 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: JazzyAndrew
Date: 2012-12-12 10:31
I try to treat my reeds nicely.
I am using Rico Mitchell Laurie 2.5 reeds. I soak a reed in fresh water for a few minutes before using them. Each reed gets at least 4 plays of 15 minutes only before I start using them for an hour at a time.
Each reed gets at least a day off between plays.
After using them each reed is rinsed in fresh water and then dried in an open air reed holder before being placed in the Rico reedholder box I have.
So how long should I expect reeds to last?
Any suggestions as to what I can to to improve their life?
a
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2012-12-12 10:51
Too many variables to give a meaningful answer. Depends upon playing time, playing frequency, how you handle the reed while playing, characteristics of the individual reed. Personally, I generally reckon on 2-3 weeks from good cane, switching between several broken-in reeds. Perhaps 6 months to a year from a Forestone.
Tony F.
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Author: pacherry
Date: 2012-12-12 12:54
Tony, when you say 2-3 weeks, do you mean 2-3 weeks for the active set (for instance, my son uses an 8 reed rotation) or do you mean 21 days of play per reed?
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2012-12-12 13:36
I get about 30..40 "playing" hours from each, depending on the literature (outdoors with a lot of ff vs classical indoors).
I don't consciously rotate, when a reed is toast, I just put on a new one and resume playing. (I'm using ML reeds as well)
--
Ben
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Author: kdk
Date: 2012-12-12 18:01
How long are *your* reeds lasting?
It's really hard to predict this meaningfully. If you're having to throw lots of them away after less than a week's use, you're doing something wrong. With the possible exception of soaking your reeds "for a few minutes before using them" (too long, IMO), nothing you're doing should shorten their playing span, so I'd expect that whatever you're getting from them is what you can expect (which may be significantly different for each reed).
Karl
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2012-12-12 19:00
I can only speak to my situation. With really regular play, I have a set of ten out at a time of which about six get played actively in rotation (one each day, going back to the first reed on day seven). With this rotation set, I can easily go month no problem (sometimes as much as three months!) before I need to start another set of ten.
.................Paul Aviles
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2012-12-12 20:58
"Author: pacherry (---.hsd1.mi.comcast.net - (Comcast Cable) Hazel Park, MI United States)
Date: 2012-12-12 12:54
Tony, when you say 2-3 weeks, do you mean 2-3 weeks for the active set (for instance, my son uses an 8 reed rotation) or do you mean 21 days of play per reed?"
I mean around 14-21 days per reed. Sometimes more, sometimes less.
Tony F.
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Author: JHowell
Date: 2012-12-13 03:20
Remember that all reeds are cut to the same dimension; the difference between a 2.5 and a 3.5 is the hardness of the cane. I find that the softer the cane, the less long the reed lasts, other things being equal.
I'd say, do your best, and however long your reeds last, they last. I played Mitchell Lurie reeds in college. While I liked them, I didn't find them to last particularly well. I accepted this as a tradeoff for general playability and a fairly high percentage of playable reeds.
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2012-12-13 17:57
You might want to try a box of Rico Reserve or Reserce Classic reeds, and see if you don't like them better. They will probably last longer, too.
Jeff
“Everyone discovers their own way of destroying themselves, and some people choose the clarinet.” Kalman Opperman, 1919-2010
"A drummer is a musician's best friend."
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Author: hinotehud ★2017
Date: 2012-12-14 01:59
When I was a student of Elsa Verdehr at MSU, in the 60's, she told me to play my reeds for 30 minutes and rotate them. I did that. Each reed was numbered and I kept a record of how many 30 minutes plays each reed got. It was uncanny, but my reeds always lasted exactly 26 1/2 hours. After that, it was downhill. It was useful to know because I would know how much life was left in my best performance reeds. I played on Morre French cut reeds at the time. I have always been curious to see if anyone else did this and had similar results.
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