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RE: Reeds and Humidity: Really Necessary?

Author: William
Date: 2001-11-27 00:23

I have never used "moist storage" for my reeds, one of my friends who does, puts a small amount of salt in the water used to establish the humidity level and claims that it prevents the mildew and mold from growing on the reeds between uses. He stores the reeds on a piece of glass inside a flat Tupperware air-tight container on a salted moist sponge. Just a "pinch" I think. My friend plays jazz gigs on a world wide basis and claims no warpage or mildew--and, that all of his reeds are always "ready to sing" regardless of climate or temperature. Let us know how this works if you give it a try.

FYI--I do not travel the world in search of playing engagements (mainly, because nobody asks me too) so I use a Harrison reed storage case and use only saliva to moisten my reeds before use. The only time I soak them in water is when I am trying them straight out of the box. After the first trial, I rub the front and back of the reed to begin the "waterproofing" process and place it for storage in the Harrison case. Using saliva only to moisten and diligently rubbing each reed down after use or knife adjustment, I never experiance any warpage between uses. The reeds dry flat and are ready for use after a minute or so of saliva and some pre-play rubbing. We all seem to have different reed prep routines, but this one works for me. Good Luck with yours!!!

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