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 reed adjustments
Author: Napat Techa. 
Date:   2016-05-26 14:45

How to adjust clarinet reed with abrasive paper and reed rush or reed knife ???

...Sorry for my bad English...

Thank you !!!!!

Intermediate clarinetist . Buffet Crampon RC . Nick Solist M Mouthpiece. V12 3.5. Ishimori gold plated ligature and Rovner Versa ligature.


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 Re: reed adjustments
Author: tucker 2017
Date:   2016-05-26 16:08

http://ridenourclarinetproducts.com/atg-reed-system.html

Works like a charm.

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 Re: reed adjustments
Author: kdk 
Date:   2016-05-26 17:33

Whatever you use, the goal is the same. You're trying to compensate for too stiff a reed by thinning it or you're trying to correct an imbalance in stiffness between the two sides of a reed. To do this, you try to either correct or improve the taper of the reed from center to side rails and from the tip back into the heart.

With sandpaper, rush or a knife you try to remove wood moving toward the tip - a little at a time - to make the reed vibrate more easily while maintaining the smoothness of the taper along each side and evening out any sudden changes in thickness. With Ridenour's ATG system (that tucker mentions), you're trying to do the same thing with a sanding block, but starting at the tip and stroking back toward the bark.

The keys are to work gently, take small amounts of cane off at a time and don't create places where the thickness changes abruptly.

Is your question more about techniques with the various tools, or is it more where to remove cane to improve the reed's performance?

Karl

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 Re: reed adjustments
Author: WhitePlainsDave 
Date:   2016-05-26 18:00

It's like Karl said with the following addition: the ATG sanding block, on the "business" side which holds the abrasive, there is a small 2nd block, affixed to the aforementioned block, that's MUCH thinner than the original block mentioned.

This helps give the sandpaper a bit of "U" shape when affixed to the block and the sanding block is looked at from the narrower side, at eye level. This contour matches well with the upside down "U" contour of a reed, when examined from the side, at eye level, when the reed tip is closest to your eyes.

As for me, I like applying what I learned using the ATG method to a piece of etched glass, like Vandoren sells--simply because etched glass outlives dozens of pieces of sandpaper. (Read: cheaper(??), less to carry in my gig bag.)

Finally, ATG doesn't use just any sandpaper. Tom Ridenour, its creator, recommends the use of Klingspor brand sand paper given both is no-load properties (i.e. sandpaper that gets less bogged down by the material it collects as it's sanding) and its water proof nature.

This is not to say that people wouldn't enjoy results using more typical sanding paper.



Post Edited (2016-05-26 18:09)

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 Re: reed adjustments
Author: dorjepismo 2017
Date:   2016-05-26 18:30

The Vandoren glass wand is also worth trying; it doesn't act exactly like rush like they say, but when you get used to it, it can work fine as long as your cat doesn't knock it off the table. Any of the above solutions can work well or badly, depending on how you use them. It's useful to find one that seems to work for you, and get really good at it.



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 Re: reed adjustments
Author: BartHx 
Date:   2016-05-27 06:42

The thing that I find most important is, whatever you are using, don't try to force it or rush the process. Adjust a little then check it. Adjust a little more if it needs it, etc. I use a reed knife to balance my reeds and the amount I take off in any one pass is barely visible on the edge of the blade. I don't take more than a few passes before checking the progress. Tom Ridenour has a video on youtube showing how to use the ATG system (sorry, I don't have the URL at my fingertips), but the system he uses, rolling the instrument clockwise and then counterclockwise while playing a steady tone, can be used to check the balance of a reed no matter what you are using to adjust it. The most common problem I find with reeds out of the box is that they need their balance touched up just a bit. If they are playable, play them some before you do anything to give them a chance to settle in.

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 Re: reed adjustments
Author: Bob Bernardo 
Date:   2016-05-27 11:29

I'd spend the money and buy a book by Fred Ormand regarding reed adjusting. I think it's the best book on the market. There is also another well written book by Eugene Marquis that sells for about $15. These are well worth reading to help you understand how and where to adjust reeds. You can kill a reed by taking off just 0.001", much less than a human hair. So knowledge is a wonderful thing.

Fred's book has pic's and everything. Tell him hello. He's been retired so I'd suggest getting his book fairly soon. I'm not sure if he's still printing his book.


Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces


Yamaha Artist 2015




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 Re: reed adjustments
Author: Ed Palanker 
Date:   2016-05-28 16:46

I have some good suggestions on my free website, check it out. I've used everything but prefer a reed knife for most adjustment for balancing. Gives one the most control once you master how to use it. I also put a short U tube demonstration on it several years agao how to use a reed knife, I assume it's still there. i does take practice.

ESP eddiesclarinet.com

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 Re: reed adjustments
Author: TomS 
Date:   2016-05-28 21:19

Get Tom Ridenour's system. Dirt cheap.

Tom

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