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Weekly UpdatesTHE ARTISANS AT Jones Double Reed Products use the finest cane available to make oboe, bassoon, and English horn reeds. They are cross-trained so that they can work at nearly all of the stages of production, from processing the cane by hand to the use of very sophisticated machinery. Several of the reedmakers are professional musicians who test each finished reed for quality and playability.
Almost all of the tube cane for reeds comes from southern France. Although it looks a lot like bamboo, cane is quite different. Before shipping the cane, Jones' suppliers carefully grade it for diameter, wall thickness, color, and other features.
Oboe tube cane is small--about 76.2 mm in length and 10.5 mm in diameter. Bassoon cane is much larger--123 mm in length and up to 12.6 mm in diameter. Oboe tubes are split into three pieces, and bassoon tubes are split into four pieces.
From this stage forward the machines are extremely accurate. Gouging is the process of thinning the cane to exact thickness so that it is thick in the center and thin on the edges. An extremely accurate machine gouges the cane to precise dimensions and shapes it so its edges are smooth, with no fraying.
Next the cane is profiled on a robotic machine that can be programmed to a variety of different scrapes. The cane is then folded in the middle so the edges match.
Bassoon reeds are wired together with three solid brass wires of exact diameter. The reeds are then formed into a tube that will fit onto the bassoon. Oboe reeds are tied onto a staple, which is a conical brass or silver tube with a cork end. The end will fit perfectly into the upper aperture of the oboe. These steps are crucial to the quality of the reed.
The string that has been applied to the oboe and bassoon reeds is coated with clear glue that holds the reed together and makes the reed attractive.
Following a critical touching up with a small file or emery board, a musician tests the reeds with an oboe or bassoon.
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