 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: myoboe
Date: 2009-04-13 15:03
I bought some European scraped reeds at a time before I know much about oboe reeds. Since I now realise I should use American scraped reeds for my oboe, is it possible to modify the European scraped reed to American style ? The European reeds are medium type which are too hard for me anyhow, so need to be scraped down, can the scraping follow the American style ?
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Author: HautboisJJ
Date: 2009-04-13 15:21
That is not quite plausible, because the gouge of the short scrape that you have is probably to thin to allow the back to be taken off so much. There is no 'this oboe' can only play American scrape reeds...well...i am sure you meant you want to play American scrape reeds in a long term run. I have seen Hansjorg Schellenberger trying to make a short scrape reed long and it was pretty successful too, he leaves a thick trail in the middle so that the octaves would not fall. Perhaps it's not such a good idea to try it on those reeds that you have since you don't know how they were made or constructed anyways. (And whether they are actually good or not in its original form?)
Howard
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Author: vboboe
Date: 2009-04-13 15:52
... odds not in favour, as the american style depends on having thicker wood in the general zone 60-65mm measured on the sides or 60-67mm measured along the mid-line (measurements from bottom of tube)
are your Euro reeds short scrape or long scrape?
short = outer shiny bark is still on below midway length of cane to thread
long = cane scraped all its length except a few mm above the thread
short scrape style is tempting as a candidate for conversion, but note that the thinned & graded area is usually about 10mm long, measured down the cane from the tip end down the mid-line, and this style has already thinned the same area which american scrape favours for the heart and especially the spine
would make more sense to adjust reeds which are too hard for you in the same style they're originally made
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Author: Alphons
Date: 2009-04-13 17:20
No way you can alter a short scrape reed into a long scrape.
The first has a gouge diameter of about 0.59 and the second about 0.68.
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Author: oboedrew
Date: 2009-04-15 23:46
Here in the US, long scrape reeds are typically made with a gouge thickness of .58mm to .60mm down the center. I don't think I've ever met an American oboist using a gouge thicker than .62mm down the center.
It is definitely possible to convert some types of short scrape reeds into some types of long scrape reeds. Remember that long scrape reeds evolved out of short scrape reeds. Some reedmakers still start their long scrape reeds as short scrapes, only scraping the back once the tip is finished.
Cheers,
Drew
www.oboedrew.com
Post Edited (2009-04-15 23:51)
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Author: GoodWinds ★2017
Date: 2009-04-16 00:49
I'm all for trying. You'll probably end up with shorter (than standard) reeds, but it's worth a shot. Just don't take too much out of the back!!!
GoodWinds
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Author: myoboe
Date: 2009-04-16 15:51
Thankyou all for your responses, I really am not in a position to make any adjustment myself as I am just a beginner. My teacher scrapes for me in the American style so I know very little about the European style. Since I bought some rather expensive European scrape reeds, I thought I would ask just to see if they can be of some use to me. I think I may put them away until such time I am advanced enough to use them.
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