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EH reed 'map'

Author: huboboe
Date: 2011-03-24 18:11
Attachment: Hewitt EH reed.jpg (821k)

Hello, all -

I got sufficient interest in a set of measurements for an EH reed that I offered Robin that I thought I would post them as an attachment. If this works...

The history behind this is that for many years I have 'mapped' my best reeds and those of colleagues that I liked. The things that are in common with most of them provide a rough guide when I hit the occasional reed slump.

One of my students went on to study with Stevens Hewitt and the next time I saw her she had an EH reed he had made that I really liked. Attached is the 'map' complete with my cryptic notes. Feel free to ask me about what those notes mean if it's not obvious

I don't believe is slavishly adhering to fixed measurements, but I find that my best reeds, the ones I measure and archive, have very similar features. For instance, the thickest spot in center of the heart of my oboe reeds is between .48 and .50. Thicker and they are either too stiff or don't vibrate. Thinner than .46 and they tend to sag, and I've never had a working reed thinner than .42.

Of course that's only one point among the myriad of balancing spots, and it's the overall balance of the reed that dictates the success or lack of...

Anyway, it's a starting point from which you can adjust to the whims of a particular piece of cane.

I think the overall length is meaningless without knowing the length of your tube crook as well; I had to shorten the model quite a bit to play in tune, and you may need to tweak the length as well..

I don't know what shape Hewitt was using, but at 8mm wide at the top and 7mm in the middle it seems to be a middle of the road shape. Try with your current setup and see what happens. Good luck!

Robert Hubbard
WestwindDoubleReed.com
1-888-579-6020
bob@westwinddoublereed.com

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