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Re: Gougers

Author: cjwright
Date: 2010-07-10 03:40

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1. It is likely I will use the gouger for the long term, not just to get started but to learn and improve on my gouging knowledge.

2. Like Robin, I am a compulsive tinkerer, not afraid to take it apart and improve on it, only after I have mastered the basics of using the gouger, though.

Then I would not suggest a single radius gouging machine such as a Ross or and RDG which you can't really adjust or change other than what it comes as. If you can find an old graf machine, they usually go from $500-$800 depending on the condition. There's a lot of variables and tinkering you can do with these machines.

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3. For a start i will use 0.58 -0.62 gouge. It is unlikely I will go thicker gouge for a start, so as to reduce my variables. Scraping to make it vibrant does take a heck of a long time, but I believe the sound produced by scraping comes out much better with the slow and steady strokes.

In the gouging world, these numbers mean very little. I could give you five gouges with exactly those numbers and they would all feel starkly different. The important thing is the curve and ratio of decay as it tapers out to the sides. The curve shape is more important than numbers of thickness.

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4. Doesnt the opening depend on the diameter of the cane ? The larger the diameter of the cane will give a bigger arc length and makes the opening smaller. For the start, I will just do a standard diameter and a medium opening. I dont particularly like a small opening, makes the sound soft and will not project well.

The diameter of the cane effects the size of the opening very little compared to the curve of the blade, and the ratio of the sides to center thickness. I can gouge 11.5 or even 12.0 mm cane on a very open gouge and it would still feel very open. What a larger diameter would effect more is if the diameter is too big for the bed, the piece of cane won't sit all the way flat, and therefore would gouge thin.

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5. Likely, to start with something that would fit my Nagamatsu #1 shaper.

A wider shape. You need to make sure to have a gouge that is thick enough on the sides.

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6. Customer service ? Europe is probably terrible with customer service, from experience, unless you attempt to communicate in THEIR native language. Even that is hell of a job to get them to do what you want them to do.

Udo Heng offers pretty good customer service. I'm not sure who's making the Kunibert Michel copy, (Kunibert stopped making them a while ago,), but I would assume Udo is making it as well.

RDG services their machines quickly. Dan Ross does a good job servicing his machines. Robin, well, is a busy man.

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7. The gouger doesnt have to be neccessarily the cheapest, but one that will do the job as described above and allow me some flexibility to at the very least, change the thickess of the gouge.

Like I said, I think the ideal first step would be to just get a cheap old graf machine and start with that. When you get more experienced with gouging, blade curves, etc, you can buy cane gouged on other machines to get a sense of different curves out there, and go from there. Robin Driscoll has a great machine which is can be adjusted easily, however he teaches at a university, performs in a professional symphony, and does the gouging machine business, so he's so darn busy, it's hard to get a machine from him, not to mention getting it serviced.

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I agree and see your point about getting a pre-gouger. I believe there are no short cuts to making good reeds. From your post, I take it you can make do with a good gouger to slowly gouge down to get the thickness down to what you want, is this right ?

This correct.

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Everyone has covered all the brands except the Gilbert, and I am wondering if you, Robin and others have comments about the Gilbert. I would love to hear it.

Thx for the comments and inputs. I have found them very valuable in evaluating and gathering info for what I need to do.

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