 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: julceyyxd
Date: 2012-09-02 01:20
I rotate about four reeds at a time, gradually balancing them out with my reed knife and such. They have lasted me several, several months.
How long do your reeds last? When do you feel is the time to toss 'em?
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2012-09-02 11:25
I get about 30 hours of playing before they're getting tired. When their time has come, the altissimo becomes difficult to articulate and the other notes sound dull and, well, tired.
--
Ben
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2012-09-02 12:00
When I rotate 4 or even 10 finished reeds, they wear out together. I lose track of how well they're playing and get more and more frustrated. I regain perspective by slapping on a brand new one every week or so.
This happens even with Legeres and Forestones, though of course more slowly.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2012-09-02 17:40
Some of mine last a few days, a few weeks and some a few months. It depends on how much I play on them. I have eight reeds in rotation for my symphony playing and eight others for chamber music playing and eight for bass clarinet but I don't rotate those. I use the same bass reed for everything, rehearsals and concerts, for months playing the others a few minutes now and then to make sure their ready to "step" up when needed. I use "practice" reeds when I practice. The quickest way to wear down a reed is to practice on it for hours at a time. Reeds also last much longer when broken in properly and cared for properly, in my case that means keeping them humidity controled ALL the time. These days, I use the Rico Vitalizer.
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: William
Date: 2012-09-02 22:48
I play Forestone reeds on all of my clarinets and saxophones. When the reed starts to soften, I simply clip the tip a bit and all is restored. I have kept some of my reeds in my active rotation for well over two years--that never happened with any cane reed no matter how well it was broken in and pampered.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2012-09-03 03:56
It can vary a lot for whatever reason. I just replaced one yesterday after a couple of months or more (don't remember exactly). I rotate one reed, though I rarely rotate it and almost always use it in its normal position on the mouthpiece. Soemtimes reeds die very fast, even after just one concert/rehearsal/practice from slap tonguing, they just break.
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Author: Donald Casadonte
Date: 2012-09-08 15:50
We have a pretty good idea of the breakdown pathways for natural reeds. How long a particular reed lasts for you depends on what stresses you make to each of the pathways. I can make a reed last indefinitely, or go bad in a day or two. It depends on your sensibilities. No one has conducted a survey of how long reeds last. This bulletin board would be a nice place to collect data.
My impression is that a month or two of serious playing is about as long as one can reasonably expect a reed to last without modifying the reed to prevent breakdown, which can be done, but it is prohibitively expensive.
If you need a long-lasting reed, try synthetics.
Donald Casadonte
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Author: Tom H
Date: 2012-09-08 22:21
2 weeks--maybe a little more. I keep them wet and on the mouthpiece or in a plastic reed holder when not in use. I never let them dry out, which may shorten the life span. But they also never warp that way, so I know most times that I'll have one that plays OK.
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