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I don't know what other people do with all the plastic reed holders that you get by buying Vandoren and Rico reeds but I consider it an ecological disaster to throw them out, so I just kept them. I could have recycled them I know but I'm one of those "I'll find a use for it sometime"people. So I used to just keep reeds in them individually in plastic Tupperware type containers organized by S,A,T and then by hardness range, S, M, H. After all these years having and using all of them loose became a PITA and in a flash of ingenuity I got out my hot glue gun and glued 6 holders together to make reed holders. As you can see in the photo they are similar to the black ones that I bought commercially although slightly bigger.

Why spend more money on those when you can use what you get for the price of the reed already. Just gang them up and you have a handy multi-reed holder to put in your pocket or gig bag. I have them for three sizes: SAT

They also have the benefit of letting more air reach the wet reeds, so they dry more quickly and if I want to sterilize them I can just put the whole thing in a small jar with Hydrogen Peroxide diluted with water let it soak and then rinse it under the tap. Easy Peasy
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Wow, now that is a great idea and well-implemented! Thanks for sharing!
Best regards,
Aaron
 
Wow, now that is a great idea and well-implemented! Thanks for sharing!
Best regards,
Aaron
Thanks Aaron. I'm glad you like it. Frankly it occurred to me because I was tired of having plastic boxes filled with individual reeds each in its Rico or Van Doren holder to sort through. I also didn't see spending more money on the black ones they sell that only hold 4. With this easy DIY solution I not only saved myself a lot of money but also avoided having to throw them in the recycle bin.

The other advantage is that I can organize my rotating reeds by ganging up 6 of the same together, i.e. either by brand....all Van Ds, all RSJs, all Rigotti, or simply by hardness....all 3's, all 3.5s, 4s etc. I need to do this because I don't throw reeds away until they either break or fall apart too much to play. I keep them all and play them regardless of having a minor split on the edge or a tiny chip on the tip because I play for myself and that's not a gig so no need to be so picky.

You'd be surprised how well some reeds that look near death or even past it can actually play. I use trying different reeds as part of my practice....running scales and arpeggios, free improvising while looking for one that works best at that moment. Every reed is a quirky individual and just like us aging humans they have their good moments and off moments. I myself am not ready for the trash bin so why should I condemn some poor reed to it just because it has a slight bit of cosmetic wear. Reeds are capable of a lot more playing life than people give them credit for.

I still remember the night at a great blues jam I used to attend every week here. I was up there playing my ass off on my Berg SS with a plasticover for about 4 tunes. We played a long last number that was just great and I blew better than ever, wailing and growling like a mofo. Feeling really elated and getting down from the stage I started to take my sax apart. Taking the mpc off I saw, to my total surprise that the entire tip edge was totally chewed up and looked like some kind of beaver or woodchuck had gnawed the whole thing down. I couldn't believe it, both because it felt and sounded just great while playing and because I didn't have a mouthful or ground-up reed and black coating. I must have swallowed it without realizing because the entire edge was ragged. Whatever the case it shows that the reed doesn't necessarily have to be pristine or even whole to play for you if your chops get it to vibrate and make sound just because some amount of a reed-like thing is on the table of the mouthpiece. Acoustics operates by its own logic, not ours.
 
Thanks Aaron. I'm glad you like it. Frankly it occurred to me because I was tired of having plastic boxes filled with individual reeds each in its Rico or Van Doren holder to sort through. I also didn't see spending more money on the black ones they sell that only hold 4. With this easy DIY solution I not only saved myself a lot of money but also avoided having to throw them in the recycle bin.

The other advantage is that I can organize my rotating reeds by ganging up 6 of the same together, i.e. either by brand....all Van Ds, all RSJs, all Rigotti, or simply by hardness....all 3's, all 3.5s, 4s etc. I need to do this because I don't throw reeds away until they either break or fall apart too much to play. I keep them all and play them regardless of having a minor split on the edge or a tiny chip on the tip because I play for myself and that's not a gig so no need to be so picky.

You'd be surprised how well some reeds that look near death or even past it can actually play. I use trying different reeds as part of my practice....running scales and arpeggios, free improvising while looking for one that works best at that moment. Every reed is a quirky individual and just like us aging humans they have their good moments and off moments. I myself am not ready for the trash bin so why should I condemn some poor reed to it just because it has a slight bit of cosmetic wear. Reeds are capable of a lot more playing life than people give them credit for.

