 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Alfred
Date: 2009-07-06 00:55
Someone mentioned rinsing off reeds when done playing, and there are a couple of threads here about reeds. This makes me ask, what is "good" reed care etiquette, and what should one do with his or her reed immediately after playing? Please, do share.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2009-07-06 01:32
Well, you should get a dozen expert opinions on this. For sure, you should wipe off any excess moister. Then you should place it in a reed case so it's protected and then place it in a humidity controlled place. I can only tell you what I prefer and found works well for me. I keep my reeds in a Rico clarinet case with a Rico Vitalizer inside the case. I then keep the entire case in a sealed plastic bag. You can buy the bag with the Vitalizers or buy the replacements and use any freezer or sandwich bag that is air tight. You don't have to use the Rico reed case as long as you have the Vitalizer and the reeds and a sealed bag. I have to tell you that I am an uncompensated Rico artist. By keeping the reeds in the sealed bag with the Vitalizer, either in a Rico case or any other reed case, and never exposing the Vitalizer, or the reeds, to the open air for more than a few seconds my Vitalizers have been lasting me from 6 - 12 months. The reason they begin to dry out after a while is because people expose them to the open air for long time periods. I keep the bag sealed at all times with the Vitalizer and reeds in it. I don't think I ever expose them to the open air for longer then 30 seconds, tops. ESP
http://eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: Iceland clarinet
Date: 2009-07-06 02:01
I found a desiccant like the one you can get 8 pieces a bag from the Doctor kept with the reed case inside a freezer bag to work much better than the Vitalizer from Rico. The Vitalizer bag is very expensive and keeps the reed moist(over 50% humidity level) all the time so it's more likely to get moldy. By using a desiccant the reed dries out more evenly and my reeds hardly ever warp and never ever get moldy as the humidity level is always below 50%.
When I'm done playing I like to if I'm at home practicing to soke my reeds(I use mouthwash which cleans them and they also get a little bit nice taste) and then I wipe of excess moister and leave it out on a pice of glass for couple of minutes until the reed is almost dry. Then I put it into the reed case with a glass surface close it and put it immediately into the freezer bag and close it.
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Author: weberfan
Date: 2009-07-06 02:29
Alfred,
I second Ed Palanker's advice. I do the same thing. In fact, it was his suggestion on this bulletin board that compelled me to put my own Rico reed case in the freezer bag. This system has worked well for me for about a year.
After playing, I always rinse off the reed in a cup of water or under the faucet and rub down both sides. Shortly after, I return the reed to its case and seal it up in the bag. No mould; only fresh reeds. They survive New York winters and humid New York summers this way.
As Ed suggested, you'll get plenty more suggestions. You might want to use the search function to find earlier posts on this topic.
Post Edited (2009-07-06 03:00)
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Author: alanporter
Date: 2009-07-06 02:43
Or you can use Legere reeds and don't bother doing anything with them.
tiaroa@shaw.ca
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Author: vjoet
Date: 2009-07-06 14:32
I soak my Legere Signature reeds in distilled water for a few minutes as I disassemble things. Then I wipe dry with lint free cloth and store on a microscope slide secured with a rubber band. The Signature has a definite texture to it, and I don't want that to accumulate detritus.
I have no proof this extends the life of the Signature, but seems -- to my way of thinking -- reasonable.
vJoe
(amateur)
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Author: kdk
Date: 2009-07-06 15:24
I'm sure Ed and weberfan have their reasons for their routines. Just for the record, though, and for the sake of variety, I wipe off any excess moisture, put the reed back on the mouthpiece with the ligature fairly loose, put the cap over the the whole thing and put it in my clarinet case with the rest of the instrument. I don't have any particular problem with short reed lifespan, warpage or mold/mildew. It may be that more attention to reed care would improve things, but it's always seemed to me that most of the routines I've read about are meant to solve problems that I don't seem to have.
