Got one few years old R.Sloan reed + chanterin my hand to look . Original wire bridle is broken and
reedblade sides are abit bend so that it leaks from there.Seems also that blades have kinda lost theirs curve, must squeeze sides quite hard to get normal shape to reed head.
What next, first aid for reed ; same kinda bridle or sheet-type one, wax/naill shellack on sides,?
Morjens,
M
I’d go with a wire bridle, like the original.
How about the sideleaks, is it any use to force bladesides together and proper shape with tight bridle , or just pust some wax etc. on sides.
Reed is abit different I’ve ever seen, no clear V or U shape on scraping area, blades are just sanded all its width from same line.This typical sloan reedtype?
Sounds about right. Fitting the reed with a new wire bridle will help the leak situation. If not, a little beeswax ought to do the trick. Be careful not to rub it in too hard, you do not want lumps of wax inside the reed head… that will alter tuning.
I hate to sound pessimistic but if the lips are showing signs of warping your chances may not be great for recovering the reed.
I’ve read that sometimes warped blades can be brought back by dismantling the reed, binding the reed blades to a sanding block after very slightly humidifying them, and waiting for them to dry out again, but your’re getting into reedmaking territory for sure, and I’ve never been that desperate to save a dodgy reed. Unless the leaks are very slight, the wax solution is likely to be unsatisfying, and the tone will probably always be sub-standard unless you can re-shape the blades. Likewise, extra pressure from the bridle can dull the tone too.
Bill