The Oboe BBoard
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Author: jhoyla
Date: 2012-01-23 05:13
The bore of your instrument, the shape and gauge of the cane AND the shape/length of your staples are a delicate balance. If you are going to experiment, please change only one of the above at a time, make and play several reeds over a long period of time; and then, please let us know what you have discovered?
A good friend gave me a couple of Frank & Meyer narrow bore 47 mm staples to play with, but I didn't experiment scientifically enough to draw any real conclusions. My initial feelings regarding intonation were that there was a slight improvement in the notorious E-F# range for my Loree C - model, and the tone was surprisingly full. But I am not at all sure this is repeatable - YMMV, MCN*.
Regarding the loose-fit of the staple. Evelyn Rothwell makes the "naked flame" suggestion in her reed-making manual - ".. As a more lasting and more drastic measure, moisten the cork well and turn it around near a low flame (a lighted match is good) until the gentle heat causes the damp cork to swell a little."
If this is a persistent problem on your oboe you should probably move to the O-ring type of staple - Thomas Nissen or Chudnow. These don't have any problem sealing, and Thomas Nissen even provides varying thicknesses of O-ring to suit even the widest reed-well. How many do you need? twelve? twenty? It's not a big outlay and they last, more or less, for ever. Invest now - once you've decided on your standard length and shape of tube, of course
J.
* your mileage may vary, may contain nuts
Post Edited (2012-01-23 05:39)
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WoodwindOz |
2012-01-23 03:04 |
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jhoyla |
2012-01-23 05:13 |
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JRC |
2012-01-23 19:09 |
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The Clarinet Pages
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