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Re: Reed Tip Thickness

Author: Tom Kmiecik
Date: 2015-08-03 19:01

While it is true that having a thinner tip allows the reed to vibrate more freely and makes for an easier articulation, there is a balancing point between ease of articulation and quality/clarity of articulation. It's very similar to how a thinner reed can produce a clear sound, but there's a point where it can easily tip from "clear" to "spread" (and on the opposite end from "dark" to "fuzzy").

Our point about tip thickness for Reserve Classic is in relation to both the old Rico Reserve/Reserve Classic, as well as the current D'Addario Reserve (not Classic) offering. While the actual tip is thicker in terms of amount of material, the tip of the reed is actually slightly more flexible than that of the D'Addario Reserve reed. Thick blank reeds have a thicker heel, meaning that the tip of the reed is comprised of less dense cane from closer to the center of the plant (traditional blank reeds' tips contain material from closer to the bark, which is quite a bit more dense). This makes it so that a thick blank reed actually feels more flexible than a traditional blank reed of the same design. If the Reserve Classic reed were designed without this thicker tip, there would be issues with longevity as well as quality of sound of articulation as a result. When we redesigned this reed last summer, we added more material toward the tip in order to provide the clarity and ease of articulation while still having enough material to allow for a focused sound. Of course there are so many other variables that play into this (vamp length, shape of the tip, taper, etc.), but our artists and beta testers found that the current Reserve Classic reed offers clarity and body of articulation while still maintaining good tonal characteristics.

I hope this helps clear things up a little, although I may have opened a new can of worms by bringing up some of these other variables! In my experiences as a clarinetist and teacher, I find it is very hard to explain characteristics of music and equipment with words that are universally understood and agreed upon, and I'm sure as avid BBoard posters you all understand this more than anyone! I've always encouraged my own students and colleagues to play and try as many products as they can in order to draw their own conclusions based on experience. I'm always happy to answer questions or elaborate on my use of terminology in any way, so feel free to email me if I can help!

Best,
Tom

Tom Kmiecik
Artist Relations, D'Addario Woodwinds
tkmiecik@daddario.com

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