I still remember the night at a great blues jam I used to attend every week here. I was up there playing my ass off on my Berg SS with a plasticover for about 4 tunes. We played a long last number that was just great and I blew better than ever, wailing and growling like a mofo. Feeling really elated and getting down from the stage I started to take my sax apart. Taking the mpc off I saw, to my total surprise that the entire tip edge was totally chewed up and looked like some kind of beaver or woodchuck had gnawed the whole thing down. I couldn't believe it, both because it felt and sounded just great while playing and because I didn't have a mouthful or ground-up reed and black coating. I must have swallowed it without realizing because the entire edge was ragged. Whatever the case it shows that the reed doesn't necessarily have to be pristine or even whole to play for you if your chops get it to vibrate and make sound just because some amount of a reed-like thing is on the table of the mouthpiece. Acoustics operates by its own logic, not ours.
- This reminds me of vacuum valves/tubes beloved of guitar players in their amplifiers, which give musical overtones and over-drive growl. Apparently they sound fantastic just before they let-go. A bitter-sweet gig I guess...
 
I was tired of having plastic boxes filled with individual reeds each in its Rico or Van Doren holder to sort through.
This is another reason why I'm going to adopt your idea. I keep a Boveda 69% two-way RH pack in the box (which is my son's old pencil case from his elementary school days) and the reeds have kept very well for quite a few months now.
With this easy DIY solution I not only saved myself a lot of money but also avoided having to throw them in the recycle bin.
Agreed. And with regards to recycling, depending on the program offered by different municipalities, reed cases may not even be accepted, even if they do take the particular type of plastic that the reed case is made from (number 1, 2, 5, etc.). For example, my city won't take items smaller in size than a credit card, since they claim that they will "gum up" (this is my term, not theirs :)) the machines at the facility.
Every reed is a quirky individual and just like us aging humans they have their good moments and off moments. I myself am not ready for the trash bin so why should I condemn some poor reed to it just because it has a slight bit of cosmetic wear
Also agreed and well said!
Thanks again for sharing!
-Aaron
 
- This reminds me of vacuum valves/tubes beloved of guitar players in their amplifiers, which give musical overtones and over-drive growl. Apparently they sound fantastic just before they let-go. A bitter-sweet gig I guess...
I don't play guitar but I gather that when that occurs it's because they have gone up to 12 or 13 on their own. :doh:

I have to say that when I saw the condition of that Plasticover it was a one of those true double-take moments. I was like *** Man? How's that possible. I even wondered if I had had the reed tip sticking out a couple of mm for that to happen but knew that it wouldn't have played right. Also it was a black reed on a silver mpc so even in that dim club I could see it well enough to line it up right. I can't say the same for Plasticovers on my HR mpcs.
 
This is another reason why I'm going to adopt your idea. I keep a Boveda 69% two-way RH pack in the box (which is my son's old pencil case from his elementary school days) and the reeds have kept very well for quite a few months now.

Agreed. And with regards to recycling, depending on the program offered by different municipalities, reed cases may not even be accepted, even if they do take the particular type of plastic that the reed case is made from (number 1, 2, 5, etc.). For example, my city won't take items smaller in size than a credit card, since they claim that they will "gum up" (this is my term, not theirs :)) the machines at the facility.

Also agreed and well said!
Thanks again for sharing!
-Aaron
I don't know if you live in Europe but unlike in the USA, Rx medications here come in blister sheets in a box supplied by the pharmaceutical company. You pop the pills out and when you have used all of them in a sheet you're left with a plastic blister layer adhering to the foil backing through which you popped out the pills. I used to throw them in the recycling but found out from my pharmacist that the city won't recycle them because it requires separating the two layers, and they aren't interested in doing it for whatever reason. The guy told me that all the pharmacies recycle them through their dealers who do recycle them. So I started bringing the used blister sheets to them. When I go to refill my prescriptions.
 
I don't know if you live in Europe but unlike in the USA, Rx medications here come in blister sheets in a box supplied by the pharmaceutical company. You pop the pills out and when you have used all of them in a sheet you're left with a plastic blister layer adhering to the foil backing through which you popped out the pills. I used to throw them in the recycling but found out from my pharmacist that the city won't recycle them because it requires separating the two layers, and they aren't interested in doing it for whatever reason. The guy told me that all the pharmacies recycle them through their dealers who do recycle them. So I started bringing the used blister sheets to them. When I go to refill my prescriptions.
That's good to hear. I live in the southeastern US. A similar example is Brita, a company that makes water filters. We don't use them anymore, but when we did, I would save the filters (and the plastic wrap in which came) until I had two pounds' worth (around 8-10 filters) and send them all back to the company for recycling.

