 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Susie
Date: 2001-08-23 15:48
I've been reading a great deal lately about folks spending what seems like a great deal of time sanding, scraping, trimming reeds. As a re-beginner, I wouldn't know where to start. I know when a reed doesn't seem to "work" but I really don't know how to "fix" it. When I played 20 years ago, my band director who also gave me private lessons was the one who "fixed" reeds and I never learned. Hopefully some time in the next 3mos. I'll begin some private lessons again but I'd appreciate any advice in the meantime.
Susie
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-08-23 16:36
For now, use Mitchell Lurie reeds and don't worry about it. Reed adjusment is something to get into later and should be done under the quidance of someone more experienced.
Personally I seldom make any adjustments on my reeds. I find the correct strength for myself for a particular brand and then simply play the reeds. The slight reed to reed variation can be accommodated if one is flexible.
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Author: David Spiegelthal
Date: 2001-08-23 16:59
There used to be a book by Kalmen Opperman called "The Art of Making and Adjusting Single Reeds", which I believe has been out of print for a while but may still be available somewhere. It's what I used many years ago to learn how to work on reeds, and if you can find a copy, it will be a good start. Dee's advice to start on Mitchell Luries without doing anything to them is good, but it would benefit you greatly in the long term to be able to work on reeds, and the sooner you start, the better!
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Author: Emil
Date: 2001-08-23 17:16
I also make VERY few reed adjustments. If required, sanding the heel flat, or balancing the sides. A web search will give you more info on reeds than you can handle.
I do have two MAGIC fixes for reeds that I have refined over the years. And while I cannot promise that they will fix every reed, it is suprising how many are actually imporved, sometimes dramatically.
1. I have a magic 'sweater drawer'. That's where all the boxes of 'bad' reeds go, with a date written on the box. Every year or so I'll pull a 2 year old box and go through a few soak and play cycles... keep the good ones and put the old ones back in the magic drawer for another confinement. I haven't determined whether it's the wood the amour is made from, or the type of yarn in the sweaters, that cause the change in the reeds, but it works for me.
2. I have also found that the more I practice long tones and concentrate on embouchure and tone quality, the more good reeds I get from a box. (And my mouthpiece seems to improve, too.) Again, I don't quite know where the magic is coming from, maybe it's a molecular alignment that develops in the wood fibers due to the long continuous tones???
As always, your individual mileage may vary.
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Author: David Spiegelthal
Date: 2001-08-23 17:19
I think I screwed up the title of the Opperman book, I believe it's "Handbook for Making and Adjusting Single Reeds" ---- if anyone out there knows of a source for this book, please let us know!
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Author: double 0-billy
Date: 2001-08-23 18:16
I believe the opperman is out of print pretty much everywhere, but I know you can buy it used on amazon.com. Good luck!
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Author: William
Date: 2001-08-23 18:20
Glenn Bown is re-issuing his fine book on making and adjusting reeds. Info in the resent issue of THE CLARINET. You might also consider getting a Reed Wizard, if you are a "klutz" with a knife--as I am!! Good clarineting!!!!!
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Author: Anji
Date: 2001-08-23 18:52
Get Larry Guy's book, currently available in print on reed work.
I believe it is listed under the 'Resources' section.
You don't need fancy tools to do the work.
Here's the 90 second version...
The further toward the tip you go, the more effect you have on Higher frequencies.
Most reeds aren't flat, outta the box.
Using 320 grit sandpaper on a hand mirror (ya know, like the hairdressers use)
you should be able to get the backs pretty flat.
I buy 'em cheap, in higher strength and work them down.
The Mitchell Luries are excellent, but pricey.
The Oliveri will soon be available from Muncy Winds, and these have promise.
The Legere Synthetic reed (order 1/4 strength harder) will get you by when
none of the cane will play.
anji
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Author: David Spiegelthal
Date: 2001-08-23 18:56
Re: Mitchell Lurie reeds: Far be it for me to argue with the redoubtable Anji, but I have been obtaining all my ML reeds lately very cheaply from eBay auctions --- people are constantly auctioning off these reeds (I'm not sure why), and I have yet to pay more than about 7 bucks for a box of 12 --- that's pretty cheap in my book.
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Author: beejay
Date: 2001-08-23 19:45
I use disposable surgical scalpels that I buy from the pharmacy and use them to trim a stiff reed about 1/4 inch from the tip. I take just a few grains off at a time until the reed blows freely.
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Author: Hans
Date: 2001-08-23 20:39
Also being a restarter (after 20 years) I once tried to fix one of my Vandoren strenght 3 reeds by scraping off a little bit with a stanley knife. Result: a nice unplayable reed, even worse than a chinese Trillion reed. I just got my box of Vandoren 2.5 and leave the process of adjusting reeds to the professionals.
