 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ralph Katz
Date: 2022-07-08 18:33
In the late 1970's there was a reedmaking operation in Elk Rapids, Michigan, north of Traverse City. At least one store in Ann Arbor carried the reeds.
The reedmaker was a machinist who made all of his own equipment. When he died, his son donated it all to Interlochen, where the late Bob Scott showed it to me, I think in the late 1980's.
There was a cane splitter, a blank flattener, a guillotine to flare the sides, a pattern follower, and a strength measuring jig. Different strengths were cut using thin metal shims, but all the reeds were soaked in water and subsequently graded into strengths. All of the equipment was designed to be serviced, with replaceable wear surfaces and bearings.
When the owner died, his son was not interested in running the business and donated all the equipment to Interlochen, where it sat around in the repair hut for a while. Bob showed it all to me and apparently took it with him when nobody in Interlochen was interested in using it.
Does anybody remember the name used for these reeds?
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