Author: mschmidt
Date: 2007-06-27 16:38
Thanks for the recommendation, Howard. I got a hold of some of the Guercio d12 staples and they really do make a difference! I don't know yet whether they have solved the intonation problems, because I haven't made a real good reed with them yet, but preliminary indications are that the intonation is much more even--the middle c isn't as flat relative to other notes.
But I have a lot of other adjustments to make, now that I'm using these staples. I was taught, many years ago, to tie the cane onto the staple so that it just seals the sides, and not to put the cane any further onto the staple. With this tying practice, however, the narrower top end of these staples means that the blank is maybe two mm longer than what I'm used to. Overall, that's a good thing, because I had lately been frustrated with how far onto the staple I had to tie the cane with the Dunkel staples. (I buy the Dunkel cane with Gilbert -1 N shape.) But I'm going to have to adjust, somehow, because all the reeds I've made so far are on the flat side, even though the relative intonation between notes is better. I can't get a crow above b-flat. Would it be better to ignore the way I was taught and put the cane onto the staple further, or just clip more off the tip? Or is there some other way to bring the pitch up? I suppose with the reed tied on further I'd have more chances to slip the blades....
The timbre of the oboe is quite different with the d12 staples, even to my rather insensitive ear. I think I like it better, but I'm not sure yet. I'm hard pressed to verbalize just how it is different, but it reminds me of the sound of Jirí Krejcí on my Martinu Concerto CD.
Mike
Still an Amateur, but not really middle-aged anymore
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