 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: David Pegel
Date: 2002-10-23 02:26
Those of you who have been on the board for a while may remember the person who suggested a new method of curing reeds about two or three months back. It consisted of keeping the reeds in the glove compartment of a car for extended periods of time, allowing the heat to accumulate. I did this until fall set in, and I had mixed results.
With Mitchell Lurie 3.5's, the reeds lasted longer, the tone was brighter, and there was less resistance. I was impressed.
With Rico and LaVoz 3's, there wasn't an incredible amount of difference, though they didn't seem to last as long. The projection of sound seemed greater, as if the reed dropped a few grades. It may have just been my imagination.
Vandoren 3's turned from their typical inconsistent selves into something more consistent... consistently BAD! I recommend that NOBODY put Vandoren reeds in a glove box to cure! Every reed was unplayable, even after adjustment!
This concludes my data analyses on leaving reeds in high temperatures. Perhaps someone else can try the same experiment and post their results. May they will be different per person.
(By the way, newer members, I am NOT joking! This was actually suggested.)
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Author: Bob
Date: 2002-10-23 13:41
You are to be commended for your persistence,Dave. I wonder,though, how do you know how a given reed would have performed had you not given it the glovebox treatment.
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Author: GBK
Date: 2002-10-23 16:45
These two men (both whom are superb concert clarinetists in major symphony orchestras) will be monitoring my pending experiment:
<i>"The outdoor effects of rust (and rats) on hand selected Vandoren and Gonzalez reeds in a '58 Edsel"</i>
"http://www.edsel.org/lv5.jpg" ...GBK
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Author: David Pegel
Date: 2002-10-23 23:54
Bob: I don't; that's a problem. However, I DID put a whole box of ten of each kind of reed I mentioned in the glove box, and tested an "uncooked" box in the process. I went through almost 60 reeds in the process. I feel wasteful!
(Don't worry, I still play on 5 good ones.)
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2002-10-25 01:58
Some of you may recall my intent to do such an experiment using a variety of vehicles, but illness interfered and I was unable to perform the study. David, I commend you and offer you my thanks for furthering public appreciation of The Scientific Method.
By the way, GBK, do take note of David's Vandoren results... while I have no way to be sure, I seem to intuitively believe the absence of gloves in the glove compartment might have had an adverse effect on those delicate things.
Further, GBK, while neither of those gentlemen looks at all like you, I suggest that at least one of them does appear to be ever so slightly in the bag. Determination of which it is remains as an exercise for the reader. I do hope such will not become requisite for this method of aging. However, I do seem to recall that Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey requires four years minimum in charred oak. Perhaps you are, as a future standard, targeting some period of time in a rusty Edsel? It comes to mind that Brits and fans of the late Douglas Adams might instead employ a corroded Ford Prefect.
Regards,
John
onward and downward
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