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Staff Paper
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| Our reed preparation process begins with the repair of all
dents, splits, and breaks in the pipe work . The old tuning scroll is cut
out and replaced with a new spotted metal insert. The pipes are stripped,
cleaned, and finished with a high quality varnish. The inside of the pipes
are swabbed, and blown out thoroughly with compressed air . New slots are
cut to the proper width and height and a tuning scroll is formed. The
picture to the right illustrates pipes before and after the preparation.
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| One of the most damaging effects to a reed is oxidation caused by
moisture. The characteristic white dust found mostly in the pipe's socket
can cause instability in tuning and poor tonal quality. Part of our
process is to rid the pipes of dust by brushing and blowing out all parts
of the reed including blocks, shallots, resonators, and sockets. The
socket, resonator, and blocks are then treated with a sealer solution
which helps prevent a future build up of dust. The picture to the right
shows a socket affected by oxidation.
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| A successfully voiced reed is usually one which is well prepared. A
critical area is the boot or the lower part of the pipe which houses the
reed tongue and shallot. Both tongue and shallot must be sanded and
polished with a fine emery cloth to assure a perfect seat and the
elimination of mechanical noise. We employ hand fitted brass wedges to fix
the tongue in place. As opposed to wooden wedges, the brass wedge can
stand years of service and hold the tongue firmly in place providing
greater stability in tuning and tonal quality.
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| The tuning wire plays an important role in the reed's stability. It
must provide the correct pressure to the tongue. It should not float on
the tongue's surface but be able to slide comfortably for tuning. The wire
should be made of phosphor-bronze, the most desirable material for spring
and tension.
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