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Author: bob gardner
Date: 2001-08-23 22:56
If you really feel the need to adjust your reeds check out the Reed Wizard. call Ben at 914 693 3336 and he will fix you up. i think he is a sponser here on the board.
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Author: Irwin
Date: 2001-08-23 23:29
The reed wizard is great. Something else to try: take a reed that you think is too stuffy or hard. Soak the entire reed in a cup of water for about 3 or 4 minutes, and then give it a try. It may surprise you a play quite well.
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Author: Anji
Date: 2001-08-24 01:46
$7/box of ten MLs is pretty good....
How does $3.75/box ten Rico Grand Concert select, extra thick blanks with secret sauce grab ya?
Bottom line, anything less than .90/ reed is pretty inexpensive.
PS - Dave has been working with clarinet stuff so long, he sat behind Mozart in third grade! (Was is Leopold or Wolfie?)
anji
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2001-08-24 02:24
Sherman's corner has 7 parts on Reeds. Maybe a good re-starting point.
http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/Friedland/index.html
Since 20 years ago, synthetic reeds dramatically improved. It may be a good idea to try a Legere reed(one of Sneezy Sponcers). No need of sanding.(No, do not sand them. I sand one and broke it.)
I use Alexander classic. Its diamond cut bottom surface does not need sanding.
I found I myself do not have the talent for reed adjustment after very long years. It seems a kind of black magic.
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2001-08-24 02:24
Sherman's corner has 7 parts on Reeds. Maybe a good re-starting point.
http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/Friedland/index.html
Since 20 years ago, synthetic reeds dramatically improved. It may be a good idea to try a Legere reed(one of Sneezy Sponcers). No need of sanding.(No, do not sand them. I sanded one and broke it.)
I use Alexander classic. Its diamond cut bottom surface does not need sanding.
I found I myself do not have the talent for reed adjustment after very long years. It seems a kind of black magic.
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Author: Azzacca
Date: 2001-08-24 12:12
For years I didn't know the difference between reeds, and just played what the band teacher had (Rico 3's). If a new reed seemed too "stiff", I chewed on it a bit it and it would play. Course, back then, the only time I replaced reeds was when I cracked them.
Now that I'm back in the groove (and learned so much from this board), I've started playing on Van Doren reeds. When I bought my current clarinet, the seller (a family friend, you might say) threw in three reeds, just to get me started. And only one of the reeds dwas "stiff". I took a very old (nearly useless) emery board and just made a couple of swipes along the back of the reed and took a little off the top. I didn't know what I was doing, but figured the worst that could happen is that I could make it worse. Surprisingly I am now able to play that reed!
I'm not saying this is what I'll do next time, but wanted to share my recent experience.
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Author: William
Date: 2001-08-24 15:10
With the use of my REED WIZARD, I can use every reed out of a box of ten VanDorens--three to four become excellant, concert quality and the rest for rehearsals and practice. Considering the savings over the usual practice of discarding eight reeds as "unusable," the RW pays for itself quite quickly. I still use my reed knife for balancing the tip, but the RW gives each reed the correct profile for optimum performance, making each and every reed playable. One trick that helps is to start with reeds that are one strenghth harder than you need so that the RW can "work them down" for you. After using the RW, the rest is easy. Good clarineting!!!!!!!
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Author: Bob Arney
Date: 2001-08-24 21:27
Hey Anji, don't pick on Dave, he is a brand new Daddy and probably not getting too much sleep. Gives him plenty of time to fix reeds in the middle of the night.8-))
Bob A
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Author: David Pegel
Date: 2001-08-25 15:59
Speaking of fixing reeds, here's my breaking/sanding process that gives me the best life for my reeds (Don't forget how unusual things work best for me.)
1) Wet the reed thoroughly with your mouth, to get a feel for it.
2) Soak the reed in a solution consisting of three parts water and one part 3% hydrogen peroxide for about 15 minutes. Wipe off and let dry.
3) To remove the residue, if there's any, take a small nail file (Or even a small carpenter's file with fine-tooth filers) and lightly rub it across the bottom of the reed until it's smooth. This also helps the reeds play better IMHO.
4) Soak the reed again in either water or the peroxide solution for about five minutes.
5) Let sit for a while. (However long you can wait.)
6) Repeat step one and start playing.
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Author: Ginny
Date: 2001-08-25 21:31
I have found that placing a reed higher or lower relative to the tip of the mouth piece will stiffen or relax a reed a great deal, more than I usually find with sanding (perhaps I am too cautious.) I just got a copy of the Dover edition of Pino's book on clarinet and it appears to have some good reed adjusting advice.
Ginny
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