actually a scraper, like from the woodworking shows. It cannot be used to shave the blank, it will lift off material along the grain of the reed fiber.

This may not be perfectly parallel to the base and may ruin the reed.

I use sandpaper for the final steps, mainly so the reed isn't so rough on the surface. It can take three days to tune in a good reed.

Don't pay more than 50 cents/reed if you're adjusting them, it will not be cost effective. If you pay more than 50 cents/reed, buy ones that are already playable.
anji

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RE: reed knife

Author: Bill
Date: 2001-02-13 14:45

I agree that Larry Guy's book is excellent, and so is Ben Armato's book. This web page also depicts some good information pertaining to reed adjustment.

http://www.jewelmusic.com/interesting%20articles/reedadjusting.htm

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RE: reed knife

Author: Don Berger
Date: 2001-02-13 16:07

I reserve my reed knife for quite infrequent work on oboe and eng horn reeds. I also prefer to "fine" [600 grit] sand [polish] the backs of slightly too-hard [or too-soft, but trimmed] reeds. I try to balance the thickness of tip and sides by viewing light transmission [sunlight is best] from time to time. As F S says, My Way! Don

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