Author: OboeCraig
Date: 2012-03-28 03:52
This is always a good topic for discussion. It is something I think about a lot as I make reeds.
One consideration is determining what a particular piece or batch of cane tends to do.
Some cane likes to vibrate and needs to be a little restrained while other cane might need a little encouragement to speak easily.
One of my favorite teachers taught in terms of those two extremes.
I find the more resistant cane works best in a shorter overall reed (American scrape), so 67.5 68 mm on a 46mm staple.
Softer, more porous cane tends to do that for me. Still, I can get some decent lower % of public-worthy reeds from that sort of cane.
I prefer harder, denser cane overall, and then a slightly longer finished reed. 68 -69.5 mm overall.
Then for tone Vs. response, tone is last on a list of 4 -5 characteristics I test and adjust for.
Tone = last... the pass fail test; after pitch, response, dynamic range, 'expressiveness', ...then tone. And there is a range of acceptable for all parameters except pitch. NO compromise there.
But in the past couple years once other things are right and I think I need to adjust for tone, the final test has become responsiveness.
A teeter-totter between tone and responsiveness tends to characterize the last few rounds of very slight adjustments.
And if you have seen Weber's advice to 'dust' certain areas for final adjustments, take it literally. It is an amazingly small amount of cane that makes the difference and dials in the reeds.
If you have not seen his book... buy it.
I cannot use his particular measurements w/o a device to measure but the relative thicknesses mean something to me. Taper , taper to the tip. And the reed adjustment advice is the best I have seen.
It seems like an exaggeration to make a point, but take it literally... the slightest possible tip clipping, the dusting of the heart or blend areas. Dusting = as little cane as possible taken off... just polish the cane fibers.
I saw a quote from Elaine Duvas saying something like, 'I used to think response was important. Now I think it is everything.'
And take that as the final test once other things, including tone, are w/in acceptable ranges.
Post Edited (2012-03-28 03:57)
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