Reed Cases: What's Important and What Works for You?

[LampLight]

I've always used the cheap reed guards from LaVoz, Protec, or Vandoren. But I might spend more money on a reed case if I thought the high priced model would reduce wear and tear - especially the situation where we put away a fine and apparently well cared for reed, only to find it has warped the next time we remove it. ARGH!!! :x

I may have missed a previous and definitive thread on this, and if so I apologize. But aside from lacking consensus (nothing unusual about that :D), the threads I found were typically about one solution or another. I'd like to hear and compare people's experiences with different options.

Some people recommend humidity control cases, others recommend cases with a flat surface for the reeds, and others take the low price solution like me. My questions then, are what do you recommend and how well has it worked for you? What improvement did you notice? Also, do those of you who use glass or Plexiglas bottomed cases encounter any mold or hygiene issues, and how hard is it for those of you who practice humidity control to keep on top of it reliably?

Thanks.

[gary]

I say fuggetaboutit. A reed's not a fine Cuban cigar.
Use the el cheapos. If it was good enough for Dex, it's ..... ;)



Cigar? Did someone say, "cigar"?

[SactoPete]

I really like the cases I bought from a fellow on SOTW - I don't remember his name, but his email was stylisticsax at yahoo dot com. Made from wood, very nice and sturdy and use magnets (no clasps to catch on) so they drop into your pocket great. Plus they look good and function dandy. I got the 4-reed models and they work like champs. I think they were only about $15 apiece shipped.

[daigle65]

I use the standard Vandoren case but during the winter months I use the sponge instead of the charcoal thing. I started moistening it with Listerine these last 2 years and it made a huge difference, it completely eliminated table warping and mildew.

[Thomas]

I usually keep one or two usable reeds in the cellophane on my cigarette pack and move them when I open a new pack-butt end up

[Yamahaaltoplayer]

I just use the little plastic covers that come with the reeds. I just dry them off after playing and they don't warp.

[retread]

I've never had a problem with the Lavoz reed guards. The old aluminum ones are my favorites, but the new plastic guards are OK. Sometime the reed tips warp, but that's no big deal. They flatten after a few seconds in my mouth.

[bstrom]

I've had quite a few different reed holders including a cherry wood one with a glass plate. Now I've started using the cheapo humidity plastic pouch thing from Rico. It's fairly inexpensive and works well. I just put the reeds back in the plastic holder they come in, drop them in the pouch with the humidity pack thingy. Next playing session they are flat, no cracks, no mold and need very little wetting, it actually works quite well.

[jmathesonjr]

I have tried Vito reed guards, LaVoz reed guards, Reed Mate, Glass, Reed Cases with Glass, the VanDoren Reed Guards, and a couple others that I cannot remember off the top of my head. I would need to either find them or the receipt that has their purchase recorded.

The VanDoren and Vito caused my clarinet and sax reeds to mold. I don't know why. The Vito should not have, but the VanDorens after a few days had enough mold in them to ruin all four reeds in each case. I use neither because of this.

The Reed Mate caused my reeds to dry out too much and warp horribly. Again I tried this with clarinet and bari sax reeds.

The glass and cases with glass were a pain in the butt. The case I had with glass in it hit the deck during a performance on stage. I had glass all over my reeds and the case lining. I had to throw the whole thing out along with the reeds. A home made thing I had with a sheet of 1/4 inch glass was just too hard to deal with in the case. I had to carry it outside the cases and gave up the whole idea. It was just too much to deal with in either a bari sax case or a clarinet case.

I use the LaVox reed guards for every single reed instrument I play. I like their size, the fact that they do not mold, and the fact that I can label each slot. I keep between 24 and 32 reeds in each case, Bari and Clarinet. I sometimes will put some bass clarinet or tenor reeds in the Bari case and some Alto reeds in the clarinet case depending on what I am doing performance-wise. I use the ReedGuard IVs.

