Author: cjwright
Date: 2011-04-19 16:11
Sounds like the reeds to me, and this is usually the result of
1. the tip being too thin in the center and thus collapsing on itself. OR
2. The reed being squeezed or bitten and thus sounding pinched. OR
3. Air support not being fully there, so the reed not vibrating properly. OR
4. The reed being out of balance and not vibrating properly on it's own. OR
5. A combination of both.
In order to test #1, just scrape a reed with a thicker center of the tip. Martin thinks of the center of the tip as a windshield clear out to the tip of the reed. I tend to think of it more as an inverted windshield (concave, vs. convex).
In order to test #2, put the reed in the corner of your mouth where you can't really bite, and play it.
In order to test #3, blow harder.
In order to test #4, if the previous 3 pass, then it's probably #4.
My guess is that it's a combination of multiple items. Marigaux is a well built instrument and I'm not sure you should assume that the problem is the instrument first. In fact, I think many good instruments such as Marigaux and Howarth are so well built, that they can easily hide flaws in the reed that don't necessarily show up unless you do something unique, and therefore don't always give accurate feedback. That's why it's better to learn how to hear consistent qualities in the crow, but that's a different thread....
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