About two and a half years ago I first heard of this motordriven reed duplicator, which is made by RABCO of North Miami, Florida. Some professional clarinetists frustrated by a recent increase in the price of VanDoren reeds in the U.S., were using the ReeDuAI to copy their good reeds and standardize the cut of their commercially purchased reeds.
I immediately saw the advantage of this machine for single reeds. Not only can a player copy the exact conformation of a successful model (thicker or thinner if desired), he can also test the reed and return it immediately to the machine if too much resistance is met. By using a strip of shopping bag paper in place of the sanding strip a high polish can be imparted to the finished reed. And slightly damaged tips can be negated by first trimming back the tip length and then recutting the lay on a slightly shorter length reed.
At first I thought the machine impractical for our more complex curved profile. But after experimenting with one or two machines and then learning of Bernard Garfield's pleasure with his ReeDuAI (see article), I decided to buy a machine also. I am now convinced that the ReeDuAI is a breakthrough for many bassoonists who 1) wish to make many similar reeds and 2) also wish to maintain or improve overall playing quality.
For many years, Don Christlieb in California has used a motor driven profiler to make really excellent blanks and reeds. These conform accurately to very close tolerances, being cut with high-speed metal blades. At the present, I feel that the ReeDuAI will not be as "perfect" in measurement for each reed (or reed blade). The reason for this is variation in manually passing the reed onto the sanding wheel and some compression of the cane by the machine. The difference is very slight however, and I consider it unimportant. Cane variance in a single stick plus tube forming always add resistances to balanced vibration.
The big advantage of the ReeDuAI, to my thinking, is not having to commit any one model of profile to a metal cam or guide. A bassoonist using this machine can employ any reed of his choosing, can change his model for every reed if he wishes, and can vary the cut on a given reed by adjusting the tracer head forward or back during the cutting process. For example, a thicker tip or thinner back can be "programmed" by stopping short of the area to be altered, moving the tracer, and continuing. Special models could be constructed from any soft or hard material (although previously used reeds work very well for me). Also if a student is successfully using a reed model not suitable to the teacher's preferred breath pressure, etc., the student's reed can be copied in a very short time and he will not have to undergo a long break-in period.
The machine is available in three different versions for bassoonists: I) For bassoon reeds only (cutting each blade individually) $158.00 plus $3.00 postage; 2) For bassoon reeds only, but one side prepared as above, and the other side set up to profile blades at one long sweep - $ 173.00 plus the postage; and 3) For all single reeds and bassoon reeds by individual blades (as in 1). 4). $170.00 plus postage. The company offers a 21-day free trial period. You can contact them for information on this.
During the month of August, 1969, I will be travelling to England and Scotland and will take along my ReeDuAI as a sample to demonstrate to any players there who may be interested in the machine. I can be contacted through William Waterhouse or Mrs. Deirdre Dundas-Grant, whose address in London is 24 Dora Road, Wimbledon. S.W. 19. The dates are August 9th to 29th.
The RABCO firm also offers hand reed tools and an unusual kit for the making of self-sealing plastic pads for all woodwind instruments. The price of this kit with instructions is $15.00, and the name is FORMASEAL. Perhaps we will have an article on its characteristics and advantages in another newsletter.
Address of the company is: Mr. Sol Roberts, RABCO Products, P.O. Box 782, North Miami, Florida 33161, Telephone (305) 9474540.