For about $45.00 total, I have more than enough reed space. I do not have the large, bulky hunk of wood and glass in a Ridenour or Winter case. If I need more humidity, I out them in a Ziploc bag. If I need less, I leave them to float in the case. My reeds have never warped or molded. If I drop one, I am not picking out glass particles. I think they are the best thing out there. I highly recommend them. They have yet to let me down.

[MitchP]

Vandoren hygrocase works very well for me, as much as I hate to endorse their products. I travel quite a bit and it keeps my reeds at about the right humidity. The drawback is:
1. price
2. too big to fit in my case (tenor or soprano)
3. the lid has broken twice so far (Vandoren does replace for free at least)

The Rico ones may be a better solution due to price and size. If only I could get a tenor/soprano combo. I do like the fact with the Vandoren case I can put 10+ reeds in of any type. I just use the Vandoren or Rico plastic reed holder that the reeds come in.

I have in the past used the other Vandoren reed holder (moldy reeds too often), or the LaVoz which is decent enough. Also a Selmer reed case (wood with a glass surface).

Hope this helps and just my own 2cents and experience.

[AltoRuth]

I have been using the Selmer reed case with the glass surface for a couple of years now. Keeps all of my working reeds in one place and I've never had any problem with warping or with mold. Every several weeks or so, I wipe down the glass and the felt lining with an alcohol swab. The case would fit easily into a rectangular sax case, but not into my Selmer case. Only a small compartment there, into which I tuck a spare neck strap and a couple of useable reeds, 'cause I'm a little absent minded at times.

[JohnGalt]

The Selmer glass plate cases (I have the 5 and 10 sizes) are very nice but big. I also use the regular Vandoren 4 jobbers. The built in dessicants are half decent , but if I use all 4 reeds and completely soak them, I make sure I put the reeds in the case but withhold puting the top on right away for fear of mold (as some have mentioned) due to lack of ventilation. Even just a few minutes of evaporation time seems to do the trick. If I only play 1 or 2 reeds I have never experienced mold though. The Pro-tec cases seem nifty but reeds got moldy consistently on the areas directly under the plastic that holds the reed in place.

[saxtek]

OK, this solution is a big hassle, but it works. I deal a lot with bass sax reeds. In my experience, the bigger the reed, the more problems you have with warping and swelling on the back (flat) side.

The old aluminum La Voz reedguards worked pretty well for me, but I still needed something that would hold the sides of a big reed down flat as it dried. Here's what I devised that worked:

I went to a glass shop and bought 2 sheets of glass, about 6" X 8"

It must be fairly thick glass, about 1/4" thick, because we're going to put some stress on the glass plates. A good glass shop will be able to take the edge off the glass sheets - you'll need to do this, or there will be a lot of blood (!)

Then I bought some dense gray foam sheeting, 1/2 inch thick. The stuff I use is almost as solid as balsa wood. I got it from MSC, but you have to order a huge sheet. Fortunately I needed the same foam for other uses.

Then I bought some very thick, strong rubber bands that would hold the two sheets of glass tightly together with the foam in between. Put the (wet) reeds on one sheet of glass, put the foam on top of the (round) side of the reeds, and put the second sheet of glass on top of the foam. Wrap the glass/reed/foam/glass "sandwich" with lots of powerful rubber bands and let the reeds dry.

I told you it is a hassle, but when bass sax reeds cost 5 bucks apiece discounted, it starts to get reasonable. Bari players might agree.

For the easy way out the old La Voz aluminum reedguards are worth their weight in gold.

[LampLight]

Thanks a lot for all those responses folks. Not surprisingly, there are still many different views and perhaps more to come. For anyone who cares, I did notice one more thing since yesterday: While the reed plate on the LaVoz 4 reed holder has ridges, the Rico 2 reed holder is flat! It has zero elegance, but its pretty cheap at Amazon/MusiciansFriend/WWBW (http://www.amazon.com/LaVoz-Tenor-Sax-Bari-Reedgard/dp/B0002F6X72/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=musical-instruments&qid=1251556119&sr=1-1), and Robertos (http://www.robertoswinds.com/view_product.php?prod_id=1136) carries it for the New York crowd.