Amazing tools for oboe reed making

[Bob350]

As part of rolling out orchestral software for electronic composers, Spitfire Audio has posted videos highlighting various instrument players. The oboe player makes her own reeds, and demonstrates how she does this in the last half of the video (at about 17:05). I thought some of you may enjoy seeing the variety of intricate precision instruments involved, none motorized. I had no idea these even existed. link to video. 

[DCottrell]

Those are all VERY expensive tools.  Most double reed players get by with scrapers, knives, glass and sandpaper.  But if your livelihood depends on it, buying convenience becomes less expensive if you need to do very precise things repetitively and accurately.  Saves waste of materials also.

Thanks for posting this, I'll look into see if the tuba player checks in! (That's my instrument, no reeds needed)

[AHill]

Very interesting video. String and woodwind players can be very particular about their bows and reeds. The skills to make decent bows for string instruments are rare. Violin, cello, and bass violin bows can cost 10's of thousands of dollars. My sister is a gifted violinist. She had a friend in high school who was a gifted cellist. Upon graduation, her parents offered her a choice as a graduation present: a new car or a new bow for her cello. That gives you an idea of the cost. A friend in California is a bass violinist who plays in various movies and recordings for commercials, etc. He had a new bow made for him that cost him $16,000 about 10 years ago. Yikes. And my wife thinks my Martin guitars are expensive.

[Bill_Houghton]

The double reed players take obsession with the instrument played to levels far beyond what most musicians would even consider.  I remember, from high school, when things were simpler than now, that we in the brass sections would get our horns out, assemble them, blow through them, open the spit valve, and be ready to tune up (I cleaned and lubed the slide on the trombone weekly, about the same cleaning cycle as everyone else).   The single-reed woodwinds (clarinets, saxophones) would make sure their reed wasn't split and replace it from time to time.  The oboe and bassoon players would take five minutes to check the reed, and ten minutes to soften it up before playing, and, yes, an unknown amount of time at home scraping and adjusting the reeds.

Lovely sounds, though.  Listening to a bassoon play a melodic line is heaven.

[Phil Thien]

I'm afraid to even ask what she invested in those tools. Any ideas?

[jppierson]

Don't show this to Christopher S., there could be a whole new book

Roubo on the Double Reed!

[Bob350]

Online search using the names of the tools reveals a number of sources and prices (!!!). For example, a reed profiling tool is available for $1,950.00 (Here).

[Phil Thien]

Thanks Bob350. $2000 isn't pocket change. I suppose the nice thing a out these tools is, you can accumulate them in the order that you see fit.

[AHill]

Thanks Bob350. $2000 isn't pocket change. I suppose the nice thing a out these tools is, you can accumulate them in the order that you see fit.

It's possible she inherited or acquired many of her tools used.  Supply and demand in action.  Not a lot of demand and even less supply.  Higher end oboe reeds can cost over $100 apiece - and they only last for about a month, so investment in the tools to make your own if your profession is playing oboe can save money in the long run.

I play acoustic guitar and there are a lot of obsessed players out there as well.  Discussions about picks range from materials to thickness to grip to profiling (bevel or no bevel).  A single guitar pick can cost upwards of $50 if made from some exotic materials.  Tortoise shell picks are prohibited these days.  Other subjects of debate include strings, tonewoods, bracing, saddle and nut materials, tuners, etc.  I own four very nice guitars.  They all have different tonewoods and they all sound quite a bit different - on purpose.

[wmickley]

I was a professional oboe player in my youth. We all made our own reeds. I was taught to make reeds when I was 12 years old. We made reeds every day. 

I know the woman who patented the gouging machine shown on the video. I think it costs around $2000. It is somewhat better than the machines of two hundred years ago. A gouging machine certainly needs to be made with precision. However, some of the other tools shown on the video are kind of needless gadgetry. Any decent oboe player can make reeds with a much simpler kit.