 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2011-01-25 21:47
Amongst the long litany of things I've done to reeds, polishing is one of them. I find that it helps seal the reed and makes it more stable (probably even sooner than without polishing). But I don't think that it made any difference to the sound other than the affect it had on the reed's ability to become more agreeable.
..............Paul Aviles
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2011-01-25 23:47
Gigliotti already got a bright sound so he certainly didn't want to make it any brighter, if that was even possible. In any case, I don't think it makes them brighter either. I seal the bottom of my reeds, call it polish if you want, I call it sealing. I don't do anything to the top of the reed because I don't think it does anything for me, or the reed. Each to their own. Try it, if you like the result keep doing it, if you don't than stop doing it. Sealing the bottom helps prevent warping, I agree. Check my reed page on my website. ESP http://eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2011-01-26 15:44
I take a new reed and rub the flat bottom side on 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper on the glass from my ATG reed balancing kit (any flat surface will do).
Then, I lay the reed flat on the glass, and completely cover it with a 1/4 sheet of 600-grit wet/dry sandpaper. I then smooth up the cut vamp of the reed. This keeps me from snagging the edges of the reed on the sandpaper.
I don't take much material off of the reed, so it isn't appreciably thinned or unbalanced. There is just a bit of dust around when both sides of the reed is polished.
Next, I dust the reed, carefully center it on the lay of the mouthpiece and paly it for 5-10 minutes. The smooth surface is quite noticeable and welcome on my lower lip.
If the reed requires balancing, I use the ATG technique (~sanding the stiff corner) using 220 or 320 grit paper on the ATG sanding block.
When the reed dries out, it gets another 5-10 minute turn on the mouthpiece. After a few days, the polished and balanced reed goes into my regular rotation.
The smooth surface feels civilized, and the polishing closes the pores on the vamp, so that they stay cleaner longer.
In my rotation of 8 or 12 reeds, a reed will last 2-3 months before softening to the point where it is pulled from the reed holder and discarded.
This treatment has reduced my reed bill by about 1/2 over the last couple of years.
And I'm still using the original sheet of 600-grit sandpaper.
Bob Phillips
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