My son just got his bassoon reedmaking kit in the mail. It is in some ways similar to a harp repair kit, pliers, scraper, reed supporter etc. I was surprised to hear about another similarity, He had a reed he had paid $30 for that was DOA, unplayable. With his new tool kit he was able to adjust the reed into a good player. So it seems the problems we have are not just because of the low cost of the instrument. A Blues Band level Bassoon it $1200, a good student/intermediate model is $5K and a good pro Bassoon is $30K and they come with the same kind of problems we deal with!
Yep! Our free reed instruments share this kind of characteristic with the double reeds (oboe, English horn and bassoon), becoming a master double reed player involves being a master musician AND a master reed craftsman.
I definitely feel some parallels!
Last Edited by 20REEDS on May 14, 2016 10:52 PM
The state of instruments reminds me of the state of the automobile circa 1920. At that time no one would think of heading out in an automobile without a pretty good understanding of how it works and how to fix it. In early Indy races drivers had mechanics riding along. The harp equivalent would be to have your tech on stage with you, which really isn't too far fetched, given the state of the instruments. (anyone know of a case where this has occurred?)
Nowadays, an average driver in a run of the mill low end automobile could beat the average 5OO mile race time of cars before 1920 and would only have to stop once for gas. There are many drivers who have never even experienced a flat tire on the road. Instruments have been around longer than cars but have not achieved this level of reliability. Of course, if you really think about it, maybe we don't want them to. The tweakyness of the instrument may be part and parcel of the charm of being a musician.
I definatly think the tweaking aspect is part of the charm. As much as it may be frustrating at times. However, like you i do wonder what the Future Advanced Maintenance Free Harp would look like. But i do think it would take alot out of the experience.
In really surprised to learn at the prices of the basoon. And that it still has similar issues.
I still dint quite understand those who think if a harp doesn't play 100% perfect OOTB that its trash or inferior. I say learn a bit about your instrument. Put some time and pride into it.
Not only that, but i don't know how people find ANY harp worth playing OOTB. I have had some that aren't bad, but i still had to do something to them. No matter the make or model. And ive tried most.
Sorry i got a bit Off Topic there.
Back to your regularly scheduled programming. ----------
I have never thought of the Bassoon as a blues instrument, but after doing some research for my son on where to get cane for reeds, I discovered the cane grows in river beds is called Arundo Donax, and for the purpose of making bassoon reeds is best harvested on the night of a full moon, and then the long process of turning it into a reed begins. That sounds like some serious blues country ju ju to me!
Last Edited by STME58 on May 16, 2016 11:25 AM
It sure does. That's interesting. What does the full moon have to do with it i wonder? Gravitaional Pull stands them up straighter and ... ?? Idk i got nothing ----------
Honestly i had no idea what a basoon was until now. It's an awsome instrument.
Here's the answer i found btw.
"I have read many articles about the drying process and what some of the big cane producers do. First I have read from two separate sources to harvest cane the day after a full moon. “the pitch is up” and something about the gravitational difference of having the moon high in the sky during the day pulls resources from the roots into the fibers. From there on the process is very different company to company"
Next time some little bitch whines about the fact that they shouldn't have to do anything to a Harp OOTB and that no other instrument or product for that matter takes as much effort to play right as the harp. ... im going to refer them here.
Killa, looks like you found the same text about reeds I did. My son just found from his sax instructor out there is a stand of Arundo Donax under the old steel bridge about 5 miles from my house! It will be interesting explaining to the Sheriff why we are out under a bride on a full moon!
My research also turned up a unique player. The Flecktones is a group I usually associate with Howard Levy, but listen to Paul Hanson on a plugged in Bassoon playing over Victor Wooten's amazing bass groove.
My son just finished his first reed, a two week process involving soaking and bending it into a tube to fit the bocal and make a tight seal. It plays better than his worst purchased reed but not as good as the best. Talking to him about is sounded a bit like some of the discussion here. He was trying to discern by looking what made his best reed play so well. Then he came up with the idea that perhaps he should just buy reeds from the French company that made it from French cane. I asked him how many reeds he had gotten from the company and he said "one". He seems to be learning fast. I am glad to see he has pretty good focus for a 15 year old. Now he needs more reed making mandrills so he can have several in process at a time for the 2 week dry time. The more you know, the more tools you need. Sound familiar?
Stme ... when you first posted this i got lost in a reed making rabbit hole on the interwebs. The guys who do this "real deal" .. apparently have a very long process for making reeds. The long curing process is very important apparently. Im sure hes read much more than me, but ... it seems very indepth.
Re the video you posted.
Ive watched it quite a few times since. Those guys are pretty awsome. Ive never seen anything like it. First time around want sure what to make of it, but ... its awesome.
Killa, with as many posts as you have on this site, I am surprised you have not come across the Flecktones before. Howard Levy was a founding member of the group along with Bella Fleck,Victor Wooton, Roy Wooten and Jeff Coffin. If by some chance you don't know of Howard Levy, you really need to look him up.
Last Edited by STME58 on May 24, 2016 8:44 AM
Hah. No i know Howard Levy. Somehow i missed the flecktones. Ive seen Wooten around alot aswell, but never with the band. Idk how. But there pretty awesome.
Re posts. I have so many posts because half of them are just stupid comments to get a thread going. It seems that sometimes a thread will sit stagnant, but one silly comment in response will bring everyone out responding to the OP. That's just what i noticed.
1847 ... im learning chrom, but i was referring to diatonic. I mean i have had a few that are good ootb. But still i can easily make them better. I just kinda don't get why someone would put so much time in to practicing, gear, etc. And play ootb harps. Especially because most of em are pretty bad. Im not suggesting you need to play customs, but even a lil gapping makes all the difference. All i really do is gapping, shaping/arching, and Make em airtight as possible.
It dont take much.
My real point was ... I don't think i could play half as good as I do, if I used strictly OOTB harps. 1,2,3 reeds are the worst. Im not sure how people can hit the 3 draw bends accurately at all without tightening it up a lil bit.
I'm amazed at the people who do play that way, but i can't do it. ----------
Last Edited by Killa_Hertz on May 24, 2016 11:25 AM
Bought a new Paul Reed Smith bass guitar a couple of weeks ago. Not top of the line but not all that cheap. It played ok out of the box, but after I spent a few hours adjusting neck relief,string height, intonation and pickup height, I put it aside for a week or 10 days. Meantime I spent a few hours playing with the guys. Then I sat down and fine tuned all the above again after the wood and strings had had a chance to "settle". Now it plays just about the way I want it! Nice loud undistorted pickup response, good tone, easy fast action with minimal fret buzz. Sound familiar? OK. It's not a reed instrument, but my point is, any out of the box instrument is subject to "optimization" often using similar processes.
But it is a Reed instrument, its right in the name! :-)
I was thinking about guitars with respect to this. I don't play but I know most guitarists would not be terribly upset if their new guitar was not in tune when they received it (granted tuning a guitar is a bit easier than tuning a harp). Having been through the Taylor Guitar tour a few time, I know what you are talking about with respect to adjustments, but I had not considered these were adjustments some end users would make. Thanks for sharing that.
Knowing a bit about the tools you are using and how to adjust them can save you frustration and make the job easier on everything from air compressors to xylophones.
