Author: Paul Globus
Date: 2020-10-22 18:17
I have visited a number of reed-making factories over the years, including Vandoren.
Indeed, all reeds of the same brand are cut on the same machines and have the exact same dimensions. They are classified by strength after they are cut -- it is the last phase of the production process. It is done in a machine that uses air to flex the tip area.
The "flex" is measured very precisely. So, a "harder" reed is not thicker than a "softer" reed. The internal fibers of the "harder" reed are stiffer than the internal fibers of the "softer" reed. Conclusion: most of the adjusting that people do to their reeds using knives and sandpaper and other tools is very tricky because, unless you are highly skilled at maintaining the reed's design or "profile," you are messing up the reed -- making it worse rather than better.
Every reed brand -- Vandoren Traditional, V12, Rue Lepic, Rico Reserve Classic, Gonzales, you name it -- has a distinct design or profile. The manufacturers have metal templates, or molds, of these profiles, which they can use on any machine to produce that brand of reed. The most prized possession they have in their factories is not the machines or their stock of cane but their molds.
Incidentally, even Legere reeds are produced in a manner that mirrors what the cane guys are doing. If you measure say, a Legere European Signature #3 and a Legere European Signature #4.5, you'll find that the dimensions are the same. The difference is in the stiffness of the material -- Legere is adjusting the polymer compound to produce the desired strength.
The idea of flexing the tip explained at the top of this thread is a good one that oldtimers like me have known about and been using for years.
Paul Globus
Post Edited (2020-10-22 18:19)
|
|
The Clarinet BBoard
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
