Author: DrewSorensenMusic
Date: 2012-12-02 15:25
I by no means am making perfect reeds currently. However, to second CJ's point about "flaring blades". My tutor, Mr. Schneider here in Philadelphia, was a student of Mr. Mack's, and professes to have spend countless hours (late in the evening no less) making reeds for Mr. Mack (I'm not sure for his performance or for his own learning, but I digress).
In a lesson I was concerned with my reeds flaring, and I was instructed that this could be a sign that the cane has been processed poorly. Whether it be a result of an improper gouge, curved cane, or just poor cane in general, these seem to be some of the first factors to look into if this becomes a recurrent problem.
This is a difficult problem for myself as a new oboist, for I am at the mercy of others to choose and prepare cane. So while many of my reeds seal as they should, I lately have just accepted the following as truth: Until I can control the whole process from start to finish (i.e. when I learn enough to make the investment in my own gouger and other preparation tools), it is inevitable that in the mass production market some mistakes will slip past the radar. If the problem becomes consistent, it might be pertinent to experiment with another supplier to test which part of the process is really at fault.
Drew S.
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