 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Klose ★2017
Date: 2018-09-17 07:35
How many of you use a so called measuring device to measure the thickness and symmetry of the reeds? For example, this one from reeds n stuff.
https://www.reedsnstuff.com/en/Clarinet/Measuring-Testing/Measuring-Device-analog.html
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2018-09-17 19:06
I have used Ben Armato's Perfecta-Reed mostly to try to analyze the differences among various brands and models of reeds. I don't think, from what I've been able to measure, that the differences from one example to another within a specific reed model vary much, or not enough for Perfecta-Red to detect. Density seems to have much more to do with reed variability. I haven't seen a good way to measure the cane's density point-by-point along a reed's surface.
Karl
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Author: Ken Lagace
Date: 2018-09-17 21:05
I use a dial indicator that Kal Opperman was having made for reed makers back in the 1960s. I use it to measure reed slopes every 10th of an inch, then do math with the data and/or make graphs to see similarities/differences. Since the reed slope and the mouthpiece facing are a marriage, I can find other reed brands that are most similar to what works for me.
See attached.
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Author: Ken Lagace
Date: 2018-09-17 21:36
I use a dial indicator that Kal Opperman was having made for reed makers back in the 1960s. I use it to measure reed slopes every 10th of an inch, then do math with the data and/or make graphs to see similarities/differences. Since the reed slope and the mouthpiece facing are a marriage, I can find other reed brands that are most similar to what works for me.
I also can adjust reeds in the appropriate place to match my best reeds. I am not good at guessing where to adjust and this approach has been very successful for me.
See attached.
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Author: shmuelyosef
Date: 2018-09-17 22:29
I would love to see a picture of this reed measuring fixture, but I'm assuming that it is just a simple armature that holds a dial indicator above a flat plate upon which you set and index the reed?
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Author: Ken Lagace
Date: 2018-09-17 22:58
Attachment: Dial Indicator In Use.jpg (401k)
Attachment: Reed Slope Comparisons.jpg (350k)
This site is poorly designed.
If there is an error there is no way to back out.
If you start adding an attachment, there is no way to re-edit your post.
I am doing everything proper now and the site thinks I am the wrong user to make attachments.
If I log out and log on it still won't take a 4K and a 5K attachment!!
Will try once more and if it fails I will wait until I reboot the computer.
KenL!
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Author: Jarmo Hyvakko
Date: 2018-09-18 15:18
It's all about the density of the cane. When i visited vandoren shop in Paris, they had a device, that simply bent the tip of the reed to measure the stiffness of it. So a #4 reed is simply made from harder cane than #3 one! And if the reed is off balance, it propably has more dense wood on the other side of the vamp.
Jarmo Hyvakko, Principal Clarinet, Tampere Philharmonic, Finland
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Author: Ken Lagace
Date: 2018-09-18 16:25
Jarmo, I earned that from measuring the slope. The reeds of different strengths of a same brand type all had close to the same measurements.
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Author: dorjepismo ★2017
Date: 2018-09-18 17:25
Several of us used one of these in school. Spent a lot of time, messed up a lot of reeds, didn't get better results than we did by holding the reeds up to a light.
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Author: Klose ★2017
Date: 2018-09-18 21:30
Actually this kind of machines are recommended by Reiner Wehle in his books and obviously, Sabine Meyer and he use this machine to prepare their reeds (as shown in one Youtube video).
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2018-09-20 04:01
I think you need both, a strength gauge and a drop gauge to measure the spine and the rails. (sides) The rail measurements are key to a balanced reed. I make my own reeds again.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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