 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: darien3r34
Date: 2003-05-27 18:04
ok...i've searched the logs...but i'm still confused.
how are gonzalez reeds different? how should i break them in??
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Author: Clarence
Date: 2003-05-27 19:16
No, Gonzales FOF reeds are not different from other brands.
Just break them in just like you do with your favorite brand.
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Author: Phat Cat
Date: 2003-05-27 21:40
Well, FOF are somewhat different than many other brands: in each box nearly all are decent, many are excellent and few are outright duds. And every one looks and smells great when you un-wrap it. Treat them as you would any really good reed. Kudos to the Davie folks for raising cane.
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Author: ken
Date: 2003-05-27 22:24
If GBK graces us with his presence I'm sure he'll offer guidance on a winning method. I'm breaking-in my first box right now and with the exception of adding a couple days to give them a better chance for extended life I'm using my usual ritual ... you know, massaging them lovingly using olive oil with my big toes, wrapping them together tightly with rubber bands and backing over them with my car a dozen or so times. ![[tongue]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie6.gif)
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Author: GBK
Date: 2003-05-28 00:16
ken....I like your break in method better than mine. Much more interesting.
Now for the Gonzalez secrets (at no charge):
Gonzalez reeds must be broken in very slowly. It will take a number of days (at least 5 or more) to find out exactly what you have, and what adjustments (if any) are needed. As tempting as it may be, do not make any adjustments until this initial period is over and the reed has finally stabilized. You will be surprised in the difference between your initial test on Day 1 and when the break in period is completed on Days 5 -7.
After Day 7, smooth the back of the reed to insure that it is perfectly flat. I use the back of the reed knife, which seems to just remove any high spots. Do not go all the way to the tip - stop approximately 1/2'" before.
The only other adjustments which I usually make are a slight amount of balancing, after testing both sides of the reed. I also seem to find that slightly bringing down the right rail (for me) at about the 1/2" point down from the tip adds a bit more response. As everyone's mouthpieces are faced differently, experiment to see if a slight change to the right rail, or left rail (or both, or neither) works for you.
As to sealing the vamp or the underside, that is strictly a personal matter, but for me, simply holding the reed between 2 pieces of cigarette paper and squeezing the excess water - going from butt to tip after each playing - accomplishes the same effect as intentionally sealing the reed.
Gonzalez reeds have a very long playing life due the high quality cane and tightly packed fibers. Slow break in will help to prolong your reeds.
After the break in period is completed, and you have made any necessary adjustments, during the 2nd week (the first week of full playing) I continue to check the underside of the reed for any possible swelling or high spots. Again, I use the back of the reed knife to correct this, if necessary.
Finallyt, I must stress - do not over play the reeds in the initial break in period. A few minutes each day is more than sufficient. Also, do not make any knife or sandpaper adjustments until the reeds have finally stabilized. I place all 10 reeds on a plate of glass to let them dry each day, changing the "ranking" of which play the best each day. Often a reed which starts at #10, becomes #1 by the end of the week...GBK
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Author: Morrigan
Date: 2003-05-28 10:55
Thanks GBK, I'll do that when my new boxes come in. Hopefully I'll have a nice one for technical assessments in 3 weeks!
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Author: DezzaG
Date: 2003-05-29 12:41
Reeds are just reeds, but you do simplify too much Mark! They DO need conditioning, balancing etc....after all, NOT every reed is the same, and never will be!
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Author: Brenda
Date: 2003-06-12 14:41
GBK - I've used your suggestions successfully for breaking in my new Zonda reeds. I was given a few Gonzalez reeds to play-test and will break them in this week.
Also I've been able to recover the use of many of my older reeds that were used months ago and that had warped. (I date the back of them.) I use #600 sandpaper placed over a small plate of glass to keep the paper perfectly even and sand the back of the reed, leaving 1/2" of the tip off the sandpaper as you suggested. Then I test them by placing the wet reed on the glass to see if they rock back and forth. Most of the reeds have responded well and are back in rotation for daily use again. The others are irretrievable and get tossed.
Now a question just to clarify a detail: when you sand yours, do you check for warping before or after they've been soaked? Wouldn't the cane swell up and leave more bumps and ridges when it's wet? And doesn't it make sense to check for warping when the reed is in a moistened state as it would be while playing on it, as opposed to checking for warping when it's completely dry?
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Author: GBK
Date: 2003-06-12 17:37
Brenda....I do not sand the backs of the Gonzalez reeds.
By Day 7, after the reeds have settled in, I use the back of the reed knife (the dull side) to lightly scrape away any high spots, thus insuring a perfectly flat back. I do this when the reeds are dry, and periodically recheck for flatness during the 2nd week.
Be careful not to scrape all the way to the tip - stop 1/2'' before the tip...GBK
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Author: Brenda
Date: 2003-09-02 14:12
I just received an e-mail from Argendonax the suppliers of Gonzalez reeds(argendonax@infovia.com.ar). Romina Valdez responded that the Gonzalez reeds require more work and take longer to break in than do the Zondas, as GBK noted in his post above. Ms. Valdez says, "They are targeted for high performance musicians...it might take longer (to break them in) but the reed will then last longer, too."
It's interesting to hear what the supplier recommends about their own reeds. There's a place for the Gonzalez reeds, but they're not for everyone.
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Author: Bob A
Date: 2003-09-02 14:23
"There's a place for the Gonzalez reeds, but they're not for everyone."
Once again, how do you spell Legere?
Bob A
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Author: Ed
Date: 2003-09-02 17:50
It is interesting, the break in that GBK recommends is pretty much what I do with most any reed that I have used and what I teach to my students. I have always found that a careful break in period works well to get better reeds and longer life span. I have often suspected that one of the reasons that homemade reeds are often touted to last longer is because the maker/player needs to take time between each step and cure the cane, and breaking in the reed. Way too often I see players take reeds right out of the box with no break in (I have even seen this at rehearsals) and then complain about how lousy the reeds are.
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