Cooper Wright Reeds

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Sunday September 16 2007

Greetings double reed players

Just a friendly reminder to all you double reed players out there that this past weekend, the weather has changed drastically up here in the Pacific Northwest. Humidity levels have plummeted, and the temperatures are dropping quickly as well. What does this mean for us? Well, it’s time to adjust your gougers!

When humidity levels drop, the way our cane retains water also changes, and thus, they tend to dry out quicker, become more brittle, and produce smaller openings. When I say “they” I mean the entire blade of each reed; the center, middle; and sides. Particularly the sides!

When our sides get too thin, our upper register sags, and we often go flat up there. We also become more brittle sounding.

This weekend I was filling an order for a man in LA. He ordered 24 pieces of cane from my thickest gouging machine (Opus 1, courtesy of Robin Driscoll). This evening when I went to make a RDG…-2 reed on the gouge to make sure my product was 100% certain, I found that it was 0% certain. I quickly shaped a piece of the Opus 1 on my Weber 1-B (approximate dimensions of a Gilbert 1, i.e. much thinner), and I found it to be about right on the sides, but still too thin in the center! The difference means I probably need to beef up the sides from about .45 to .47 or so, and maintain a center of .60.62 (I use a digital micrometer, which measures slightly thick. Other micrometers would measure .59-.60). So, I’ll be spending tomorrow re-pregouging a bunch of cane to re-gouge, to send out to LA.

If you’re working off a single radius gouge, you’re pretty much stuck, but you could thicken your entire gouge, which will thicken the sides, but also thicken the rest of everything else.

Anyways, just thought I’d give everyone the heads up.

For those ordering cane from me: If you live in a high-humidity climate, please let me know! I have some extra cheap cane I can sell you!

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Cooper left these words on Sunday Sep 16, 2007 at 06:05 AM
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Rewarding.

Friday September 14 2007

Jillian Camwell posts:

“I did have a nice sound though. Good reed – one of Cooper’s actually! (Thanks!)“

It makes it all worth it.

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Cooper left these words on Friday Sep 14, 2007 at 11:21 AM
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Back from Bellingham, getting caught up.

Friday September 14 2007

400 miles— 400 miles— 400 miles— 400 miles— Lord I’m four hundred miles from my home.

Oh wait, that song was about 500 miles. Oh well.

From my house to Peter Hurd’s house is approximately 400 miles, and I’m glad to have finally arrived home tonight. It’s been a long and enjoyable trip, and we had a great time. Since Fred (the previous GG series English Horn) was too sharp for me to play in pitch, I was forced to pick out a new horn. I picked out a KK horn, which is only a couple years older (1933?). It’s also a very interesting instrument, with a semi-automatic and automatic system combined. It also has an open ring system, which strangely enough, I LOVE… the feeling. But most importantly, I love the BIG… sound it was getting! We’re talking ENORMOUS… for a Loree, which typically don’t get large sounds in comparison to other brands.

Meanwhile, a lot of the pads and adjustments were shot, so I dropped it off at Jerry Porter at Beacock Music in Vancouver, Washington. This is a place Peter Hurd recommended for complete restoration/overhauling. Hopefully I’ll get it in 4 weeks, with a maximum of 9 week wait. Meanwhile, Mr. Hurd lent me his Kreul English Horn with a Low Bb. It also has a BIG… dark sound, but has less flexibility in the sound. Still, it is a very nice horn, and where he was previously asking $6700 for it, he has now pronounced it “not for sale” namely because he wants to keep it as his own. His loan is certainly a favor above and beyond the call of business, and is much appreciated. As always, he’s a classy guy, a class act, and a classy businessman. I appreciate his generous service.

The down side is I had to return the backup oboe, which is still waiting for Paul Woltz in Lynnwood, Washington to fix. It’s a great horn, but I can’t really afford it right now, and I’m sure Mr. Hurd will end up selling it for a lot more than what he sold it to me for. If anyone is looking for a fantastic older Loree oboe, ask Mr. Hurd about that horn. As he put it, “That one’s gonna be a pistol!”

Tomorrow is a busy day. Prep cane samples to go out to Nancy Rumbel, finish a cane order for a LA oboist, finish up reeds for Delaware, practice, and go to the Oregon Football game. Go ducks!

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Cooper left these words on Friday Sep 14, 2007 at 11:18 AM
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