making reeds by hand?
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Players of Oboe, English Horn, and Bassoon are encouraged, and more apt to make their own reeds.
Clarinetists... Very, VERY rarely do we attempt to make our own reeds.
If you want help in this area it would be a good thing to be respectful, and not call the few who possess the reed making know-how derogatory names. They are not "Nuts", but rather accomplished musicians, well versed in the fine art of producing their own double reeds. It's not an easy skill to perfect. Show some respect.
Clarinetists... Very, VERY rarely do we attempt to make our own reeds.
If you want help in this area it would be a good thing to be respectful, and not call the few who possess the reed making know-how derogatory names. They are not "Nuts", but rather accomplished musicians, well versed in the fine art of producing their own double reeds. It's not an easy skill to perfect. Show some respect.
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903 Posts
From my understanding, you would need around 300-500$ of material to try and succed in doing reeds that would be suitable to play. It's important that the reeds be even, with right thickness in the proper places and all that.
Well, it's not for me, that's for sure.
Well, it's not for me, that's for sure.
In the opening pages of Lazarus Method for Clarinet book there are detailed instructions on how to make reeds. I don't think there's any difference in method between making a clarinet reed and a saxophone reed.
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43,582 Posts
there are threads about this
https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?119044-Making-Your-Own-Sax-Reeds-The-Savior
https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?163723-Making-clarinet-reeds
https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?340769-DIY-sax-reeds
In Germany ( but you will see also elsewhere in England) there are brands which will sell you expensive machinery, you can then buy blanks from lots of makers, for example Rigotti.
Clarinet or sax reeds the process is almost the same
https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?119044-Making-Your-Own-Sax-Reeds-The-Savior
https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?163723-Making-clarinet-reeds
https://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?340769-DIY-sax-reeds
In Germany ( but you will see also elsewhere in England) there are brands which will sell you expensive machinery, you can then buy blanks from lots of makers, for example Rigotti.
Clarinet or sax reeds the process is almost the same
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480 Posts
I have no experience with sax/clarinet reeds etc, but I've made bagpipe reeds in the past. It's satisfying when they work but it made me realize that it's a real skill to make reeds and I don't feel as bad paying for them now For me, I just felt I didn't have the time necessary to devote to learning/perfecting the craft. Still, I encourage anyone to try something new... I enjoyed listening to music and making reeds over a nice cup of coffee. Was peaceful.
For me, I just felt I didn't have the time necessary to devote to learning/perfecting the craft. Still, I encourage anyone to try something new... I enjoyed listening to music and making reeds over a nice cup of coffee. Was peaceful.
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1,830 Posts
Last week I foolishly grabbed my stiffly-inserted chanter reed by the end and it became unwound. Now I'm looking at videos on how to re-wind it. It's a synthetic reed, but I've considered making my own as well, just for the experience.I have no experience with sax/clarinet reeds etc, but I've made bagpipe reeds in the past. It's satisfying when they work but it made me realize that it's a real skill to make reeds and I don't feel as bad paying for them now
At one music store I visited, they have a selection of oboe reeds, some of which are made by local oboe playing artisans.
i can't say that i make my reeds by "hand", but i make my own reeds. and yes, i played oboe/english horn for 25 years, before i realized that it was teaching me not to breathe. now i play trombone, tuba, flutes and soprano sax, with a dead bari, slowly coming back to life.
i got into it carving the reeds that fought back too hard, straight out of the box. i started by using my doublereeds reed knife but quickly realized i needed something else, on a single reed. now i use a very slightly modified trim router with a die grinder round stone burr, to make my initial cuts, down the sides. from there i use a die grinder cylindrical stone burr in a handle, to clean up the transition between the scalloped edges, i cut with the router, and the factory tip.
what my reeds look like is what a single blade of an american cut doublereed would look like if flattened. the flat cuts of the doublereed become scalloped cuts on the single reed.
these days i recut all of my reeds, straight out of the box. i prefer my recut reeds. they play better. i am totally surprised by the occasional reed that doesn't play great. and i like my tone.
i've tried twice to interest a reed manufacturer in trying some samples, for free, but they evidently can't be bothered. i'm a retired electrical engineer. it's not as if i'm going to go into the reed business, to compete with them. but it's disheartening to think that what i've come up with will never help anyone else to play easily and with nice tone.
i even tried a reed straight out of the box, today. it played all right. but it took so much work to get it to play that my embouchure was shot in half an hour. i usually practice about three hours; one of the benefits of being retired.
i got into it carving the reeds that fought back too hard, straight out of the box. i started by using my doublereeds reed knife but quickly realized i needed something else, on a single reed. now i use a very slightly modified trim router with a die grinder round stone burr, to make my initial cuts, down the sides. from there i use a die grinder cylindrical stone burr in a handle, to clean up the transition between the scalloped edges, i cut with the router, and the factory tip.
what my reeds look like is what a single blade of an american cut doublereed would look like if flattened. the flat cuts of the doublereed become scalloped cuts on the single reed.
these days i recut all of my reeds, straight out of the box. i prefer my recut reeds. they play better. i am totally surprised by the occasional reed that doesn't play great. and i like my tone.
i've tried twice to interest a reed manufacturer in trying some samples, for free, but they evidently can't be bothered. i'm a retired electrical engineer. it's not as if i'm going to go into the reed business, to compete with them. but it's disheartening to think that what i've come up with will never help anyone else to play easily and with nice tone.
i even tried a reed straight out of the box, today. it played all right. but it took so much work to get it to play that my embouchure was shot in half an hour. i usually practice about three hours; one of the benefits of being retired.
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