 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: mamashep
Date: 2008-11-18 07:42
I play in musicals from time to time, and constantly have the problem of keeping a set of reeds working at a performance level night after night for a few weeks. My general approach has been to get about a dozen reeds in pretty good condition before the run begins, and then hope that they last until closing night.
I currently came into contact with someone who stores their reeds in lanolin to make them last longer. According to him, the lanolin seals in the moisture and prevents the reeds from drying out too fast and warping (I live in Utah and it is dry as a bone here in the winter). After coating the reed with 100% lanolin, he puts it in a reed protector and sticks the reed in a plastic sax. When he gets the reed out the next day, he wipes it off, uses it, and repeats the process.
I was stunned when I first saw this. Have you hear of this before?
Side note....We're in the middle of a three week run of the musical, and he has yet to change reeds. Just keeps using the same 2 reeds over and over AND THEY ARE LASTING!
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Author: BobD
Date: 2008-11-18 11:04
Is he using natural cane reeds or man made ones?
Bob Draznik
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Author: BYUone
Date: 2008-11-18 20:53
I use a tupper ware plastic box, piece of sponge with salt water (wrung out but still wet) and my reeds rubbed with lanolin. I donot me repeat the rubbing unless necessary after repeated playing of the reed. I still use this system it works well for me.
Bass Clarinet, Salt Lake Symphonic Winds.
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Author: A Brady
Date: 2008-11-18 20:54
This is something that Ben Armato first told me about a few years ago. Jody Espina and I visited Ben at his house in Ardsley, NY, to discuss his Reed Wizard, and basically, ended up taking impromptu lessons. He's a truly wonderful man and is constantly trying new and unconventional approaches to reed care and adjustment. I found that the lanolin had an immediate effect in improving the response of the reed when first applied, but my long-term results were not as good. Give it a try, lanolin is readily available in the infant department of most drug or grocery stores, and it certainly could work in an extremely dry environment.
AB
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2008-11-18 21:33
Doesn't that stuff (Lanolin) smell a LOT?
I use ReedLife which Doc Henderson sells when I'm doing a lot of performances. It really helps keep the reed in a playable state longer and has a humectant in it (could be glycerin for all I know).
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2008-11-18 21:51
I second David's suggestion. I have suggested that many times but I prefer a lower number. It works great and when all kept in a sealed plastic bag and never left out in the opened air it will last much longer than they say it will. My Vitalize refills last from 6-12 months. You can buy the Rico reed case, which comes with a Vitalizer in it, or you can just buy the Vitalize refills and keep them in a sealed plastic bag with your reeds inside using any reed case. Just don’t let the pack sit out in the air or leave the bag opened and they will last a long, long time. ESP www.peabody.jhu.edu/457 Listen to a little Mozart, live performance.
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Author: Old Geezer
Date: 2008-11-18 22:23
I use a Vaseline moisture conditioning lotion...works for me.
Ben's book has a lot of interesting suggestions...how about the one where you notch the rails of your moutpiece with a file!?!
Wonder how that flies with one of BB's $650.00 mouthpieces?
Clarinet Redux
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Author: mamashep
Date: 2008-11-19 06:04
Okay. I'm convinced that some experimentation is in order after reading the extensive thread suggested by skygardener. This is going to be my process, and I will keep you informed of my results.
1. Start with 24 reeds. Soak the reeds and break it in according to my regular routine (several days of break in process, as outlined in the Reedmate book).
2. I will treat 1/4 of the batch with the lanolin everyday and store them in zipock baggies(went to the baby section today and found some 100% lanolin. It's near the breastfeeding stuff if anyone is interested in conducting their own experiment).
3. I will treat 1/4 of the batch with lanolin AND store them in a plastic baggie with a damp salt watered sponge.
4. I will store 1/4 in a ziplock with the salt watered sponge, but no lanolin.
5. I will treat the other 1/4 like I always have (soaking in water before playing, storing in a reed holder, NOT in a baggie).
>Is he using natural cane reeds or man made ones?
>Bob Draznik
He is using natural cane reeds.
Post Edited (2008-11-19 06:06)
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2008-11-19 06:18
> Doesn't that stuff (Lanolin) smell a LOT?
During winter, I'd suggest cod liver oil instead. Good for reed, tone and player... ![[tongue]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie6.gif)
--
Ben
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Author: mamashep
Date: 2008-11-19 07:22
I just cracked open the tube, and it doesn't smell any more noxious than cork grease.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2008-11-19 10:14
Hmmm....use it on your corks too...
Bob Draznik
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Author: leonardA
Date: 2008-11-20 02:58
I know someone who claims that using chap stick on her lips before playing makes her reeds play better. Maybe it coats the reed or seals in the moisture.
Leonard
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Author: kdk
Date: 2008-11-20 04:15
To mamashep:
With all those reeds working at once, how will you get to play on all of them enough to know how well a treatment work? The goal, after all, is to make the reeds last longer in playable condition.
To anyone who suggested plastic storage bags to keep reeds from drying out, my experience when I tried this was that the reeds mildewed, especially on the flat side where the mouthpiece window is when the reed is in use. Do you not have the problem, or do you do something to avoid it?
Karl
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Author: mamashep
Date: 2008-11-20 07:07
I generally have two boxes worth of reed in rotation at any time (because I go through reeds like crazy and perhaps that is why I'm drawn to this subject), so I'm hoping to compare my results in this experiment with the results my current situation.
Basically, I practice at least 5 days, if not 7, a week. During a typical practice session, I will play for at least two hours. I generally change reeds about 4 times, trying not to tax any one reed more than the others. I keep reeds in the Protect reed holders (they hold 12 reeds at a time), which has numbered slots, so I make sure to play a different reed each time.
I'm hoping that I will find at least 5 or 6 performance caliber reeds, and typically those performance reeds last about 6 hours or so of playing after the break in period, so I will use that as my baseline. I hope to determine which batch produces more performance caliber reeds, and once I select the performance reeds, I will see which of those selected reeds last the longest.
This trial will probably have to be reiterated several times, huh? See if the number of performance caliber reeds varies from sampling to sampling. I'm up for it.
Thanks for the comment. I had to think about that for a while.
Side note: My hands are wonderfully soft and hydrated since starting this experiment. I rub the extra lanolin into my fingers when I am done coating the reeds, and it works better than any lotion I've found.
Post Edited (2008-11-20 07:10)
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