Handcrafted baroque oboe reeds (for bocal+staple setup), made with 14-15mm diameter,
carefully selected Rouché cane.
Tied on Chiarugi EH no.3 staples, shaped with the AM547 Chiarugi shaper and scraped
halfway on Reedmachines' 'Cube' profiler, then finished by hand. Tried and adjusted on
a Stanesby Junior copy by M&F Ponseele.
Gabriel uses machines in the reed-making process for more consistency in commercial
production and to have more time for trying and playing the reeds.
- Total length
- 49.5-50mm
- Width at tip point
- 9.3-9.5mm
- Shaper
- AM547
- Scrape
- long
- Gouging thickness
- 0.63-.67mm in the middle, when dry
- Staple used
- Chiarugi EH, no.3, 27mm
- Thread used
- Serafil 40, 100% polyester
- Pitch
- A=415Hz
The difference between the medium-hard and medium-soft reeds lies mostly in how far
they are from being finished. Medium-soft does not mean bad sound, it means that the reed
is pretty much ready for playing. This means that the adjustments are made on Gabriel's oboe
and according to his taste, which might not be your own.
If you want to have more room for adjustments, choose medium-hard reeds. They should
have enough material left for adjustments.
In making the reeds, Gabriel tries to obtain good speaking and full-bodied fork-fingered
notes (especially the low f), as well as a g# that allows a fair diminuendo.
The thread is sealed with natural beeswax, but if one feels that is not enough,
nail polish or other material should be applied as desired (cling foil, goldbeaters skin, etc.).
Gabriel does not use brass wire to control the opening of my baroque oboe reeds,
but feel free to do it if needed.
