 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: LJBraaten
Date: 2015-08-28 22:30
A couple of years ago I participated in and read several of those recurring reed threads - concerning adjusting reeds, the best way (type of reed case) to store them, what to do with them after one at the end of a practice session, etc. The topic of bowed reeds came up (i.e., when placed flat on a glass the center is high), and the futility of trying to correct this with sanding. The bowed reed seems to be one of the biggest problems I face, either due to reeds coming out of the box that way or developing a bow within a few playing sessions. Letting them dry on face up only seems to exacerbate the problem (at least for me). One member of the forum observed that she straightened out a bowed reed by placing a sewing machine on it overnight. Hmm, seemed unorthodox, and no one commented on it at the time. But it got me thinking, and resulted in an experiment that for the past two years has worked very well: placing a weight on a reed after playing it to straighten it or keep it from developing a bow. Here's what I do:
After playing, I soak the reed for 10-20 seconds (usually just the playing surface). I wipe off excessive water, and sometimes leave it flat side up for another 10-50 seconds (as many recommend doing overnight). I then flip the reed over with the flat side down, and place a paperweight (etc) on edge across the center of this and another reed positioned the same way. If the reed is excessively bowed I soak the entire reed and place it on the glass immediately without removing excess water.
This has worked well for me. I have been amazed at how quickly these reeds dry, I have never had any moisture related problems (relative humidity here is around 60%). I have corrected many reeds which were not sealing well on the mouthpiece due to bowing.
Anyway, words for me. What works for you?
Laurie (he/him)
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-08-29 00:13
I don't really bother with that stuff. If the reeds play, I play on them. Most Vandorens come pretty close to spec and don't have issues that prevent them from playing well.
I recall from the days when I DID bother, that a friend of mine finished reeds by applying a healthy amount of spit to them and slapping them down on glass for the express purpose of warping them out. This was followed by sanding, spit, glass, sanding etc until the reed would no longer warp. Of course this process only works if you are making the reeds from scratch and have enough excess material to work with.
I highly recommend just not getting worked up about it. Today's Vandorens are pretty darn good right out of the box.......with a four a five day break-in process to re-hydrate of course!
.............Paul Aviles
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