 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: hammerclarinet
Date: 2015-05-21 07:05
Hi,
Does anyone have experience with one, or both of these products? I've been using sandpaper to fix my reed troubles until now. I am starting to get somewhat frustrated and I want to look into different products? Give me your opinions! Thanks!!
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Author: cxgreen48
Date: 2015-05-21 07:12
I have both. Basically I use the Reed Geek for the bottom of the reed (flat side), and the ATG system for the top of the reed (non-flat side).
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Author: fskelley
Date: 2015-05-21 07:50
I too worked with my own sanding materials (emory boards and rotary tool) and a map of reed "zones", and had slight success but mostly got nowhere, or worse than nowhere. Then I got ATG, and it was a breath of fresh air. Even the most basic ATG operations will greatly improve most any reed. And you can grow with it as your skills improve. Most of us who've ever used ATG cannot do without it, kind of like "How you gonna keep em down on the farm after they've seen Paree".
Stan in Orlando
EWI 4000S with modifications
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Author: nellsonic
Date: 2015-05-21 08:00
I have both as well and use them as cxgreen describes above. I'm not into messing with reeds, but these two tools keep me well supplied with ones that are pleasurable to play on with minimal fuss. Well worth the investment. If I had to choose one, it would be the ATG with an appropriate flat file subbing for the Reed Geek. The Reed Geek has the advantage of being small enought to fit into any case, extremely durable, and safe to travel to schools or on airplanes with.
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Author: GLHopkins
Date: 2015-05-21 08:10
I use them both. I think a nice sharp single edge razor blade can be used to scrape the bottom of the reed to lower high spots. A group of clarinetists came by my shop today and we worked on reeds. The razor blade did as good of a job as the Reed Geek.
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Author: johng ★2017
Date: 2015-05-21 17:56
I also use both. For me, the ATG system is a sensible and effective way to balance reeds overall and I teach the method to my students. I use the Reed Geek to flatten reeds (rarely necessary), but mostly to work on a small specific area of the reed. The fellow who makes them showed me how to use it like an eraser to take care of a high or extra dense spot and that works well for me.
John Gibson, Founder of JB Linear Music, www.music4woodwinds.com
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Author: Wisco99
Date: 2015-05-22 00:58
Going radical here, can almost see the arrows coming at me. For sax and clarinet I go through a box of reeds and pick out the best 4 reeds and throw the rest away. I do this on the first playing which does not last long. Why 4 reeds you may ask? My reed holders hold 4 reeds, and I just want the best 4 out of the box, and refuse to spend time trying to salvage a reed that does not play great into one that is better but not great. I use a geek to keep the bottom straight over time, and polish the reeds with my finger going with the grain or use paper to rub them on to seal them. That is it. Either a reed has that magic response to it or it doesn't. Ok boys and girls, let the arrows fly.
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Author: nellsonic
Date: 2015-05-22 01:33
To each his own. I don't spend more than about 30 seconds using either tool on a particular reed, but to great effect. I get about double the number of playable reeds from a box, and the playability of several of those reeds is greatly enhanced. I don't go in for complex tracking or break-in procedures. I have some degree of faith that I would get more from my reeds if I did, but I KNOW I get more from my practice time by keeping it simple.
I have heard about top level pros who gets unlimited free reeds as part of their endorsement deals and do more or less as you do - play each one once and discard immediately if not perfect. I imagine they might go through a box or two or three just to find a single reed that meets their standard. That sounds pretty tedious in its own way.
Anders
Post Edited (2015-05-22 01:49)
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Author: Jbosacki
Date: 2015-05-24 06:40
No arrows Wisco99, the only comment I'll make is my address where you can send the reeds you would have thrown away!
There's a use for every reed even if it's just for practice or lessons! Not to mention How expensive they are! I'll take em!
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Author: Wisco99
Date: 2015-05-24 10:57
Jbosacki,
Thanks for not sending any arrows my way. I appreciate your outlook that there is a use for every reed, even if it's just for practice. It just makes it easier to move on by picking the 4 best ones out of a box and crushing the rest. I just want reeds that suck out of my life, and a quick death by crushing the tip is something I started years ago because I needed great reeds, and have no time to mess around with ones that do not make the grade. It avoids time spent in the future trying or hoping they might work. My son had a music teacher in middle school who played clarinet, and she had the students save all their old reeds and then she hung them on a Christmas tree in the band room in December. My son told her it was gross and disgusting, but to her they still had value.
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Author: Chetclarinet
Date: 2015-05-24 18:04
I have a reed confession to make. When I was in music school, I learned to make my own reeds from blanks and for several years , I did not use a single commercial reed. Since then, for the next 48 years or so, I have picked the best reeds out of a commercial box, usually 4-5, and have not adjusted them in any way, other than polishing the front and back with a piece of paper to close the pores. I have had good luck with Vandoren reeds all that time. Yesterday, I put on a Legere Signature 3/12 and was really impressed!
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Author: Wisco99
Date: 2015-05-24 18:47
Chester,
I hear that confession is good for the soul. I too confess to having one Legere in my case for those wacky Wisconsin weather days when nothing seems to work. When I was a student at UW-Stevens Point my oboe teacher, Ann Paterson, had us make an oboe reed for our final exam. My skills as a reed maker fall below the double ugly level. It looked like a hack job and did not play well. In frustration I pulled out my Art Of Saxophone Playing book by Larry Teal and went to the page with a big reed on it and what to adjust. Heck, a reed is a reed right? Using that as my guide I got a great playing oboe reed. When I went to retrieve my oboe reed from Ann she said she was keeping it because it played better than any of hers did, and she gave me one of her rejects in its place. She did agree my reed looked ugly, but played fantastic so she kept it. I got an A. That was the alpha and omega of my reed making venture.
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Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2015-05-24 20:23
Owning, using, and liking both systems, I believe there is marked overlap between the two tools regarding what they will do. Where I find that they differ (and shine) is in the Reed Geek's ability to handle (and create/maintain) flat reed surfaces, and the ATG system curved (or contoured) ones.
This by no means is to say that either system falls short in managing areas of reeds that aren't its forte.
That said, I believe my answer is biased, and concede so, because---and I think this important---I use the Reed Geek in a manner that's cognizant of ATG reed adjusting methods--the ATG system being the one I owned first.
Post Edited (2015-05-24 20:56)
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Author: Ed
Date: 2015-05-26 00:07
The key to it all is knowing what to do to a reed. The beauty in the ATG is not the tools, but that it is methodical and has a plan. Too often a reed does not work and many people just pick a spot and scrape away with little rhyme or reason. You don't need either tool and there are lots of other options one can use, but either works fine if you are comfortable and know what to do.
It is a shame to hear about people who who toss most of their reeds. In my experience, most reeds can be made playable with very little work. Sometimes in a matter a minute or two one can do what is needed. Often making sure the back is flat and a little bit of balancing can make most reeds sing beautifully.
These days there is SO much info out there on various websites and blogs including this board as well as books and articles and videos. There is no excuse not to have at least a basic working knowledge of reeds.
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Author: GLHopkins
Date: 2015-05-27 21:38
I also have a Reed Wizard, and to be honest, I never use it. The ATG does a better job in my estimation. It has really made most of my reed worries go away. I seldom get a reed that I can't make work well enough to be a good practice reed, and most reeds end up to be pretty doggone good.
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