The Oboe BBoard

The Oboe BBoard The C4 standard

New Topic | Go to Top | Go to Topic | Search | Help/Rules | Smileys/Notes | Log In

Re: Density machine!?!

Author: oboedrew
Date: 2010-07-30 22:31

jamesoboe wrote:

> thanks for your input. On the face of it you're
> absolutely right. One should be able to make the
> needed adjustments to deal with each piece of cane as
> one goes along. I wonder though, as someone, such
> as yourself- a professional reed-maker- whether you
> know that your optimum results come from a
> narrower range of preferred tube canes, rather than
> instinctively adjusting to each and every reed,
> regardless of whether it is deemed hard, medium, or
> soft?

I do have a preference for "soft" cane. But I find there's a lot of variation in hardness/density/texture from one piece to another even within a single crop from a single grower. I used to search endlessly for cane that was "just right." But nowadays I accept a certain (inevitable?) amount of inconsistency in my cane and gouge. It's a shift in outlook: instead of searching for cane that works, I just MAKE it work. And I became a much more consistent reedmaker when I adopted that approach.

But I think certain scrapes are inherently more adaptable. This is the risky portion of my post. I reeeeeally don't want to start one of those ridiculous long-scrape vs short-scrape debates! Both have their pros and cons. But, generally speaking, I think leaving more bark on a reed leaves you more at the mercy of your cane and gouge. I tell my students (only half jokingly), "Bark is the devil!" Because when the bark is mostly removed, there's more scrapable surface. And more scrapable surface means more options to vary the scrape. Also, it's easier to manipulate the opening of a reed with less bark. Mine typically have less than 2mm of bark at the back, and the rails are extremely thin. I think that sort of scrape helps me adapt to different cane, gouges, etc. I know some oboists with traditional American "long" scrapes that are considerably shorter (the scrape, that is; not the actual reed length), with more bark at the back and thicker rails, and I think they're generally more dependent on their cane and gouge. I imagine the same is true of short scrapes. Anyway, that was my experience when I experimented with them. So perhaps those density/hardness testers are more useful for other sorts of reeds.

Cheers,
Drew

www.oboedrew.com

Reply To Message | Avail. Forums | Flat View

Newer Topic | Older Topic

Topics