 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: contragirl
Date: 2004-05-08 06:31
Anyone tried the new glass VD reed resurfacer? I'm thinking of buying one, but for $35, is it worth it? Anyone know where to get it cheaper?
Thanks,
Contragirl
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Author: beejay
Date: 2004-05-08 13:15
There was some discussion of this on the bulletin board a while back, in which someone said you could make the same thing yourself for a couple of dollars. I have neither the technical skills nor the patience to do this, so I bought the Vandoren resurfacer, and so far have not been disappointed.
The resurfacer and the accompanying etched-glass touch-up stick are beautifully made. More importantly, they have saved me far more than their initial cost by enabling me to use reeds I would otherwise have discarded.
I was even able to restore a couple of dozen reeds that I'd thrown away into my reject box.
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Author: Chedmanus
Date: 2004-05-08 14:59
I have recently purchased the new resurfacer. Overall I do not think it is up to par with the original resurfacer. First of all, the piece of glass is very small, and mine is not perfectly flat, wielding some poor results. The glass "pencil" is handy, but I still prefer my knife. I would not recommend this product, but I do recommend the original resurfacer, some stores still carry them. I had one of those for 2 years and had the best reeds of my life, then lost it. Seems that the rubberish material of the original one seals reeds well, while my reeds with the new one warped quicker. The new resurfacer was a disappointment, so I found a few places that carry the original, and bought a few. Fred wrote:
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Author: GBK
Date: 2004-05-08 15:50
Fred said:
> Is this similar to Tom Ridenour's ATG System?
The Ridenour ATG sysyem is a mini tutorial in reed adjustment techniques using his specific method and supplied materials.
It is probably a good place to begin if you have never taken any reed adjustment classes, or worked with anyone on balancing/testing reeds.
The Vandoren resurfacer supplies different tools to accomplish the same result ...GBK
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Author: mw
Date: 2004-05-08 16:35
A comment which is NOT directed at anyone:
It never ceases to amaze me that (some) people are always so quick to say, "Why buy it? you can make it yourself for a few dollars".
No doubt this statement is, indeed, often true. Of course it takes time & material & mistakes can happen. Sometimes the (preferred) materials are harder to come by & there is a substitution that quite doesn't work as well.
On the other hand there will always be people who say "what a novel & smart idea! If it costs anything within reason, I'll buy it." These people are not necessarily dumb or lazy, in fact many realize that inventors or product modifications only come about from those who consider the status quo long & hard - & then proceed to "dabble". Without reqard for the Dabbler, we might never get many improvements which help us today.
THUS, I refuse to say "I coulda done that!" or "If I thought about it I would have made the same exact thing!". RATHER, I will say let's reward those who are deserving and not steal their thunder.
I think Tom Ridenour is far more than an smart entrepreneur , etc. - he is a Pedagogue, fantastic author (fingering books alone!), & a clarinetist with keen insight. Ditto to Vandoren which supplied the Clarinet with the (overall) best reeds for the last Century, gave us professional Mouthpieces at reasonable prices, listened to what people wanted, and on many occasions has been an innovator of clarinet accessories & supplies.
FWIW, I think the Resurfacer & Wand is worth the $$ as I also believe that Ridenour's ATG System can TEACH and save money at the same time. The Tape is a Lesson (or series) that can be played over & over again for the next Century.
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Author: saxlite
Date: 2004-05-08 18:40
Another vote for Tom Ridenour's ATG system. I've read the usual books and Tom's system works much easier and more reliably. Worth many times the price!
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Author: donald
Date: 2004-05-08 21:37
my comments on this...
-the resurfacer seems to work ok, better than using sandpaper, i now use either the resurfacer or the "knife method" for flattening the back of reeds when adjusting them. When making reeds i still use sandpaper to flatten the back of blanks. i can't compare the "new resurfacer" to the old one, but i haven't any problems with it not being flat, and think that making one from scratch could be problematic....
-the "reed stick" (or "reed wand") is another matter. I find this to be a very useful tool, and have produced some great reeds using it. it has several advantages over reed rush, and is more forgiving than a good sharp reed knife. it can be used for both "stroking" and "sawing" motions, and is especially good at finding the "point of resistance" in the hill of the reed.
.... that said, it has the disadvantage of being fragile- mine rolled off a small coffee table and broke into several pieces. This was discussed on the BB, and Gordon suggested making my own rather than buying the whole kit and kaboodle just to get another "reed stick".... at the time i rejected this option as too time inefficient.
HOWEVER..... after a few phone calls i now have 1.5 metres of 6mm diameter glass rod... and a glass worker has said that he can grind and sand blast a few of them for me for about $20 (nz$). The price is to be negotiated after he has done the first one as he is not sure exactly how much hassle it will be. The glass rod cost $6, so far the project has taken about 1.5 hours of time, plus about 6 phone calls.
in about a week i will be able to post details of exactly how much it has all cost etc- i intend to make a couple of the "reed sticks" for myself (one at 400 grit at the other at 800) and a couple to give away to some friends. That will probably leave me with about 10 10cm bits of glass rod waiting to be ground!
i was initially quite irritated by the "make it yourself" suggestion (at the time i was really busy, and had no spare time whatsoever) but feel optimistic that i will end up with a "reed stick" that is as good as the Vandoren one.
Thanks for your suggestion Gordon (in the old post)- i think you may have been right!
btw, over the last months i have been using bits of the broken reed stick for adjusting, and still maintain that it's a good product. in that time i have performed a solo recital and a concerto performance using reeds adjusted with this tool, and have recieved very good comments on my tone. i think the "reed stick" is especially good for adjusting the last 1 or 2cms of the reed at the tip.
donald
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