Norman Tobias (d. Toronto) --from a letter written in 1971 by the late second bassoonist of the Toronto Symphony on the subject of reed cane, its make-up and on the effect of using steam to soften the tube section before forming the tube of a reed on a mandrel:
" Regarding your thoughts on steam and its possible injurious effects on the cane fibres: with the exception of a negligible amount of volatile oils and cellular debris, cane is almost pure cellulose. A molecule of cellulose consists of long strings of carbon atoms connected by atoms of hydrogen. In the presence of oxygen, the hydrogen bonds pass off as water, and the carbon chains tend to flop around loosely--like a straw broom with the binding wires cut. We notice this effect in old newspapers that have been exposed to the sun. The paper discolors and disintegrates, the sunlight having accelerated the oxidizing effect of the atmosphere. The most significant oxidant which reed cane meets is the collection of digestive enzymes from the mouth of the player, which cannot quite break down cellulose into its basic components, but which do eventually cause deterioration of the hydrogen bonds in our best reeds. Exposure of cane to steam is actually a method of hardening and curing it, especially if the steam is followed by cold water. It will not detract in the least from the cane's usefulness for reedmaking."
Lawrence F. Beste -- Rapid City, South Dakota.
" Your suggestion (TTWB Vol. I, No. 2) to cover the bare wires in bassoon reed boxes with Chicago Post Binders is a good one. I would like to add an idea or two to yours. (Ed. note: Chicago Post Binders are the aluminum ring post binders used to bind many pages of paper together for reports, etc. They are usually found in stationery stores.) The binders as supplied are a bit too large in diameter for bassoon reeds, and of course they are not tapered. I solve both problems in the following way: Chicago also makes 1/2 inch cylindrical posts (no flange) with male threads at one end and female at the other. Place one of these, male threads up, in the chuck of an electric drill which is held in a vise with the chuck pointing up. Screw on one of the 3/8-inch posts and, with the drill running, hold a wide file lightly against the side of the post at a small angle (ideally the exact angle at the end of your bocals). With a little practice, one can turn the post into a good replica of the end of a bocal. (see sketch . . . I also shorten the wires in the case before putting on the posts, as shown.) I still wish someone would make reed boxes in which the reeds are held on short solid brass mandrels with rounded ends."
Gerald E. Corey -- Ottawa, Canada. Here is an easy way to strip the bark off cane in the blade area (Ger. "Bahn") before profiling the cane. It not only saves time when you get the cane on the profiler, but it also keeps the profiler blade sharp for a much longer time. Soak the cane as usual before profiling. I usually soak the cane in very hot water for not more than one hour. Fred S. Pfeifer, superior profiler maker, recommends soaking until the bark is completely wet through. Over-soaking fills the cane fibre bundles with too much water, causing a rougher profile cut. Place the cane on an easel with one end pushed against the easel stop farthest from you. (I profile cane which has been pre-shaped on a straight shaper, but this method will also work on unshaped, gouged cane.) Score across the cane for the two collar points. Cut to a depth nearly as deep as the profiler will remove at the very back of the profile. (For example, if the profiler will cut away all but .8mm center line thickness at the back of the profile, your collar cuts should be about .4mm deep across the cane -- this will leave .85mm of the cane uncut, assuming that the cane is 1.25mm thick after gouging.) Next, use a very sharp knife to strip the bark in this way: cut through the bark near the center of the reed - depth is the same .4mm scored at the collar points--width is about 5 or 6mm. Slide the knife away from you at this .4mm depth in a straight line all the way to the far collar point. When you reach the collar point the strip you have cut should "pop" off. Bring the knife back to the starting point and make the next cut to the right of the first at the same depth (now easily seen when comparing the remaining bark with the center strip section you have cut away), also carrying the cut in a straight line at .4mm depth all the way to the far collar point. Continue this cutting procedure to the right of the first cut until all the bark has been removed from the right half of the Bahn (one blade). Now cut strips to the left of the center cut in exactly the same manner. When finished, over half the bark is removed. Turn the cane piece around, end for end, and repeat the procedure used for the first half of the Bahn. When the entire stripping operation is finished you may want to use a large warding file to smooth the cuts, but this is in no way mandatory. The stripping procedure takes no longer than one minute. With this much cane removed before profiling, the profiling itself will take only half the usual time, and the back of the profile cut should be more "stepped down" as in the finished reed because the bark stripping has brought the thickness at the back of the profile nearly to the point of finish for the profiler. The blade of the profiler does not have to scrape over this spot lime and again to reach the required depth of cut.
Gerald Corey, Ottawa -- (Bassoon lore) --It is important to leave a little play in the action of certain keys on the bassoon.
(1) The small finger f# spatula (finger touch) should have from 1/2 mm to 1 mm play before the cork touches the spatula for the low F key. This permits the f# key (with pad) to open far enough to avoid a hissing sound when this tone hole is used for sounding the note low F#. (Usually this tone hole is used for the f# one octave higher but when the following note requires the use of the right thumb B-flat spatula, the small finger f# key is used for the note low F#.) Also, the play between the keys prevents the small finger f# spatula from accidentally depressing the low F spatula even slightly. If this were to happen, a leak would occur at the high g' resonance key, causing real tuning problems.
(2) The right thumb F# key (with pad) should move independently from the rocker arm mechanism which connects this key to the low F key. The reason for a little mechanical play at this point (the amount of a piece of paper in thickness) is that the F# rocker arm mechanism, if it is under pressure, can also open the high g' resonance key by means of the low F key mechanism.
(3) and (4) On the wing joint, the left thumb C# key spatula and the high c" key spatula should have a little play before the corks touch the fork keys beneath these two keys. The fork keys actuate the high b' resonance key. If this key were to open accidentally, the tuning of the notes on the wing joint would be spoiled.
L. Hugh Cooper -- Ann Arbor, Michigan. With a high quality professional bassoon having otherwise good intonation the middle a natural is sometimes a little flat. Although there could be several other reasons for flatness of this note, here are two remedies which I usually try first, and in this order: