IDRS forum (TM)

bassoonroadster · 2010-07-09 00:24:47

Does anyone use a really small reed out there? Unfortunately I do not have
exact measurements and I am working that out now but I am looking for less
than 27mm butt to first wire and from first wire to tip less than 28mm.
I played a former teachers reeds years ago that was incredibly small, it was
incredible and he never let me do that again. Help if you can.Thanks

Bssntech · 2010-07-09 11:17:54

Greetings:

I use a Garfield style of reed which is very small. The dimensions are usually 51mm in overall length. the base to collar length is 25mm the blade from tip to collar is 26mm. 1st wire from base is 23mm, 2nd wire is 14mm from base, and 3rd wire is 4.5mm from the base.

Hope that helps.

Cordially,
Chad

mpartlow · 2010-07-09 16:37:34

I know that Arthur Grossman (one of my favorites) uses a TINY reed. Like I'm talking ridiculous. Almost half the size of the average reed or something amazing like that. The measurements are on 2reeds.net and it's something like tip to collar is 22mm

JBJ Bassoon · 2010-07-10 06:40:30

You can check measurments here:

http://www.idrs.org/Reed/Reeds.html

According to the IDRS reed project it doesn't look like Mr. Grossmans reeds are tiny:

http://www.idrs.org/Reed/Reeds.html

Reed was 55 mm in length. Blade was 27 mm in length. Width at tip was 14.5 mm.
Width at collar was 8 mm. The reed had a string wrap. Three brass wires at 4 mm, 18 mm, and 25mm from the bottom of the reed.

#3 Arthur Grossman, Seattle, Washington, USA-bassoon reed.

dclark · 2010-07-10 10:04:09

You are looking at the reed previous to Arthur Grossman's. The name of the maker preceeds the reed, not follows it. The entry is as follows:

#3 Arthur Grossman, Seattle, Washington, USA-bassoon reed.

B & W gif file | Color jpg file

Reed was 51 mm in length, the smallest bassoon reed of the group. Blade was 22.5mm in length. Some grooves in the cane were visible on the blade. Width of the reed at the tip was 13.5. Width at the collar was nearly 8mm (7.75). The reed had a rubber shrink tube wrap. Three brass wires at 6.5mm, 14.5mm and 24.5 mm from the bottom of the reed.

While Chad's and Arthur's reeds are the same overall length, there are significant differences in other measurements, especially the length of the blade. I would like to know more about the specifics of Garfiled's Philadelphia reed as I imagine that there were several variations to that reed made by his students and others.

Dale

JBJ Bassoon · 2010-07-11 10:48:45

What makes such a reed design work?

stevelayden · 2010-07-11 20:39:12

I know there have been some issues in the past with posting pictures of famous bassoonist's reeds on this board so I won't actually list this person's name, but here's a link to a picture I took of a famous Garfield student's reed:

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/23 … 8421zATWvI

Please pardon the less-than-ideal camera exposure but it actually helped show the variation in the scrape better than other pictures did. This reed is ridiculously tiny and the only way it sounds as dark and as full as it does is by taking the channels, back, and tip down to very thin levels and leaving the spine fairly thick. The spine is fairly close to parallel scrape and from the back of the spine to the tip of the heart it slopes gradually from around 68 micrometers to 55 micrometers. The very back behind of the spine thins out again before the collar (some of this person's reeds have a more drastic window cut in the rear). The wires are completely round at both the first and second wire.

I have to say that this style of reed isn't for everybody and although I was infatuated with it for some time I eventually settled on a reed that was slightly larger although with a similar scrape to it (I use a narrow version of the Christlieb shape to help add depth to the sound).

Last edited by stevelayden (2010-07-11 20:45:30)

rswbassoon · 2010-07-25 12:07:37

To get a reed the size of Bernie's to work you need to spend a great deal of time trimming it down, he also used pre-war Heckel bocals that help keep the pitch up on the middle E's and C#'s that seem to be the notes that go flat first on bassoons. I find it much easier and faster to make a reeds on the larger size, 29 mm from the first wire to the tip. I get the same results with a lot less scraping and use a modern Heckel 2CC bocal.

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#1 2010-07-09 00:24:47

Small Bassoon Reeds

#2 2010-07-09 11:17:54

Re: Small Bassoon Reeds

#3 2010-07-09 16:37:34

Re: Small Bassoon Reeds

#4 2010-07-10 06:40:30

Re: Small Bassoon Reeds

#5 2010-07-10 10:04:09

Re: Small Bassoon Reeds

#6 2010-07-11 10:48:45

Re: Small Bassoon Reeds

#7 2010-07-11 20:39:12

Re: Small Bassoon Reeds

#8 2010-07-25 12:07:37

Re: Small Bassoon Reeds

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