 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Kevin
Date: 2001-12-04 14:56
Hello,
I am frustrated by the reeds!
I have a very good mouthpiece that I love and, as they are designed and made by the same person, it is nearly same as one famous clarinettist has. There is no doubt that the mouthepiece is of very high quality. The problem is that the average quality of commercial reeds is so slow that only 1 or 2 can be played without any problems on the mouthpiece. I thus think of making reeds myself as many of you do. I have some blanks, how should I use them? How can we make a reed out of them?
Thanks a lot for any suggestions and comment.
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Author: Wes
Date: 2001-12-04 15:25
You will learn a lot from making your own reeds but don't expect miracles. One can spend a lifetime making reeds and never approach the quality of some of the fine commercial reeds. There is a possibility that your mouthpiece is warped or was never finished properly in the first place, despite the name and apparent fine physical condition of it. Other possibilities are leaks in the instrument, chips on the tonehole edges, etc. One can also learn to finish commercial reeds the way one needs to have them. Perhaps some other experts can be consulted in person to try your equipment, to check the facing on your mouthpiece, check for leaks in your clarinet, etc. Best of Luck!
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Author: Kevin
Date: 2001-12-04 15:43
Wes,
Thanks a lot for your invaluable suggestions.
I have also thought of the problems you mentioned. Actually, I play an Oehler clarinet made by Oehler which was completely overhauled recently. The mouthpiece is about the same as that Peter Rieckhoff and Dieter Kloeker uses. This is not a commercial mouthpiece and was copied from the handmade original to 2 of my mouthpieces, one wood one plastics. My teacher has also checked them before and think that there is no problem. I thus think of the reeds.
Actually, the reeds I am using is quite from the standard Vandoren. The standard Vandoren has reeds of slight difference in cutting. The Steuer and Foglietta reeds I use were classified into differnt types and reeds in the same box are said to be of the same cuuting. I do realize that high quality commercial reeds are invaulable and play really great, however, it may take me to search in boxes of reeds to find out such a reed! How can I afford such a big sum of money as a student!
Thanks, Wes, once again, as you do remind to think of some other factors when the clarinet is not responding very well. Do Wes and all of you mind sharing with me the way to make own reeds?
Enjoy the clarinet!
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Author: Ed
Date: 2001-12-04 16:28
You can also get really good at fixing commercial reeds. Think of them more as unfinished. These skills will also help you get really good at the hand skills that are needed to adjust handmade reeds. I find that assuming you are using the right strength for your mouthpiece, it is most important to cure and seal them, make absolutely sure that the reed is flat and then work on balancing it.
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Author: ron b
Date: 2001-12-04 16:49
I doubt that many of us make our own, consistently good, reeds. Some of us do it for fun or for experimental purposes. You will, however, learn a lot by doing so and knowing how is a good skill to have. You can learn what to look for in good commercial reeds and how to adjust them yourself if necessary. You can start with a blank and try to duplicate a reed you like or re-work a commercial reed to your satisfaction simply by trial and error; a tedious and often disappointing process for the beginner. If you're determined, however, the skill you develop can bring great satisfaction. It depends on how much time you wish to invest, opposed to buying machine made ones.
I would like to mention that I, too, play an Oehler system - although mine was made by Prueffer. Any instrument that is a bit out of adjustment might cause you to suspect the reed, when in reality it may be a small leak or a mechanical problem. My personal experience is that if the insrtument and mouthpiece are in good condition almost any reed will be okay. Maybe not great, but you will not find great difficulty producing a decent sound. From there, it's a lifelong quest for the 'perfect combination' 
Once in a great while I find a little adjustment of a reed worthwhile. For that I use a single edge razor blade or reed rush to scrape it thinner. Some folks use fine sandpaper to flatten the back. If the reed feels too 'soft', there are various ways to trim the tip. Commercial reed trimmers are pretty good. A razor blade will do or you can place the reed flat on top of a large coin with a bit of the tip extended beyond the edge and, using a lighter or a match, burn the tip back from below the coin. Be careful. Remember, especially with fragile reeds, a little goes a long way.
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Author: Joseph Brenner, Jr.
Date: 2001-12-04 18:26
If you really wish to make your own reeds, you'll need a reed knife for single reeds and some source of instruction. Kalmen Opperman, a clarinetist, wrote a handbook on reedmaking; I trust that it's still in print. I'd search on this website under his name and under reedmaking. As reedmaking is a skill, if not an art, you'd benefit most by having written instruction as well as hands-on instruction by somebody who makes reeds--who will show you AND observe you as you start to carve on the blank. As people above have said, a homemade reed does not guarantee your satisfaction. Even if your mouthpiece is symmetrical and without any crack or chip, and your clarinet is perfectly sealed, you have no assurance that your own handmade reeds will free you of anxiety and disappointment in your playing career. jbjr
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Author: GBK
Date: 2001-12-04 18:45
One other point to consider when making reeds or selecting a particular commercial brand to use and adjust:
The vamp of the reed must match the window opening on your mouthpiece. If the match is not correct, a shorter vamped reed or a longer vamped reed will give you endless trouble. Some fine commercial reeds do not work with all mouthpieces and either must be adjusted to fit or passed over as a possibility...GBK
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Author: Jim S.
Date: 2001-12-04 20:49
Opperman says (under "Checking the Tip"): "The strength of the reed may be tested by flexing the tip against the fingers...Any heavy and uneven portions of the reed may be removed..."etc.
How do you tell when one side needs balancing against the other? I can't feel any difference in Vandoren tips though people here have mentioned the common need to balance the them. Is it an art that requires lots of practice and concentration?
Is it a guild secret? Am I just not paying enough attention?
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Author: werner
Date: 2001-12-04 22:46
Kevin, please excuse.
You are not Kloecker or Rieckhoff.
It doesn't mean anything to you our me what mouthpiece
Kloecker, Rieckhoff or Meyer or whoever is satisfied with.
( I am talking about a German setup here !! )
The Fogliettas (very good and very consistent in my
opinion) and the Steuer reeds are made for standart mouthpieces. My recommendation: Buy a standart M3
mouthpiece (Zinner or Wurlitzer) and give them a try
with lets say Steuer S800 3, Steuer S100 3, Foglietta
E* 3, Foglietta A5 3, Foglietta D4 3, Foglietta D4 3 1/2.
Two reeds of every type should be enough to find
'your' setup.
And now to the 'reed - making' thing:
I think every clarinettist should spend some time on this
adventure. We are learning a lot about reeds that way.
But: It is not - not a cheap adventure. You need
the blanks (a lot of them), the equipment, some books about
this topic, if possible a teacher that teaches you the making
and: A lot of time !
20 years ago we had here in Germany only standart
Steuer and Rico reeds. The Ricos were cheap. The
Steuer .. well .. luckily there was a professional around
who handmade some reeds for us. But today? Why should
anyone spend the time for this reed making if there are
so many great commercial reed available ?
I had a lot of fun (used Pflaumer blanks) for about one year,
and gave it up. It's too time consuming. I even gave up
to try to 'improve' commercial finished reeds. I think it's
not worth the time. Perhaps a bit of clipping .. yes ..why
not. But I don't use my cordier very often anymore.
A bit 'up the reed' or 'down the reed' works good enough
for me.
But I might change my mind tomorrow, if necessary, so:
Have fun.
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Author: Pat
Date: 2001-12-04 23:16
I use the reedual to make my own reeds. That of course is an expensive machine and I had to do a lot of saving up. The machine copies a model reed. I have still some mixed reactions about the machine. I have been positive because about the last two months, I have been playing on my hand made machine made reeds. I found measurements and vamp length are very important. I also found that cane quality has a big amount to do with it. I thought i was going to make reeds as soon as i got the machine, however I was wrong. It took many trials and errors before I got comfortable playing it.
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Author: Kevin
Date: 2001-12-05 15:56
Thanks for all your invaluable suggestions and recommendation.
It seems that Opperman's book is a good one. I live outside the U.S, where can I get one? I have search for amazon.com but it is said to be "out of print"
Do you have any recommendations on books for reed making, adjusting.....?
Werner,
Danke schoen.
You are right, I am not Mr. Rieckhoff or Kloecker, the reason why I said my mouthpiece was nearly the same as they have is to show the the problems are the reeds, though they affect each other mutually.
Thanks once more!
Enjoy playing the clarinet!
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Author: Bob
Date: 2001-12-05 21:04
I have never made my own reeds but I rework lots of them. Surely, probably the best thing most of us would learn from making our own is that it takes a lot of practice....just like playing the instrument itself. If you've got the time,patience, the "touch" and the inclination go to it and have fun. For myself just reworking already made reeds is enough fun. There are books available on the subject.
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Author: Wes
Date: 2001-12-06 03:51
Thanks for your questions and kind words Kevin. I've made literally thousands of oboe reeds as I believe that it is not possible to buy the kind of oboe reeds I need. Conversely, I simply do not have the time, money, or energy to make clarinet reeds when it is very simple to modify the great Vandoren V12 reeds that I like with my ancient Mitchell Lurie mouthpiece. Try the great Zinner mouthpieces and other types of Vandoren reeds. I've refaced a lot of clarinet mouthpieces, including Zinners, and find that many mouthpieces have problems that can be fixed with a little effort. One common mouthpiece problem is instability of the reed mouthpiece combination. The reed just does not have the proper support to vibrate on. This can be easily fixed. Good luck!!!!!
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