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RE: reed making

Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2002-09-30 14:48

I took reedmaking lessons from Kalmen Opperman. His book lays out the basics, but it takes a month or two before you learn to do it well enough to make usable reeds reliably, and several mor months before you can do it in less than 1/2 hour per reed. (Kal can make one in about 1-1/2 minutes.)

I occasionally make reeds from blanks. (Making blanks from tubes is way too much trouble.) However, several brands (Vandoren Black Master, Daniels, Gonzalez)are made of good enough cane that I mostly get them (a strength or two too hard) and season them, flatten the bottom and balance them to my liking.

In making your own, the important thing that's not obvious from any of the books is that the taper along the sides has to be absolutely even and go as far toward the tip as possible. It's very easy to scoop out the sides, which ruins the reed.

Best regards.

Ken Shaw

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