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reed geek

zootsaxenberger

zootsaxenberger

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Trawling around on youtube, i just found a demo a tool called a reed geek for flattening and adjusting reeds,
David Sanborn appears to be endorsing it.
sorry cant put a link on here ( such a non techno!) but just put in reed geek and you should find it
dont know if its available here,but it does seem worth a look at if it is.
 
Being a newbie on here, I've just found this, and I was impressed, so I've ordered one. It can't be all that bad,and if it lives up to it's promo, then it could be a good addition to the toolbox. I have used the vandoren glass tool, which was OK but this is lot smaller to carry around. So watch this space, I'll let you know if it was worth the effort and the £28 I paid for it!
 
Not impressed! The demonstration shows them using short strokes back and forth. That reed would finish up like a switchback ride.
The cutting edge of a Stanley blade is very accurate and will highlight whether the reed is concave or convex (convex is the more serious of the two). If you want to correct these problems, scraping the reed with a blade will do the same job, but you must use full length strokes to avoid an uneven surface!! Using either method, you could finish up removing more material from one side than the other, resulting in a lopsided reed, which will not be level.
In theory, removing material could increase the tip opening.
As I said, NOT IMPRESSED!!
 
The thick end of thirty quid for a piece of metal with an edge on it. Snake oil, again. Looks like the sort of cobblers a certain big-haired US based sax 'entrepreneur' would market........
 
Having changed mouthpiece last year, I moved back on to reeds as opposed to fibracell/synthetic (still used on bari tho). I am a firm believer in gttng the maximum from your box of reeds, I have a little booklet called the reed doctor http://www.dawkes.co.uk/accessories/dr+downing+book+-+sax+reed+doctor-geb154.html.

I use a razorblade and a flat glass surface - wait for it..........the back of my iphone 4! works wonders for me.
 
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griff136 said:
Having changed mouthpiece last year, I moved back on to reeds as opposed to fibracell/synthetic (still used on bari tho). I am a firm believer in gttng the maximum from your box of reeds, I have a little booklet called the reed doctor http://www.dawkes.co.uk/accessories/dr+downing+book+-+sax+reed+doctor-geb154.html.

I use a razorblade and a flat glass surface - wait for it..........the back of my iphone 4! works wonders for me.
Click to expand...

Hi Griff, I used to use a glass surface, but gave up when I found sanding the reed in the mouthpiece produced the same result, and no messing about with positioning the reed. I do however rinse the dust off before trying it out.
One other thing I do, is to put a small sawcut in the reed at the rear lig. position, to aid setting up.

John.
 
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OK, soooo, some of you think it's a mistake to fork out 28quid for a hunk of metal. Firstly let me say to Tom, I'm a newbie on here,not to sax playing, I've been doing that for 40years as I've said. The one thing that has got well and truly up my pipe since starting out, is the fact that I spend in the region of the same 28quid for a box of reeds that I maybe get 2 good ones from, if I'm lucky. Now I accept that I may be looking for the holy grail here, but I have tried ALL the methods for re - manufacturing my reeds, from glass paper to just roughed up glass, through single edged razor blades, to Oboe knives. all with varying degress of success. So, this little gizmo may not be any better, but I like the look of it, and at least it's portable! if it does what it says on the tin, then it will be a good addition to my toolkit, if it doesn't, then all I've really lost out on is a couple of reeds, and I'll still have a blade, albeit an expensive one, to use on my reeds anyway. Of course IF it is somewhere near the 'Holy Grail'then you Guys and Gals will get to know right here, if it isn't then Tom or Johnboy can start another thread entitled I TOLD YOU SO!
 
I would never do that - I was just playfully summarising what some folks seem to be saying. I have never spent any money at all on trying to change the reeds that I have bought, just stick to certain brands which seem permanently playable - Francois Louis Excellence, Alexander DC, Marca Jazz and Rico Jazz Selects Unfiled, which I prepare in the way recommended on the Alexander Superial website - www.superial.com/mainten_breakin.html . I am always slightly wary of professional endorsements and will not be buying the new Saxworks Sanborn Alto mouthpiece at $500 either!

Apologies for any offence caused.
Kind regards
Tom:cool:
 
You do need someone to be bold and buy/try these new inventions, and who knows it may work and if it does then that will benefit us newbies, reed care is a minefield one saying 'this works for me' another saying 'i do this' if an aid becomes available and works it will save me as a newbie a lot of time/expense/and effort, as it's no good me buying one and trying it as i know very little on reed care, it needs someone with more experience to try it out. If it does work, great i'll buy one. :)
 
Tom, You would never do what? I didn't take any offence, I assure you my man, and never would I just thought I would put that on tongue in cheek. So don't worry, I was a Copper for 20years, and believe me my man, there is nothing you can say that would remotely come close to some of the things I have been called in that time! and I still didn't take offence. So, no sweat dear boy, I won't be sending the 'Boys' round anytime soon:) and I would never buy a Mouthpiece for that price either! even if ALL the sax players in the world endorsed it!
 

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