 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Joseph LeBlanc
Date: 2008-10-27 16:12
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Hermann Uhl is coming out with a larger profiler for Bass Clarinet. It can also make Alto and Tenor Sax reeds. It is the RPM82(it makes reeds from 70mm-82mm) It's exactly the same concept as the RPM68, just slightly larger. The cost for the profiler is the same.
More information can be found here at his new online eshop:
http://www.uhl-technik.de/en/shop/index.html
And here:
http://www.uhl-technik.de/en/shop/pi3/pi8/index.html
This new profiler will be available in about 6 weeks according to Uhl, though it seems like you may be able to reserve one now...
Also he has a novel reed clipper design that really looks like it has some promise. Take a look at the attachments and I might need to clarify, these are not photographs! They are high rez. computer mock-ups from Uhl. This product is still in the design phase, I'm told prototypes might come out around March of 09.
I do have some information about this clipper though.
The cutting blade is the same one used in his industrial clippers. They are rated for 30,000 clips...so they will last a lifetime.
These are the blades used to cut, Xlemma, Rico, Marca reeds etc(check his site for all his partners). Best as I can tell the tip shape is basically a V12 shape...which is what most players seem to be after. Because of this, non reed makers may get more out of it, because the shape will closely match most commercial reeds.
The circular guides are eccentric circles and are used to center the reed and manage the amount that will be clipped. The adjustment guides on other reed clippers are usually cumbersome, but this concept looks simple and effective. Based on the quality of his profiler adjustment guides...I've got high hopes for this.
You simply press down to clip.
I'll be posting a full review with photos as soon as I get my hands on one.
-Joe
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Author: bmcgar ★2017
Date: 2008-10-29 11:48
FWIW:
Both the positioning and the cutting mechanisms on the Uhl are similar to Dilutis's new trimmer, the Dilutis using knurled screws that set the position at two points on the reed, whereas the Uhl uses what apparently are parabolic cams.
It's not clear if the cutting blade is replaceable on the Uhl device, but it is on the Dilutis.
Both my own Dilutis clipper and the Uhl model, as illustrated in the model graphics, lack a visual or mechanical guide for centering the reed. Too bad.
B.
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Author: bmcgar ★2017
Date: 2008-10-30 13:31
Mr. Uhl,
I don't know about others, but I'd be perfectly satisfied with just the two cams on one side and a set of parallel lines scribed into the base from reed tip to heel.
B.
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Author: Hermann
Date: 2008-10-30 14:40
B.,
Thank you. I will keep that in mind for the further development process.
Hermann Uhl
UHL Technik
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Author: Joseph LeBlanc
Date: 2008-10-30 20:55
I like the idea of scribed lines as another means to check alignment...
The Uhl blade looks easily replaceable, but according to Uhl, it's rated for 30,000 clips, same as his industrial clippers.
I've seen a prototype of he Dilutis and if I remember correctly it uses disposable double edge shaving blades to cut. Very sharp but was told they last about 100 clips.
bmcgar, how do you like the Dilutis? I've thought about getting it but held off once I heard about the Hermann Uhl's new design...
-Joe
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Author: bmcgar ★2017
Date: 2008-10-31 16:33
Joe,
I rarely clip reeds, so i haven't used the Dilutis clipper much more than to test it.
(No, the Dilutis doesn't use normal double-edged razor blades, it uses his own special blade.)
I bought the Dilutis for three reasons: the guillotine cutting method, the replaceable blade, and the reed positioning mechanism.
With the Cordier, positioning reeds accurately and keeping them in position was always difficult for me. Even if I could get the butt of the reed positioned laterally and clamped down, any sideways pressure on the vamp section of the reed might pivot the reed and throw the tip off to one side or the other. Also getting a really clean cut without crushing the cane at the tip wasn't really possible because the Cordier shears material from the tip rather than cutting it, and it gets worse as the clipper wears. The Cordier clipper sat in my drawer for decades because of these shortcomings.
So far, I like the Dilutis very much, and I'm sure the Uhl will work just as well. The guillotine-type blade configuration, apparently the same as the Uhl, works just fine, there's no slop in the mechanism, and once you get the reed in position, it stays there (though, for my aging eyes, judging "center" isn't all that easy anymore, which is why I asked for some lines on the bed of the cutter.) Also, it's only about ten bucks more than the Cordier!
By the way, I once had a clipper that seems to be the same clipper as what Leblanc is marketing under the name Prestini, though I've also seen it sold under other names. It was awful; the machining of the positioning mechanism was so incredibly sloppy that I just threw it away.
Hope this helps.
B.
Post Edited (2008-10-31 16:35)
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Author: Dileep Gangolli
Date: 2008-10-31 22:36
Clipping is overrated.
FACT:
Anyone that actually makes reeds knows that you can play a reed made of good cane without even clipping the tip, if your reed making skills are ofprofessional caliber.
Positioning mechanisms are useless.
Far better to just clip the tip using your eye then sanding down the edge to a degree of smoothness that responds to your tip rail on your mouthpiece.
I play on thin rails (Old school, French-American) so I need a slightly thinker tip.
The old Cordier clippers work just fine if you have a good one that creates a shape that works.
Good luck if you are making reeds. While the end result is definitely better than a commercial reed, you will spend a great deal of time getting to a level that justifies the time warranted in making professional quality reeds.
If you are a pro, I would argue that your time is worth being picky and throwing out many commercial reeds.
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Author: Joseph LeBlanc
Date: 2008-11-01 20:47
Dileep,
Different things work for different people.
The way I explain it to people is this. Right now I make about 30 reeds every two months. Before reed making I would open 3 boxes a month and double that for auditions. For me, hand made reeds are so much better, that I feel at any point in my two month rotation I have better reeds ready to go than I ever had with commercial. That's just my experience, some players may sound their best on box reeds.
Reed making is not as time consuming as many players think, especially if you are using top end tools, like the Uhl profiler.
playing on flat tips works, but I find a nice clean clip improves the sound, and it also allows you to adjust the strength if the reed is soft. I use a cordier now, and it serves me well. I have used a rigotti clipper and sandpaper and for me, there is a noticeable improvement with the cordier. The cordier shape does not match modern mouthpieces however....that is where I think clippers can be improved.
-Joe
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Author: bmcgar ★2017
Date: 2008-11-02 23:06
Dileep,
Suggestion: Be circumspect about using the words "fact" and "professional."
Most of use here are aware that most of the "facts," even in capital letters, expressed as such on this BBD are merely opinions based on hearsay or limited, personal, and unscientific empirical research.
Also, most of us who have had much experience with "professionals" know several who neither act professionally nor who play particularly well, even though their main income may come from music.
B.
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Author: Daniel Frazelle
Date: 2008-11-03 13:00
I'm a professional, and within a month with the Uhl machine I was making better reeds than Vandorens. I haven't played a commercial reed in rehearsal or concert in half a year. One of the only areas I'd like to improve is the tip shape and clipping consistency. I also feel like I spend dramatically less time sorting reeds as they last much longer and I don't need to test them every day to make sure they haven't completely changed.
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