A Handbook on Making Double Reeds for Early Winds, by Keith Loraine. Musica Sacra et Profana, P.O. Box 7248, Berkeley, CA 94707, -- USA (price unknown).
There has been a tremendous interest growing in renaissance and baroque instruments since the 1960s. Since that time, players of racketts, sordunes, rauschpfeifes, and other assorted detritus of music history have been making their reeds by the time-honored process of trial-and-error. Keith Loraine attempts to change all that in this 49-page book.
Mr. Loraine leads the novice and experienced reed maker alike through a logical program designed to teach the concepts of reedmaking for all old instruments from krummhorn to baroque bassoon and oboe. Starting with a list of tools, supplies, and equipment, he lays out the step-by-step process of profiling, shaping, wrapping, and scraping the reed.
This book teaches you everything you ever wanted to know, and more. You will be able to make your own shaper for any instrument. It is doubtful that the ancients were as scientific as we are now, but we are living in an age of multi-million dollar recording contracts and world tours. The stakes are just too high for guesswork.
This book is a must for any serious "original" instrumentalist. This reviewer questions one category listed in the book, though: does anyone really play a Moeck baroque bassoon (A 440)?