It is not uncommon for contrabassoonists to experiment a great deal with the shapes, gouges, and dimensions of their reeds. Often in these experiments one finds that the cane is too short.
Some attempts have been made to solve the problem by using two pieces of cane and assembling them as one reed. Careful matching of cane in gouge, thickness, and hardness will allow this technique to be successful. However, the one deterrent is the cracking in the blades that occurs when putting the pieces together, before forming the tube.
I have enjoyed success in using the following rather unusual technique.
1. After matching the two pieces of cane as best as possible, make the shape of the reed to the desired length. Because of the short cane you will have one full length reed and part of another.
2. Make this shape in both pieces of cane.
3. Use your own method for sanding the gouge, beveling, making wire marks, and profiling except for the following two steps.
4. Do not remove the bark on the shortened side of the shape (b).
5. Cut a score mark for the tip of the reed at 2 mm longer than the desired length of your finished reed.
6. At this time, you should have two shaped pieces of cane, each with one half shaped, beveled, sanded, and profiled and the other half completely intact with no work done on it at all.
7. Soak both pieces of cane in hot water for 15 minutes.
8. After soaking, place each reed on the easel and draw the score marks along the length of the tube. Doing this operation on the easel prevents cracking in the tube.
9. With each piece of cane, on the easel, cut into the tip from each side as if you are about to remove the untouched side. Do not cut past the wings; leave the center at the tip intact.
10. With each piece of cane on the easel, cut away the wings of the short blade. I run an Exacto knife along the grain in three stages.
You will have two pieces of cane like this.
11. The "handle" remaining is about 5 mm. wide.
12. Re-soak in hot water for 5 minutes.
13. The wings at this stage are inclined to curve too far to easily put two separate pieces of cane together. The "handles" tend to prevent this action to some extent. However, their main purpose is to allow you leverage and control.
14. Hold the two pieces of cane lightly together and line up the butt ends. (Both the butt ends and the "handle" ends should line up.)
15. Grasp the "handles" at the ends farthest away from the tip. While using a flat instrument (light file, plaque, etc.) to pull the wings out flat, slowly squeeze the handles" together. Check all four wings carefully during this step to ensure that they are pulled out gently. By the time you have the full length of the "handles" together you will have the two tips joined together.
16. Wire the "handles" together at the tip. The reeds will be joined together like one reed folded over and you will have both hands free to form the tube.
17. Compress the two tubes together. Use your normal techniques for forming the tube.
18. After the tube is formed and the wires set, file sides of the blades straight with tip at the desired width.
19. Measure your blades to the desired length. The tip of the reed should be 2 mm short of the handles as allowed for in step 5.
20. Cut the tip.
