The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: FT
Date: 2002-05-04 20:13
Is this a good reed trimmer???:
http://www.woodwindbrasswind.com/product.jsp?path=-1|96357|96359|147352|148790&id=71315
Thanks!
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Author: William
Date: 2002-05-05 16:20
FYI--if you start with reeds that are slightly harder than you need and learn to "cure" shape and balance with a reed knife, sandpaper or reed rush, you should have no need for a trimmer. I have many of the type you were asking about and a very nice VanDoren (discontinued) model, but they have been collecting dust in my junk drawer for the last 15 yrs. What I use is a reed knife and Reed Wizard (yes, they really work) and usually am able to make use of every reed from the average box of V12's 3.5 or 4.0. However, opinions on the use of reed trimmers varies, so whatever your conclusions and personal practice become, Good Clarineting!!!!
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Author: John Scorgie
Date: 2002-05-06 05:27
FT --
If you must buy a reed trimmer, the popular brands are all good. Most of mine are Cordiers (made in France) from many years ago. I still use them occasionally, usually when a pet reed gets old and weak and I want to milk a little more playing time out of it.
Whichever reed clipper you buy, please note that while clipping reeds seems at first to be a quick and easy solution to reed adjustment problems, I will bet that you gravitate to the other approach as outlined in the post just above by William.
Most of us who work over ALL of our reeds follow a procedure similar to the one summarized by William. In other words, we find our best results by beginning with a reed which is too strong and then shave it or shape it or scrape it, just a wee bit at a time until it is right. Learning this method does take a little practice, but before you know it you will be doing all your reeds this way (clarinet and saxophone) and getting many more playable reeds per box. Actually I work on my reeds not so much because I get more good ones per box, as because I find that the reeds I have worked over last substantially longer than reeds played right out of the box.
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Author: David Dow symphony nb
Date: 2002-05-13 10:27
I still use a Cordier and found the Vandoren reed trimmer something of a monstrosity. Strangely enough I guess the cordier trimmer is harder to find.
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