TOday, I had teh chance to make make my own reeds and I really enjoyed. by suprise, my reed worked. (i shaped it, wired it, bound it and scraped it). Should I carry on making my own reeds? Do any other double reed people make their own reeds?

No, never tried; heard it was too much trouble. I just buy good reeds when I need them.

Well done for your effots though - have you got your own kit?

it always sounds rather complicated to me, but then again rather fun. single reeds seem a little dull by comparison

It would be really handy if you moved away and couldn't find anyone in your new town to make reeds for you!
I wish I had when I'd ahd the chance, the factory reedds are a bit hit and miss

QUOTE (Catrin @ Jan 24 2005, 01:42 PM)

the factory reedds are a bit hit and miss

Yes I find that. Which reeds do you use?

QUOTE (Emma C @ Jan 23 2005, 07:26 PM)

Well done for your effots though - have you got your own kit?

No. BNot yet. But, I had teh chance to borrow the tolls.

I have finished scraping the reed and it is just like some reeds which I brought in the shop.

The initial outlay for the equipment is the most expensive part of reed making.

I have a friend who makes his own oboe reeds, but I guess the following would also apply for bassoon. The most expensive piece of kit is the gouger, which literally digs out the main central part of the cane. Brand new (for oboe) gougers cost in excess of £1000, although it's possible to pick them up for about £500 second-hand, providing you know exactly what type of gouger you're looking for. Gougers also take quite a bit of getting used to - it's easy to chop out too much of the cane.

All the other bits like, cane splitters, cutting blocks, shapers, easels and tip trimmers, etc. cost a lot less, but still aren't cheap. Even a good quality reed knife will set you back £40, but it will last a lifetime if cared for properly.

I play the oboe myself and my initial steps into reed making have been through purchasing pre-gouged and shaped cane to tie onto the staples and scrape down. A similar route might be a good way to start out with bassoon reeds too.

QUOTE (AmandaL @ Jan 24 2005, 11:46 PM)

I play the oboe myself and my initial steps into reed making have been through purchasing pre-gouged and shaped cane to tie onto the staples and scrape down. A similar route might be a good way to start out with bassoon reeds too.

I was thinking of buying a kit from Howarth's. The includes enough cane to make make 10 reeds, so, I was thinking that would be a good way of starting to make reeds. It also worked out cheaper to but the cane already pre-gouged, profiled and shaped.

If you've got the time and the patience to perfect the type of reed you want, then making your own is a great idea and saves you a lot of money too.

I can make my own and, when I have time, I do. However, at present, time is at a premium so I'm afraid, at least where my pupils are concerned, I buy ready made or re-canes (which are cheaper for the Oboist) for them.

That said, I do teach my older pupils how to make their own reeds and every pupil how to care for bought ones. I think it's part of being a double-reed player that you should know how. Owning your own kit is a really good thing to do though I've never gone as far as owning a gouging machine (but I do have a shaper).

Best of luck with the reed making.

QUOTE

I was thinking of buying a kit from Howarth's. The includes enough cane to make make 10 reeds, so, I was thinking that would be a good way of starting to make reeds. It also worked out cheaper to but the cane already pre-gouged, profiled and shaped.

Looks as though you've done some research into it already.

Good luck

Make reeds?? Nitemare. But I'd like ta try.

I know a place that does mail order reeds on trial
There's a really big selection of different scrapes, strengths, thicknesses, responsive and resistant reeds at a really reasonable price too.
Bear in mind though, that reeds are made from a natural material which does vary, no two reeds are ever going to be exactly the same and will nearly always need a little adjustment, if only to suit your embochure. Learning how to adjust your reeds is often a good compromise between shop made and home made. You can also get "blank Reeds" where the hard work of binding the reed is done, all you have to do is scrape and seal.
Are there any specific problems that you find with your "factory" reeds?

The problem I have with factory reeds is when I need a reed, they are not in stock

Try this link, they normally have a huge selection in stock and they're sent out normally within 48 hours first class www.britanniamusicshop.co.uk
The only ones that tend to suffer from delays are cor-anglais and baroque/ classical bassoon reeds as they tend to be made to order.

If you can make your own reeds, do so! It will save you money in the long run and it also gives you a much greater freedom to tailor your reeds to your instrument, crook and embouchere.

The only problem is that some of the tools tend to be really expensive, and there is a lot that you need.

The next best thing to your own reed is someone else's hand-made reed. If your teacher makes their own reeds, they are a good source of reeds because they should have a reasonably good idea of what type of reed you need.

If you're reduced to "factory" reed, I've found "La Voz" is a good brand and fairly reliable. They come in a range of "softness/hardness" too, which is handy.

It's a good idea to find a reed-maker and form a relationship so they get to know
the strength and scrape you like and you can talk specially when something isn't quite right.

I've given up on a reed I've been trying to break in the last few days. From the G up in both octaves I can force intonation a tone either side at least! It sounds like a cross between a soprano sax and oboe.

My reed-maker said send it back but I decided to keep it in case I get the urge to play blues oboe for which it would be most suitable!

I would really like to make my own reeds but this is what stopping me:
a]Can't afford the kit to start off with
b]Won't have enough time to make them
c]Won't be good enough
d]I would just go back to buy shop brought reeds

Thanks for the link, but I am a bit dubious (sp) at buying reeds online because of not getting the right reed. That is why I like going into the local music shop because they let you try a couple of the reeds to get the right one.

All the reeds from them are sold on trial so you can try them at home and send back any you don't like. You can also specify to them if you have any specific requirements too. Don't know if it'll make any difference to you, but just thought I'd let you know!