 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: jhoyla
Date: 2015-02-15 23:17
All of the following is just my opinion - I am sure that other players will have different experiences and I hope they share them.
I only make reeds for myself. Occasionally I give reeds to colleagues who are very kind and praise them, but I am essentially a reedmaker with a clientèle of one. I don't own a gouger but I purchase gouged cane in batches of 30 - 50 pcs from the most consistent supplier I can find. I have always bought cane this way.
I live in a temperate Mediterranean climate and so don't have extremes of winter or elevation to contend with.
I haven't used soft cane for well over a decade. Reeds made from soft cane were unpredictable and would close up at critical moments. Surprisingly, they were no easier to play than reeds made from med-hard / hard cane! Again - this is entirely subjective.
I find it easier to make reeds from medium cane (the tolerances are greater) , but my best reeds, consistently, come from medium-hard and hard cane. They have the greatest dynamic range, the longest usable life and the best stability. They are also harder to make, are more expensive, have greatest "wastage" (e.g., crack during processing), take longer to play in and have a tendency to flatness that I have still not entirely resolved.
Nevertheless, I will never go back to soft cane if I can help it.
J.
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mjfoboe |
2015-02-15 10:07 |
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jhoyla |
2015-02-15 23:17 |
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cjwright |
2015-02-16 07:57 |
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The Clarinet Pages
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