Reeds Reeds warping to the mouthpiece facing curve

[Dr G]

When I notice a reed getting too soft, I remove it from the mouthpiece and gently bend the tip with my thumb until the reed breaks, then throw it away so I don't use it again. Iterate until you can hit the trash can from 10' to develop perfect pitch.

 

[Saxlicker]

When I notice a reed getting too soft, I remove it from the mouthpiece and gently bend the tip with my thumb until the reed breaks, then throw it away so I don't use it again. Iterate until you can hit the trash can from 10' to develop perfect pitch.

I do the same. Otherwise 3 months later I see the reed and wonder....then I end up trying it / them again and a few moments of hope makes me waste an hour going through them.

 

[Pete Thomas]

I do the same. Otherwise 3 months later I see the reed and wonder....then I end up trying it / them again and a few moments of hope makes me waste an hour going through them.

I don’t do that. I either write a code (number/letter) on the reed or put it in a specific place in the drawer so I know exactly what condition it was in when I last played it.

Then when I come back months later I’ve totally forgotten what the code meant and find it in a totally different part of the drawer.

I then put it in a special box full of random reeds in a different drawer.

It’s good to be organised about this stuff.

 

[skeller047]

I recently got a new pair of glasses. At one of the cheaper places, got an excellent optometrist, but they had to make the glasses elsewhere and they mailed them to me. Very nice sturdy box. Which I promptly labeled with a fancy gold pen: “Dead Reeds” and put it on my work table. It holds about 50 reeds…

I still throw reeds away (just threw two out yesterday, following the good @Dr G ’s approach, though I’m not so sure about the gentle part), but I do keep a fair number of reeds that have done their life’s work in this box.

They are excellent disposable tools, useful for spreading glue, or as a non-marring pusher/prybar kind of thing. I have one that I cut about 1/2 to 2/3 of the blade off, in a curved shape, then sanded the edge, that serves as an excellent substitute for a bone folder (leather creasing tool). They are easy to split lengthwise to make thin helper tools. Glue a couple together, back to back, and you have excellent stock for making sax key wedges that won’t compress like cork, but won’t mar the lacquer (or patina) on your horn. Etc. etc. etc…

 

[Targa]

Here's a few suggestions made earlier:

Reeds - reeds project

I am sure we all have plenty of useless reeds in drawers and boxes, kept in the illusion that they might work, someday, with a different mouthpiece, in a different climate.... For health reasons, they cannot go on charity, or sold on ebay. What can be done with them? I was thinking of modeling...

cafesaxophone.com

 

[skeller047]

Here's a few suggestions made earlier:

Reeds - reeds project

I am sure we all have plenty of useless reeds in drawers and boxes, kept in the illusion that they might work, someday, with a different mouthpiece, in a different climate.... For health reasons, they cannot go on charity, or sold on ebay. What can be done with them? I was thinking of modeling...

cafesaxophone.com

Thanks, this predates my activiies here. Sometimes it’s good to be reminded that I am not unique and also not alone!