Bassoon Reed-making: The First Stage

Stage 1: Forming the Reed Blank

• Begin with gouged, shaped and profiled cane (GSP). Lightly sand each piece of GSP cane with 400 grade wet or dry sandpaper (available at hardware stores). Sand on the underneath side of the cane and on the bottom edges where the tube will be formed.
• Soak cane at least 8 hrs, but no more than 24 hrs. Take note of which pieces of cane sink first. The pieces that sink first are more dense and tend to produce better reeds. Pieces of cane that don't sink at all after 8 hrs will rarely make good reeds.
• Remove cane from water. Carefully fold cane in half over a pencil. Make sure the tube edges are aligned. Once even, smooth out the fold on the blade side.
• Using 22-gauge soft brass wire, place 1st wire on cane and lightly tighten. The 1st wire should be placed at 1 and 1/16 in. (27 mm) from the bottom of the folded cane. All wire measurements are taken from the centerline of the twisted wire.
• As recommended in the Popkin manual (Bassoon Reed Making), Tighten the wire by first taking up its slack on the reed's opposite side by drawing it out and moving it up and down; then tighten the wire quite firmly or until the cane is slightly indented. Cut the wire at 1/8 inch.
• Score cane with a single-edged razor blade (available at hardware stores), cutting through cane entirely from the tube end. Cut upward from the base simultaneously through both blades. Place one cut in the center and 2-3 cuts on either side.
• Resoak the folded and wired cane in warm water for several minutes.
• Heat forming mandrel over flame or in hot water. I recommend using the Popkin forming mandrel with wooden handle).
• Form tube by slowly inserting mandrel into soaked cane. Be VERY CAREFUL that scored lines do not rise into blade area, especially the center cut.
• Using pliers, carefully squeeze cane on all sides just below the 1st wire, and continue inserting mandrel. Pliers with a hole cut out around the center for tube forming are best (available through Forrests Music).
• Place 2nd wire on tube 5/16 in. (8 mm) below the 1st wire (once again measuring from the centerline of the twisted wire). Do not overtighten.
• Place 3rd wire on tube 1/8 in. (3 mm) from base of cane. Take up the slack and tighten slightly.
• Using pliers, and with mandrel still inserted, gently knead the cane between the middle and bottom wires and below the bottom wire. As Popkin notes, This will close cracks and assure conformity with the mandrel. The shape of the wires should be as follows: Top-oval; middle-less oval; bottom-round. Grasp the reed with the fingers and twist the mandrel out, being careful that the sides of the reed are left straight after this final twist. It should now be placed firmly on a drying rack mandrel and left to dry for one or two days. Some bassoonists dry the unfinished blanks a week or so to assure maximum shrinkage.

Important Note:

• Purchasing the book Bassoon Reed Making by Mark Popkin and Loren Glickman will be of infinite help to you in your reed-making. The book is currently out-of-print but a new edition will be coming soon from Charles Double Reed Company