How many ways to make a bassoon reed? As many as players, probably.- Who does not profit by shared experience? - very few lucky bassoonists. I'm sure. This column should eventually be a very filled-out one. And many ideas, though not equally "needed" or even successful, should prove interesting to try and might make our reeds even more longlasting and supple to our wishes. In future issues I hope to include some word about recent developments in plastics. And Mr. Sol Schoenbach, of Philadelphia fame, has offered a translated from Russian treatise on making bassoon reeds like English Horn reeds or with metal staple.
Edouard Flament. From Exercices Techniques pour le Bassoon (Evette & Schaetfer 191'). Now Leduc- Paris). "We have always found it better not to use our reeds until four years after buying same: in this manner the reed cane is much drier. and is seldom found spongy. This is not absolutely necessary but nevertheless it gives excellent results by evading the loss of time occasioned by new reeds of which the reed cane is often still Œgreen¹"
George Zukerman and John Bulmer. Bassoonists Vancouver British Columbia. Canada. Make a very useful sanding stick for polishing reeds by covering the end of an ignition point file (small flat straight-ended file) with several strips of medium tine or fine (wet-or-dry) sandpaper. Attach with rubber bands, pipe cleaners or similar and remove one strip at a time when used.
Sol Roberts. Maker of ReeDuAIl sanding profiler " . . . grab wire No. 9 with pliers and pull away from reed; this will tighten wire around reed. Now, still gripping wire in the pliers, move your left and right hands in counter motion, causing the wire encircling the reed to slide around the reed to and fro. This action will produce a well-formed round shape to the throat of the reed tube section."