 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Jerry McD.
Date: 2003-06-17 22:49
I have a question for those of you who make reeds from tube cane. I currently make my reeds from blanks that I buy with reasonable success. I am a believer that hand made reeds (when done well) are superior to commercially made reeds. My question is whether it is worth the time and expense to take the next step and make my own blanks. Is the quality and consistency going to take another step forward to justify the time and expense? Cost is not really an issue because we all know that a good reed is worth a lot, and having two good reeds is priceless. I am interested in all opinions....pro or con.
Thanks!
Jerry McD.
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2003-06-19 00:06
If you have the gear to cut them then it shouldn't be a problem. You never know you may end up providing valuable competition to the big 2 Rico and Vandoren although they will probably still own the canefields. You can get reasonable cane out of China.
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Author: ron b
Date: 2003-06-19 03:01
Hi, Jerry -
You can likely find reed cane (arundo donax) growing voluntarily all over North America, from San Francisco to Chesapeak(sp?) Bay. It likes irrigation canals, river banks, foothills and domestic backyards. Sunny places and shady places, makes little difference. Some of it even likes saltwater. Now's a good time of year to look around. Oboe reed size is as plentiful as can be in my neighborhood. My problem the past couple of years has been finding large enough diameter stalks for single reeds but I'm working on that; I'm planning to go on another quest this weekend.... central California, where it's so prolific it's considered a nuisance. I've found that a plain ol' pocket knife is ideal for cutting blanks. Is it worth the time/effort? Naw... but, like fishin', most of the fun is getting out and about -- and the funny looks you get from acting like a one-man eradication patrol 
- r![[cool]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/cool.gif) n b -
Post Edited (2003-06-19 03:07)
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2003-06-19 15:25
(Disclaimer - I have a genetically modified Arundo Donax patent application - Arundo Donax, L - musicalis) Most, if not all, wild U.S. Arundo Donax (AD) is derived from the original plants brought by the Spanish to the Americas. There are genetic and morphological differences between Spanish AD and the Mediterranean (Med) species found in the Var Region of France. Some hybrids of Med and Spanish AD are grown in some areas of Spain for use in musical reeds as well as native species and cultivars in various countries. The native Spanish AD is generally not as dense (fiber structure and spacing) as the Med AD. Environmental conditions and soil composition may also affect the quality of the cane. My own (with collaborators) genetic analysis of AD grown from Med, Spanish, China, Pacific Rim, California, Tennessee, and South America etc.., indicates much homology within the class but significant species variability in DNA sequence, morphology, and growth habit.
The Doctor
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Author: ron b
Date: 2003-06-19 18:10
Well, that's pretty good info, Doctor. I can't discern a thing about DNA sequence just by lookin', but I can relate to you first hand that on any given day of harvesting local cane samples from Californy it'll vary quite a bit. Some from the creek bank may be coarse grained while another taken from the sandlot next door to the trucking company may be just about right and once in a while the grain may not be straight at all, but wavy. Growing conditions are anything but controlled and soils vary as much as the stuff that grows from it. It's a grab bag venture at best -- but do-able.
As I've said, most of the fun is getting out and about. The few decently playable reeds one can make is just a bonus. It's comforting to know that in case of a massive crop failure in France Californians and Tennesseeans (as well as a few South Americans) could still keep on tootin' as though we hadn't a care in the world
- rn b -
(p.s. - if you've read this far, Joe Vacc (bless your patience), could you get in touch? I'll have some more, hopefully better, samples for you this season.)
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2003-06-19 23:20
Ron - I think that your outings sound like great fun - fishing is a great analogy. Whenever I go to the North Georgia mountains (site of the first American gold rush) I take along my gold pan and manage to find a few sparkles now and again and thoroughly enjoy just being out in the woods. Actually, Tennessee was (not anymore) a hot bed of Arundo Donax research (primarily aimed at biomass production) and they did develop tissue culture procedures that are published so you can grow and seed thousands of plants with the same genetic makeup easily. I am sure that this all sounds like folly to the Arundo Donax eradication programs in many of the Western States !
The Doctor
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Author: ron b
Date: 2003-06-20 06:49
Eradication has been a huge undertaking out this way for many years. They cut the stuff, mostly by machete, then truck away tons and tons of it. It spoils the view, some say :| Well, it does get pretty dense if left undistrubed. Whether it's used for biomass I have no idea, but I have a sneaky hunch it isn't.
With California's huge budget crisis and cost cutting measures I suppose much of it may go unchecked this season. Bad for the riverfront dweller's vistas, good for a few woodwind reedmakers and wetlands critters.
Some folks around here pan a little too as a relaxing pastime. While there's not much left of the Mother Lode glory days, some see a sparkle or two - once in a while. Serious dredgers don't do much better although their noisy equipment maks them seem to be doing something important.
- rn b -
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