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Re: Scaping question...

Author: d-oboe
Date: 2006-01-16 12:39

If it's any help, the back is the least important part of the reed.

It's more important to get the tip right first. Make sure that the end of the tip is *REALLY* the thinnest part otherwise your reed will NOT work. This requires that all scrapes done in the tip area go right off the end of the reed, onto the plaque.
In conjunction with making the tip, make sure that it blends smoothly into the heart. It should be a smooth hill: not a cliff! The best advice I can give you for achieving this is:
-Don't seperate the tip from the heart too soon. The separation actually reduces vibration - only do it when you feel the reed is really vibrating well.
-Scrape around the end & edges of the tip *more* often, and the back of the tip (near the heart) *less* often.
-Make sure your knife has a very refined edge. It should glide smoothly over the reed, while removing wood ONLY where you want it to. If not, start sharpening.

The only thing to worry about after perfecting that is....

making sure that the top of the back (right underneath the heart) is the thinnest part (relatively...it *shouldn't* be as thin as the tip!) and that it gets progressively thicker towards the string.
Also, make sure there is no bark left on the heart.

Obviously, there is more to it than that, and you will get a feel for it after making a hefty number of reeds. It usually involves making upwards of one thousand reeds to really know what you're doing. However, if it's any consolation, I got my first playable reed after the first 10.