So, I’ve got a great reed. It’s playing very nicely, and has great tone. Only problem is the second octave B and C are pretty sharp relative to the rest of the octave. So I’m told pulling the staple out a touch should cure this.
BUT…
Am I risking too much of a good thing as it stands already if I were to attempt to unbind and re-tie the slips with the staple pulled a bit out? Do I run a risk of messing with the whole works and never getting it to play the same way again?
Is it worth the risk??
(thoughts? )
And for those who would ask, yes, I do like to play up that high, and when I do, it is pretty noticeable that the notes are off. Taping doesn’t do it for me…not nearly enough change in the second octave, and too much in the first.
If it is a new reed, give it time and a lot of ‘playing in’ before physically altering it. But if you do decide to unbind it, don’t forget to tie the lips first.
I tell ya Joe - seems like yous and mes is da only one’s doing anything with reeds here. Whas up wi dat?!?! The reed is a couple of months old, and is playing very nicely. I don’t think any amount of ‘settling in’ period will help the notes in question - particularly since all the rest of the notes play well in tune across one and a half octaves.
sigh
Just was wondering if anyone had any good reasons as to why I should or shouldn’t try a re-bind.
, Gary, that’s just what I HAVE been doing! If I could get the second (or third, fourth or fifth) to sound even close to what I did before I’d be in heaven! Alas, Alan Burton you have warned me well! Well, back to the sanding cylinder once again…
You took the words right out of my mouth. Brian with all those reeds you have been making surely you could send some of them my way. I borrowed one of John’s and it is smooth as butta.
If it’s true up to A, don’t ever play a high B without vibrato, don’t ever slide all the way into a high B, stay flat on the slide, tape/wax it a hair flattish on the lowerhand and blow that one in a little. Try a rush in the staple, a small one. Try pulling the reed out of the seat a hair.
Don’t unbind it. Don’t worry at all what pitch high C is.
if you do decide to go ahead and unbind, rest asured that it’s rarely as risky as it first appears. As long as you a) tie the head securely prior to unbinding, and b) well, there’s no ‘b)’.
That being said, it is also common to completely unbind the reed without tying the head first so that the reed can be completely dismantled, the insides of the head sanded a tad and re-assembled.
I’ve done it a number of times, either to re-insert the staple or to sand the inside and have never had problems getting it to play as before, if anything it was improved in most cases.
That being said, I take no responsibility for the ruination of your reed should you proceed with the unbinding. Proceed at your own risk
Cheers and Merry Christmas although it’s just about over and done with where I am.
All the more reason not to feck with a reed which is working pretty well. (I know…its easier said than done!)
I’ve just gotten my reedmaking gouge in the mail this week, so I’m off to the garage to try my hand at it…my first attempt would not crow as I bound it up too high and it was leaking like crazy…
Yeah, so I’m still not convinced of what I can do to try and help those notes. I’m gonna keep plugging away at making more reeds, and hopefully I won’t run out of cane again before I get another decent one! I’ve got staple forming pretty much down to a science (I think) and the initial sanding and forming of the slips isn’t the problem. It seems to all come down to the blasted scrape. I did thin out some of my earlier attempts, and they’re doing reasonably well as they have dropped in pitch, but none crow as easily, or play as well and in tune as this one magical little beasty I somehow (obviously not by any skill of my own but rather sheer dumb luck!) stumbled across.
Well, I’ll be sure to let you all know what happens if I just can’t leave well enough alone and HAVE to re-bind the little gem.
Seriously though, you could try altering your top B fingering. I find that playing top B with my ring ‘g’ finger down too brings a sharp top B back into tune.
)
, Gary, that’s just what I HAVE been doing! If I could get the second (or third, fourth or fifth) to sound even close to what I did before I’d be in heaven! Alas, Alan Burton you have warned me well! Well, back to the sanding cylinder once again… 
