[Frosch1972]

Hello,

I have a question about this reeds.

Is there only a difference on the end of the reed ore is the complete reed cut different?

I ask because of the filed cut reed (Rico Select) feels so much harder than the unfiled.


Thank you.

Regards

M.

 

[Tzadik]

Among the D'Addario Jazz Select, the only difference between the filed and the unfiled are the "cut".

The "filed" ones (having less material at the end of the vamp) are a little bit more flexible in that area.

On mouthpieces with a very long facings... the "filed" ones may be too flexible and that leads to an un proper bending of the reed over the facing.
The result is that... by just putting your lips on the mouthpiece, the reed is already bent over the mouthpiece facing and this means the "real tip opening" will be at least a number more closed with a reed that is (not only virtually) too soft.

You may find an annoying resistance and the sound kind of on/off.


Yours may be the case you are using a too soft reed.


If the reed is too soft... there is no space for the air to pass into the mouthpiece/horn.
If the reed is too stiff... you need to much pressure to get a sound and still feel a kind of "breath" in the sound, which is not always good to hear.

So you need a proper stiffness... not too soft, not to stiff/hard.

 

[turf3]

If you are talking about the practice of cutting off the bark straight across instead of letting it run up to the scrape, that BY ITSELF should have no effect on the reed's behavior. That area is against the flat part of the MP table, so "flexibility" is of no meaning.. I will bet that there are other differences in the reed cut or the selection of the cane that are responsible for differences in response.

 

[Tzadik]

That area is against the flat part of the MP table, so "flexibility" is of no meaning...

Not true... from a simple mechanical perspective.

Remember reeds are made out of fibrous material (wood)... despite the cut is near the breaking point of the facing, the effect on the bending properties are definitely not invisible.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bending
And check what happens to stacked layer/fibers when a bending is involved.

 

[buddy lee]

For a shorter facing, where I'd be having issues with the lower register speaking, would filed reeds provide an advantage in that area?

 

[Tzadik]

That's not predictable... you need to experiment.

On D'Addario Select Jazz reeds (that's the commercial name) you have three degrees for the thickness of the tip... both for the "filed" and the "unfiled".

 

[buddy lee]

I'm wondering, mainly because the middle and high octaves speak very well and without resistance but the lower register (from E downward) is a lot to push against, almost too much. I don't want to drop a 1/2 strength just to make that easier, and lose the thick middle/high register.

 

[Tzadik]

It may be a tad too soft...

If the reed is so soft to close on the facing (kind of popping), the low register is the the main part of the horn range affected (... negatively).

Then check out the facing... some short facing mouthpiece (think Lebayle HR pieces) may have a horrible facing...

 

[buddy lee]

It may be a tad too soft...

If the reed is so soft to close on the facing (kind of popping), the low register is the the main part of the horn range affected (... negatively).

Then check out the facing... some short facing mouthpiece (think Lebayle HR pieces) may have a horrible facing...

I actually may do that, because it also has a tendency to "squeak" from time to time (and it's the only piece I have that does so). Tonally it's right where I want it to be though, so I don't want any changes made that would affect that part of it...

 

[swperry1]

I’m terrible at adjusting reeds, but the one thing I can do sometimes is release the low end a little bit by scraping a little bark away in the area where a filed reed is bare. Definitely don’t take off nearly that much though.