Karl
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2009-07-06 15:49
kdk, I do that with my bass clarinet reeds. Though I keep my extra ones in a freezer bag with a Vitalizer in it I leave my bass reed on the mouthpiece and place the mouthpiece in the same bag when I finish playing. I run tap water on the reed before playing it the next time. Iggy Gennusa used to do that with his clarinet reeds when he played principal in the BSO many years ago, no Vitalizer or bags though back then. I don't like to do with my regular clarinet reeds but it does work for me with my bass clarinet reeds since I don't rotate my bass reed, though I always have several extra's ready to play and will practice on.
I've kept my bass clarinet reeds for months at a time that way and they doesn't get moldy. I believe my record is about 4-5 months for a single reed which at that time does begin to show signs of mold but it's ready for the wall test by then anyway.
Iceland, my clarinet reeds have never gotten moldy, ever. I keep three different reed cases in freezer bags with Vitalizers in them. One bag is my hand made reeds, one is Rico Grand concert reeds and one is what I use for chamber music. I've had some of those reeds for longer then a year, on rotation, and I've never even had a bit of mold on any reed. I don't rinse my reeds or anything like that, I just wipe the excess moister off them before putting them back into the reed case and then back into the freezer bag. Since my Vitalizer packs last me for a year or longer, it consider them to be very inexpensive.
ESP http://eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: Iceland clarinet
Date: 2009-07-06 23:14
Well even if the Vitalizer works it's still expensive and the desiccant from the Doctor is much cheaper and works wonders at least for me. And if you search the board you can find threads where the Doctor advice against the Vitalizer and thinks it's too expensive.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2009-07-06 23:24
Iceland clarinet wrote:
> And if you search the board you can find threads
> where the Doctor advice against the Vitalizer
Which thread is that? I read Dr. Henderson's threads, and while I can find where he thinks they may be expensive for what you get, I don't see anywhere where he advises against them - he even includes a statement where he says that they may be useful for some clarinetists. Indeed, I think The Doctor way too wise to advise against a competitor's product; rather, I see him being very careful to tell people to try both his and competitor's products and make their own minds up.
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Author: Iceland clarinet
Date: 2009-07-07 00:37
Okay sorry my mistake but I still found him if I read through the lines that he is advising against this product as he said
"To be safe and prevent mold, mildew, fungus, and bacterial growth on used reeds the RH must be below 50% and their storage salt packet is on the borderline for me. This product may be useful for some players."
The last sentence may or not be there only as he is a seller of a product and is competing against Rico.
He is at least not advising this product.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2009-07-07 00:48
Iceland clarinet wrote:
> Okay sorry my mistake but I still found him if I read through
> the lines that he is advising against this product as he said
Either you made a mistake or you're inferring things. Which is it?
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2009-07-07 01:33
The Doctor's dessicant is a dessicant! It dries reeds. This is opposite of the rico products that keep reeds at a playing level of humidity. My personal choice is to look at the reed when you've finished your playing session. If it is water logged at the tip then let it dry out for a minute or two before storing it. If you put it away soaking wet then you are inviting mold.
Freelance woodwind performer
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Author: lrooff
Date: 2009-07-07 04:41
I've never worried a whole lot about my clarinet reeds, as they're really not very expensive, at least as compared to bassoon reeds. For the most part, I've always just wiped them down and put them in the case. When I resumed playing two years ago after several decades away from my horns, I got out the old reeds (both clarinets and bassoon), soaked them in water and they worked fine. In fact, I realized that the bassoon reed I used in our 4th of July concert this weekend was one I'd purchased from Johnson-Hoffman in San Diego back in 1965 and used for much of my senior year in high school.
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Author: Lee
Date: 2009-07-07 15:32
I don't know how it compairs to either the Vitalizer or Dr's product but I've had good luck with a ReedMate case which has a chemical keeps the reed moist and ready to play. I've used them for over 10 years and no problems with dry reeds or mold. I just wipe off excess moisture and put the reed back in the holder.
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