 The Oboe BBoard
|
Author: mjfoboe
Date: 2013-10-07 13:56
Hi,
I would like to know your strategies used to control the opening of a tied reed.
I am frustrated when I have good reed; although sharp because of a small reed opening.
I know people use tie length, tube bending, tube cane diameter, wire etc............ to help control reed openings.
What is your strategy? Insights? Experiences?
Suggestions?
Mark
Post Edited (2013-10-07 13:57)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: WoodwindOz
Date: 2013-10-07 14:39
I use wire, but I make exclusively short scrape reeds. I use 26 gauge and wrap twice about 4mm above the thread.
I have heard that some long scrape makers are beginning to use wire after manufacture/during shipping to 'train' the opening to stay wider. I offered this advice to a couple of younger reedmakers when I was at Illinois and it seemed to work, at least for the first few uses after the wire was removed. The best way to achieve this, although it is no permanent solution, is to soak the reed, apply the wire, set the opening and leave to dry before attempting to play it/remove the wire.
A smaller diameter tube will give a wider opening...if closing reeds/too small an opening is a regular occurrence, you may want to consider going down 0.5mm diameter in your cane selection.
I suspect, although I haven't tested this theory, that if your wrap comes to a level lower than the end of the tube, the reed would be more likely to lay flat/closed.
Sometimes I am extremely grateful that I a) live in a relatively consistent climate and b) play on a reed style that can rely on wire without controversy if needed!
Rachel
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Oboelips
Date: 2013-10-07 15:54
For me, I find that the tube diameter determines the opening. The smaller the tube, the larger the opening. Typically, cane just under 10.5 gives me the opening I like, so I buy 10-10.5 diameter tube cane, and stay away from larger diameters.
Those who gouge have this opportunity to control this. If you buy gouged cane, perhaps you could ask for smaller diameter cane to facilitate a better opening?
Oboefully,
Deb
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: darryoboe
Date: 2013-10-07 20:09
Dan Ross, the manufacturer of Ross gouging machines showed me a little trick many years ago:
You can make the opening more closed by thinning the ENDS of the cane slightly after shaping and before tying the reed (yes, I'm referring to the end that gets covered with thread once you tie the reed).
I usually experiment when trying a new shipment of cane to see exactly how much or how little I need to adjust to get exactly the opening I want. I've found that some cane needs NO thinning on the ends while other cane needs quite a bit to get the opening I like...... I always buy the same diameter.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: mjfoboe
Date: 2013-10-07 20:32
Well thank you!
I do thin the ends of the cane before I tie my reeds!
I didn't realize that could contribute to a smaller opening.
Next time I'll tie without thinning the ends and see what happens.
Mark
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Wes
Date: 2013-10-08 06:57
Thank you for the information on thinning the small end of the shaped cane to close the opening. I'll try it soon. I have also left reeds overnight with paper clips on them. In addition, I've wired with #26 wire, two turns at 2mm above the thread and squeezed the opening more closed. However, I prefer not to wire as it seems to make the sound a bit brighter.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: jhoyla
Date: 2013-10-08 11:18
Everything that has been mentioned above will affect the opening. Is your persistent problem reeds that are too open, or too closed? I find that wiring can help close a reed if it is too open (try the paper-clip trick first) but it is hard to wire a reed open.
Regarding scraping bark under the thread; the two or three wraps of thread closest to the end of the staple have the most effect on the opening. You'll have to remove a lot of bark (especially high up, along the edges of the cane) before this changes the opening significantly, I would think.
The shape of the oval at the tip will also affect the opening. you can try adjusting this on a well-soaked finished reed by poking round tools (e.g. a .5 mm crochet hook) up the staple, used in conjunction with flat-bladed snipe-nosed pliers on the thread (I think David Webber has a home-made "proctology kit" he uses for adjustments of this nature - Cooper may remember). Similarly, Evelyn Rothwell in her reedmaking book (ref. 56 (d)) describes a technique where you squeeze the staple "shut" a few millimeters back from staple opening, which "levers" the reed open a little more.
The width of your shape will also affect opening - if you have a very wide shape it will have a large opening initially, but should soften up quickly with playing - perhaps too quickly for you. A narrow shape will not have such a wide opening but may be very resilient to change.
One last comment. Your embouchure should be firm but gentle, without biting. If you bite your reeds they won't last long (and your tone will suffer). Aim to just seal around the reed without any downwards pressure. This will help your reeds last a long time.
Post Edited (2013-10-08 11:25)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: JRC
Date: 2013-10-08 13:27
I am not sure it would help anyone but I have been handling too-open or too-closed reeds as follows:
Too open: I use paper clip trick. I soak the reed in usual manner. Then clip it. Sometimes I clip it closer to the tube and sometimes closer to tip depending on how severe the problem. I sometimes leave it clipped over night until fully dried sometimes only few few minutes before playing. Sometimes I fully soak it and sometimes less before clipping. Over the years, I developed feels which way to handle it.
Too closed: This is usually a worse problem than too-open reeds. I over soak the reed for overnight and even longer all the way to near the cork, then dry them completely in open air. Then it will become usually too-open. I dip only the tip of the reed in, maybe, 1/4 in deep water. It takes a "long" time to soak the reed to my liking but it will not be too-closed.
These tricks worked for me. Sometimes it take a few tries to get it just right but I almost always have been able to fix the problem.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: huboboe
Date: 2013-10-09 00:00
Just remember that any changes you inflict on the tube will continue in the future and if you do this frequently your tubes will be different, making one more level of inconsistency in your reed making.
I've always felt that the greatest level of consistency possible is an exceedingly important part of reed making - I'll only change a tube in the direst emergency, after which I discard it.
I brought my mandrel to Forrest's Music years ago and sat down with a big box of tubes, selecting only the ones which fit my mandrel perfectly. I bought 100 (they were cheaper then) and still have more than half of them...
Robert Hubbard
WestwindDoubleReed.com
1-888-579-6020
bob@westwinddoublereed.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: jhoyla
Date: 2013-10-09 06:22
@Robert, I completely agree - I forgot to mention that you throw the tube away once the reed dies.
The tube-squeezing technique is only for that specific case - you have a great reed that is too closed, and you need it to work NOW.
I have tried in the past to straighten squished tubes but with little success. If you force the mandrel all the way in you generally widen it beyond its original specifications, or you may even split the tube. Easier to throw it away.
Thanks for pointing this out!
J.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
