(Many thanks to Richard Newton, great ex-B.B.C. First Bassoon, for the English translation of this most interesting and stimulating article. Thanks to Sol Schoenbach for suggesting its inclusion here and loaning me his copy. And we all appreciate Nekliudov's great interest in the bassoon and publishing of his ideas). [Ed. note: I have excised some uncritical sections to conserve space. Anyone wanting the complete text or the original Russian text with sketches may write to me and I'll assist in any way possible.]
"The author of this article has gone to much trouble on this question (stable and long-lasting reeds): he has made reeds from various materials (plastic, bone, bamboo, nylon, etc.) hoping to make the "everlasting" reed, but usually nothing has come of it - the reeds sounded bad or gave out no sound at all.
After much pondering, tests and experiments the author decided to alter the construction of the reed, replacing the throat, the part most subject to deformity, by a metal (brass) part. (see figure 27 - original article.)
So was conceived the idea of making bassoon reeds on a metal staple. A twelve-year experience of performing on these reeds has shown that reeds on metal staples are a lot truer and last longer than ordinary ones. The period of service of reeds on metal staples has increased from 20-30 days (for ordinary reeds) to 7-12 months, depending on the quality of the cane.
Thanks to the staple the regulating of the reed also improved This regulating by means of squeezing does not destroy the inner diameter of the throat of the reed and so excludes a change in the timbre and pitch of the instrument, as happens by using pliers on reeds made without a metal staple.
Above all the fact has appeared that in making reeds on staples the risk of splitting canes, prone to this defect, is very much less. Certain professional bassoonists of our country, personal acquaintances of the author, have confirmed from their own experience the superiority of reeds made on metal staples and have been playing on them for some years. Among them I mention V. Gorbacher and F. Lakipof of the Moscow Philharmonic, and D. Kuplikof of Saratov opera and ballet.
The procedure for making reeds on a metal staple is as follows: The pieces of cane, gouged to a predetermined thickness depending upon the quality of the cane, are soaked, shaped on a shape, tied together and dried (on a) clamp. This process is described in detail in "School of Bassoon Playing" by R. Terekhin. The length of the above prepared pieces should be, the author suggests, 41-42 mm. When dried out they are separated and carefully rubbed down on the inside with fine emery paper. In order to make them last longer the author then gives them one or two coats of shellac. When the shellac is dry, the canes are soaked again and put upon the staple, are made even, and are drawn together with two wires so they are airtight. The upper or front wire is placed exactly on the very tip of the tube of the staple and the second wire on the lower part of the cane on the staple. For ease in tightening the wires the staple can be put on a metal rod or mandrel.
After binding, the finished reed can be scraped in the usual manner with a knife or Dutch rush. It is better to scrape a dry reed. The bark of the cane should be taken off at the last moment, immediately after the cane of the reed now on the staple has completely dried out. It is well to cover the throat of the reed with colorless varnish, to seal it hermetically. Moreover the author soaks the finished reed in a solution of "tea soda" [I may soon have a chemical word for the translation of this term. If so I will print it in another issue. -Ed.] for 2 to 3 hours (one teaspoonful of soda to a glass of water). A periodical ablution can be made in this same solution - it removes the deposit which appears inside from constant use.
The end of the crook, for ease in putting on the reed and for making an airtight joint, can be wound with a single wind of cotton reed thread No. 40 and given a coat of glue BF2, warming the glue after its application to dry it quickly. Such a lapping at the end of the crook will last a long time.
Generally the metal staples for the reeds are not made by the bassoonist himself, but by an experienced metal turner. For him, there is given a diagram of the staple with all the measurements (see fig. 28 - original text). The inner diameter of the staple must be arrived at by experiment for each instrument within the limits of 4.1 and 4.5 mm. The smaller the diameter - the higher the pitch of the instrument.
Enlarging the diameter we lower the pitch. Therefore it is important to choose the correct aperture of the staple for each instrument. Five to eight made-up staples are sufficient for the bassoonist to have and he will be provided with reeds for a long time. When one reed wears out it is taken off the staple and the latter is then ready once more for another reed to be made on it. The staple as made will have an even, circular neck upon which the cane is put. The tip of this neck should be lightly compressed with a pair of pliers and the cane put on the neck to conform to the squeezed place, one piece above and the other below."
Some Further Related Information