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Re: Reed humidity control

Author: Jarmo Hyvakko
Date: 2014-10-25 12:15

When you buy the hygrometer, the most useful place to use it is outside your reed humidifier. Because what matters is, what is the humidity of the environment where you are living in. Those who live in 50-75% don't need a humidor because the world is their humidor. But the rest of us who live f.ex. in a very dry climate need it desperately. I believe what kills the reeds is the constant wetting-drying of them. That weakens the fibres of the reeds even more than playing them. The other thing is warping. What I understand, it means the thing, when the edges of the bottom of the reed turn to either direction causing the bottom not to be flat anymore. Just what happens to any wood-board!

Using a two-way humidor helps in this. It's true that using a humidor may cause a new reed warping even quicker but that reed would have warped anyway. You just have to reface the bottom with a piece of glass and sandpaper.

I have been using a twoway humidifying system (rico reed vitalizer, the bags are made by boveda) for years. I try to have at least a dozen of playable reeds at the same time in order to rotate them. While playing I put the cap on always when there is time. And if I have a longer break, even 15 mins, I put the reed back into the humidifier. In orchestra I change the reed during every break and even in concerts I usually change the reed during the intermission. Result: the oldest still playable reeds are almost one year old. And believe or not, after the summer holiday I can start my practising with the same reeds!

-Yarmoh

Jarmo Hyvakko, Principal Clarinet, Tampere Philharmonic, Finland

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Reed humidity control new

fskelley

2014-10-24 20:24