Reeds French Filed or Unfiled reeds?

[RobatBlueRock]

Thinking about buying some reeds....

What is the difference between Filed and Unfiled? How does it affect playability/tone. EG I was looking at some RICO JAZZ reeds which appear to have the same blurb and same price except one type is 'French Filed'... doh.! which do I get?

 

[jonf]

French filed are filed square across where the shaved but that goes down to the tip starts, about halfway down the length of the reed. Unfiled are just tapered naturally. Think about getting a short haircut at a proper blokes' barbers, when the barber asks you how you want the back. French filed is like squared, unfiled is tapered.

I've convinced myself that French Filed are brighter and clearer, with unfiled a little woolly by comparison. It's almost certainly all in my mind, though......😀

 

[RobatBlueRock]

Think about getting a short haircut at a proper blokes' barbers, when the barber asks you how you want the back. French filed is like squared, unfiled is tapered.

Good analogy........ ie one which I understand:welldone

So Filed means 'Brighter' more 'focused'?
Unfiled is more 'blurry' or 'smoother' sound?

I appreciate it's subjective.. and based on other threads about these kind of things, I guess no one else can probably here it?;}

 

[Jules]

In my experience the difference varies depending on what mouthpeice you try them on. On a big chamber ebonite like a selmer or a link the difference was minimal at best, but on something small chamber & high baffle, like a dukoff, things got a lot more noticable. Using my fave graphic equalizer comparison- filed have a lower middle but the extremes cranked up, unfiled have more mid range and less of the extreme harmonics. Jody Espina told us to always use unfiled on his DVs as he reckoned filed reeds are squeakier on high baffle metal pieces....

 

[RobatBlueRock]

So if I am pitching towards Stan Getz smooth, it sounds like I'm better to stick with unfiled then. 😎

Will be using a Yamaha 6C to start with, but I think I might eventually end up trying the Beechler Tonalex or maybe a JJ HR once I've got my 'Chops-in' ... but that's a different thread.

:thankyou:

 

[Jules]

So if I am pitching towards Stan Getz smooth, it sounds like I'm better to stick with unfiled then. 😎

Will be using a Yamaha 6C to start with, but I think I might eventually end up trying the Beechler Tonalex or maybe a JJ HR once I've got my 'Chops-in' ... but that's a different thread.

:thankyou:

from my experience, with that collection of mouthpieces, you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference......

 

[Targa]

I'd was wanting to know the difference as well and I understood the description from jonf but not the haircut analogy. Last time I was in a barber's was 1967.

 

[Tommy Ng]

I'd was wanting to know the difference as well and I understood the description from jonf but not the haircut analogy. Last time I was in a barber's was 1967.

Cats don't normally go to barber 😀 kidding

 

[RobatBlueRock]

Cats don't normally go to barber 😀 kidding

Looks like YOU need a haircut though Tommy.. 🙂))

 

[old git]

Looks like YOU need a haircut though Tommy.. 🙂))

Not a haircut but a restyle, preferably to cover that moosh up. ;}

 

[Young Col]

Hairdressing? We have a man who comes round. Doesn't everyone?

 

[RobatBlueRock]

Hairdressing? We have a man who comes round. Doesn't everyone?

But can he French File or Taper you ?;}

 

[Targa]

I think it was Joyce Grenfell in one of her characters who said
'I have a little man who comes in and runs up my skirts and does my hair'.

 

[Young Col]

Quite so Targa. The latter yes, but the former, certainly not. Nor Mrs YC's.
Tapers? Aren't they redolent of singeing? Does anyone remember that? Why did barbers set fire to mens' hair like that?

As to reeds, can't comment much, except that out of a selection of each I seem to find that Rico Royal 2.5s filed blow easier than unfiled, but it may just be chance ...or me.
YC

 

[Pee Dee]

Hairdressing? We have a man who comes round. Doesn't everyone?

We have a German lady comes round. I try not to mention the war😀

 

[Young Col]

🙂))

But is that lateral cut the only difference? OG and I were discussing this at lunchtime. Is there any difference in the rest of the shaved bit up to the taper, in the middle or sides? I don't have filed and unfiled types of the same reed now to compare.
YC

 

[Phil Edwards]

Never noticed a difference myself when playing.

Phil