Author: d-oboe
Date: 2004-07-08 02:49
I try not to let the fact that "harder reeds last longer" affect how I scrape a reed, or if one buys them affect what strength one buys.
When I take a blank, I don't like to waste too much time scraping down little by little each day, because then if one day it cracks, or doesn't seal, or slip right, or whatever, it is very disappointing. What I do, is I tie on the reed, and scrape it right down to an *almost* finished reed, and leave it to sit and dry out for a day or two. From there, I adjust the reed to make it playable. In any event, what I do agree on, is that if I try to make a finished reed right from the blank, they don't last very long at all, but If I get it scraped down to the point where not much more adjusting is needed, and then finish up later then they last fine.
Also, I find that the length of time a piece of cane lasts is directly dependant on the cane itself. If you've ever run into pale looking cane, this stuff doesn't tend to last very long, but the more "pigmented" stuff does. And, Susan, if you don't especially find the desire to make reeds yourself, then I'd suggest maybe finding a good teacher or oboist who might sell you theirs. Storebought reeds really are crap, let's face it.
D-oboe
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