 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: ruben
Date: 2020-02-14 21:39
For about the last ten years of his life, the reed-maker, Charles Olivieri, used Australian cane. I hasten to add that this wasn't the same cane that was used by the company Reeds Australia, a firm which as far as I know, has gone out of business. It was a very yellowish cane, was great and lasted FOREVER! Does anybody out there know exactly where it came from. Charles kept it a secret. His reeds were what they were-a bit on the rustic side-but the cane was fantastic.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: GBK
Date: 2020-02-14 21:50
ruben wrote:
> For about the last ten years of his life, the reed-maker,
> Charles Olivieri, used Australian cane.
> It was a very yellowish cane, was great and lasted FOREVER!
As long as you could deal with the miscuts, unexpected chirping and horrendous packaging.
...GBK
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2020-02-15 13:58
I agree with GBK on this one, as usual. As for the color lasting forever, I haven't seen any really great evidence to support that. If there is an advantage I fund it to do with the sound and not the life of the reed.
If this helps at all, the best cane I've ever played on was and is from the Var region of France. The location is close to the ocean and there is a fair amount of breeze that bends the cane poles which I feel makes this came stronger than anywhere else in the world. Under a microscope you can really see the differences in tube structure. I won't get into this, but I feel one of the keys to amazing cane is wind. Sure water and soil is wicked and equally important.
Now as for the yellow, and other colors with the cane, if you simply put the reeds out in the sun for several weeks then let it dry out for a few months the yellow usually goes away. This is standard industry practice is to let the sun cure cane for a year; in the sun, the cane poles should also set for another 2 years, just resting and curing. This is done by Vandoren, Steuer, and Rico. Probably other companies as well. Yes the yellowish may remain a tiny bit and never completely go away. I think we get spoiled looking for perfect reed color, but I have played on the absolute worst colored reeds and they play just fine.
There is this cool story about a furniture company using died water, such as red and other assorted colors to make the wood favor these assorted colors. It's really pretty amazing how beautiful some of the wood was.
It's my opinion soil and water contributes to the color of the poles. Needless to say not all water is clear and pure, so muddy well water might be part of the reasons the cane color varies.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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Author: ruben
Date: 2020-02-15 18:16
Bob: I agree that there's no point in cane lasting forever if it's no good to begin with! Also, with the imortance of wind. The wind,which is called the Mistral, blows all year long in the Var and that's what makes the cane fibrous and sinewy. Exactly the same soil, sun exposure and water without the wind wouldn't give the same results. The cane is doing on the plant what it will do in your mouth: it's vibrating! Years ago, Russel Procope of the Duke Ellington band told me that the best cane he ever tried was Cuban. On this board somebody said that if the conditions are good for growing tobacco, they're good for growing cane. Maybe, if such is the case, they should try growing cane in North Carolina. It would also cause less lung cancer! Space in the Var is running out, as it is more lucrative to build condominiums for retirees there than to grow cane. So other solutions have to be found. Cuba? the Dominican Repulic? The Argentinian cane from Mendoza, I find spongy. Maybe I should try it again.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2020-02-16 18:46
Hi Rubin, thanks for that insight on cane in Cuba. This makes sense too, Cuba is surrounded by water so there is also wind, rain and good soil. Glad you wrote!
It's also said that the best cane can also be found in the great wine regions! Guess life would be perfect if I smoked cigars, drank wine, and live on a surrounding huge cane field! This could perhaps be the perfect life! Yes and fish the ocean of course.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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