Back to reeds, the only brands that I've used that come in cards rather than plastic sleeves are Zonda and Rigotti Queen. I try to lean towards brands that have more sustainable packaging, but unfortunately, my favorites all use the plastic sleeves.
 
Jazz Is All -
“the city won't recycle them because it requires separating the two layers, and they aren't interested in doing it for whatever reason. The guy told me that all the pharmacies recycle them through their dealers who do recycle them. So I started bringing the used blister sheets to them. When I go to refill my prescriptions.”
Excellent social responsibility JIA.
Recycling happens because Someone Is Making Money Out Of It. If that weren’t so it wouldn’t be happening.
I’m a big fan of recycling, but it would be nice if the packaging companies and recyclers worked a bit harder to deal with that last 10%.
- Incidentally I’m doing my bit on sax. Only have one reed, a Légère synthetic which lives in its case when not on MP. I might get reckless next year and buy another one...
 
Jazz Is All -
“the city won't recycle them because it requires separating the two layers, and they aren't interested in doing it for whatever reason. The guy told me that all the pharmacies recycle them through their dealers who do recycle them. So I started bringing the used blister sheets to them. When I go to refill my prescriptions.”
Excellent social responsibility JIA.
Recycling happens because Someone Is Making Money Out Of It. If that weren’t so it wouldn’t be happening.
I’m a big fan of recycling, but it would be nice if the packaging companies and recyclers worked a bit harder to deal with that last 10%.
- Incidentally I’m doing my bit on sax. Only have one reed, a Légère synthetic which lives in its case when not on MP. I might get reckless next year and buy another one...
Sadly the money aspect is the bottom line about ecology as far as industries are concerned. If it doesn't make them money they won't do it. I recall that back in the 80s when I was still living in Santa Fe, New Mexico the city discontinued the glass and plastic recycling program because it cost them more than they got back. They had been collecting stuff for a year and simply trashing it to save losing even more money because there was a glut on the market and the price they were being paid for the raw glass and plastic had dropped through the floor.

Hey, if you can do it on just one Lingerie reed, more power to you. I still like cane and have a lot of cane reeds for the 3 sizes, actually 4 because I like to play tenor with bari reeds if I can. I have a couple of those reeds but I find them too bright or plasticky sounding on some mpcs, if you know what I mean. Plus the price....wow. I can get a box of Plasticovers for less than one of those Signatures.
 
Now that I like the idea of... a delicate sound, but fails to adequately cover one’s shortcomings ...
Spell correct strikes again. I guess it doesn't recognize Legere, although being a French name it is closer to Lingeree than Plasticover. That sounds like hardcore S&M attire.
 
Spell correct strikes again. I guess it doesn't recognize Legere, although being a French name it is closer to Lingeree than Plasticover. That sounds like hardcore S&M attire.
lol
- Can you imagine how many arguments I had with Predictive Text when typing “Légère”?...
 
lol
- Can you imagine how many arguments I had with Predictive Text when typing “Légère”?...
I know what that is exactly and it's horrible. Every thing it suggests for some things I write is wrong over and over again and I find myself yelling at it like a loon. My wife calls from the other room, who are you yelling at? Just the computer again honey.

Can you imagine if they used this program in the war room at the pentagon?
 
I purchased a new mouthpiece this year and found that the case that it came in holds four of my favorite reeds quite nicely. There is a cap for it, too.
 

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Hi . Today I made a reeds case by myself (after a few prototypes).
What do you think about that?
The bottom is perfectly flat, and the top has those spring like parts that holds the reed pressed against the flat bottom. It is transparent, so you can see the reeds very clearly. It is numbered, and it holds 4 reeds. It isn't fully closed, so the reeds can breathe, so they don't get moldy.
Please let me know your thoughts.
Best wishes
Horatiu
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"Extra" brand chewing gum can be purchased in a large plastic box. Turns out it also holds 10 reeds quite nicely.
No humidity control, however.
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Actually, thinking on, I'm inspired.
I'm gonna save up the reed sleeves and build a holder in a Rosetta shape, mount it with a pin through the middle and play pick a reed wheel-of-fortune. So you spin it and have to practice with which ever reed is at the top. Which ever voice, however stuffy.
Do you have reeds from Egypt, Rome, and Greece?

Also the Wheel of Fortune idea might be a great internet sensation. The contestants would all be Saxophonists and after spinning the wheel would have to play whatever wind instrument a reed came up for be it Oboe, Bassoon, all the size Clarinets, and all the Saxes. The audience would vote for the best performance.
 
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