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Oboe Reeds
Oboe Reed Philosophy
Best quality handmade oboe reeds are hard to make on a consistent basis. As a professional oboe reed maker I understand how important it is to have a clear idea of how my customers want their reeds to function. I also need a clear but flexible strategy for getting there. My best oboe reeds are possible because I know that cookie cutter approaches get inferior results. My customer base includes early learners with 6+ months experience through touring professionals. It is not enough to match cane strength to response. Flexible oboe reed making means managing many variables to get the best outcomes. I take pride in selecting the right cane, shape, mount and scrape to get your best result, whether you are a student with 12 months experience or a touring professional. While my shop is in New York, feel confident that Magic Reed has very happy customers, in every corner of our beautiful country, with the exception of very high altitudes, where we defer to local reed makers.
Oboe Reed Making
How I Like My Oboe Reeds
How an oboist blows influences how they approach their oboe reed making efforts. There is a range of production (blowing) styles and tonal preferences between top professionals (both here and abroad). Oboe reed style preferences and reed making techniques trickle down to their students, and create pockets of distinct reed styles. I employ the American long scrape in my oboe reeds, which is used almost exclusively in the States. The structure has a defined tip, a defined heart and defined back (with windows).This helps direct choice of materials and scrape. Some players, for example, want a completely free blowing oboe reed, with a small aperture, and without relying too heavily on certain muscles. They have to blow harder to open the reed, but it is made up for with improved endurance. This often restricts dynamic range. Many sound beautiful. That is not me. I prefer a medium to somewhat larger aperture with my NY sound. My actual oboe reed style is a Philadelphia/NY hybrid. I do not like collapsed reeds. I tend toward a stronger embouchure with a somewhat larger aperture and a little more cover. It requires more support and effort, and I am fine with this because I like the bigger and darker sound that can be achieved with my scrape. Don't worry. While I have one of the beefier oboe reeds on the market, I have lightened it up over the last couple of years so I don't have to work so hard. My customers love them. I am nothing if not flexible. Also, when I make an oboe reed I have you in mind. When I test a reed, I test it with an approximation of the embouchure and support system I think you have, based on the information you have given me. I then adjust these reeds based on your set up not mine. It seems to work.
Learn About Student Oboe Reeds
Learn About Intermediate Oboe Reeds
How I Make My Oboe Reeds
My oboe reed making promise is that all reeds are handmade from scratch, and to order- with no outsourcing. This includes oboe cane processing which is done in-house. This achieves the best outcomes because we control the variables- materials, processing and scrape. I keep our business small and manageable so we can make consistently excellent reeds and offer a more personalized service. My pipeline management is the envy of the reed making community. I have a long-term stock of oboe cane in various strengths, sizes and densities. I have plenty of inventory in every processing level, with gouged cane ready for every contingency. It is not uncommon for me to test different corners of my inventory throughout a season to determine what works best at a point in time. I am also flexible with my shapes which I try to match to cane hardness for darker tone quality.
I Only Use The Best Cane, In The Right Strength And Size To Match Player Needs. Expert Cane Processing Combined With Careful Sorting and Strict Quality Controls When Processing Help Yield Extraordinary Results
Cane Is processed with professional equipment- including Kunibert and Reeds n Stuff oboe reed making equipment. I match strength, diameter, gouge and shape to the results required by the customer. I am informed by expected developmental milestones for student oboe reed models, and by the product options that are selected for the professional oboe reed models. I only use professional Chiarugi #2 47 (or 46 mm) for all reeds, including student models.
My Nuanced Oboe Reed Scrape Combined With Extra Drying/Finishing Cycles Promote A Better And More Reliable Reed For You
I seek a warm nuanced oboe reed that is balanced in all the ways that matter. I make a reed that is capable of accepting changes in wind speed and converting it to a beautiful vibrato. I also make a beefy reed that has a full dynamic range. My tips tend to be blended, and medium in length. The definition between the back and the heart is pronounced, except for student reeds. My heart has a thickness @ .4 (where we all measure it) with blending over the shoulders. This is not a one size fits all system. I never sacrifice tone and pitch in pursuit of the response needed by grade. This is more difficult than one would think. I actually have more failed reeds at the student level than the professional level. Don't worry. If I don't like it, I won't sell it.
My Reeds Last Longer
My reeds simply perform better, last longer, and rarely require more than a light adjustment, which saves valuable lesson time. Play a concert with the assurance that your oboe reed will make it to the end, if not played out in advance. While my reed may cost a little more because of how I make them, but I will see you less often than you may be used to - and when I do I expect you and your pocketbook will be very happy.