cigar baggies

[jtrey]

anyone use cigar buggies to star reeds in.. i've been trying it for the last week. you get alot of mold on the reeds but it seems to work pretty good. i use the cigar baggies for new reeds for a couple days then use regular baggies..

[stitch]

you get alot of mold on the reeds but it seems to work pretty good. :!: :?: :roll:

[singlereed]

The AW Reeds website suggests using a cigar 'humidor' to keep reeds in...

http://www.aw-reeds.de/en/tipps.html#anchor4

[Frank D]

As a cigar smoker and sax player, let me tackle this one.

First as far as the cigar baggies, if you are using "used" cigar baggies that previously held cigars, why not just by a box of plastic sandwich bags instead? That way they will be clean on the inside when you put your reeds in them. Might help with the mold problem.

I wouldn't keep the reeds in there all the time, though. I like to wet my reeds before I leave for a gig, put them in a reed guard (the plastic LaVoz kind) and put that in a baggie while I drive to the gig. By the time I get there my reeds are perfectly moist and playable.

As far as using a humidor, save your money. Most of the cigar websites and forums are full of articles on how to convert tupperware and igloo coolers into cigar storage containers. You don't need to keep your reeds wet all the time, just when you play. Storing your reeds in a airtight tupperware container should be more than sufficient.

I know it's hard to figure all this stuff out when you're learning to play, but take my word for it, don't get sidetracked by all this equipment trivia, it's reall not important, and diverts your attention from doing the thing you really need to do to improve your playing: practice.

[Saxophoon]

I study with Ernie Krivda and heres what he taught me:


He's been keeping his reeds in the cigar bag (comes with the little freshness packet inside) for quite a while. He also uses the Humidor and says it works wonders. I began using the bag about a year ago and I would never consider storing my reeds anywhere else.

The mold you are finding is because you are not cleaning the reeds off. I tend not to drink anything with sugar or eat when I play and usually I wash my mouth out befor playing to reduce the amount of possible food for bacteria to thrive on. The mold is developing because your reeds are moist and stored in a rather warm dark place (mold central). Every day or every other day you should lightly swipe the reeds with a paper towel to remove any mold begining to grow (even if you cant see it).

The purpose of the bag is not to keep the reeds wet all the time but it serves to allow the reeds to loose moisture slowly instead of a rapid dry which causes the fibers of the reed to deteriorate which leads to the reed dying. It is all based on the concept that the slower something undergoes a change the less stress it will be under. When you play a reed and then pop it into a regular reed container/holder the reeds becomes completely dry in a matter of minutes as apposed to using the bag which slows the drying dramaticly (over a period of about a day).

I do not feel the need (never tried it) to use the humidor because the cigar bag serves me well. The cigar bag allows my reeds to last almost three times longer then they did before and to me thats just wonderful!
Let me stress that it works for ME! And everyone should at least give it a try, I bet if used properly everyone would be plesently surprised.

Above all else Frank D is right none of this even matters if you dont PRACTICE!

[HonkBopSax]

I store my unopened boxes of reeds in an big cigar box - keeps them dry, etc. Once I've soaked them etc., I store them in a Selmer reed case and I do actually put them in my humidor and have had great luck. Maybe it's a personal thing, but they do end up tasting a little like either Griffin's Prestige or Cohiba's!

[gary]

Goooood grief. I feel sorry for poor Bird, Lester, Dex and all those other guys with cheap reed holders. It must've really been a struggle.

[HonkBopSax]

Jeez, when I feel sorry for those guys, it's because of the race issue, having to stay in different hotels, getting gigs canceled cause of their skin color, and then, you know ,the big drug habit that a lot of them unfortunately had. Jeez, I guess I tend to feel sorry for them over the big things. Or maybe my sarcasm is just misplaced.

[retread]

It's misplaced. I think you can consider gary's comment sarcastic.

[Saxophoon]

Instead of being sarcastic and looking back at others of the past and seeing what they didnt have why dont we look at what WE have and use it to its fullest potential. It seems quite ignorant to dismiss something that may have great potential just because someone 60 years ago didnt use it.

My $0.02

[gary]

You are absolutely right. No reason why we can't progress. Now, convine me that putting a reed in an expensive cigar humidor is going to make you sound better on the next set.

[HonkBopSax]

GO back and read what I wrote pal. I didn't say it would make play better, and since I don't know what kind of player you are, I can't really make any assertions for you either. All I said was that I 'put them in my humidor and have great luck' with them remaining moist. Unfortunately it's not an expensive humidor, it's one I made myself.

[gary]

Nah, HonkBopSax, my comments aren't directed specifically at you; they're more generic. I just don't understand why some folks who post here are so finicky about a lot of things that to me don't really make much difference.

For example, one cat posted that he practices 45 minutes and then spends 30 minutes cleaning his horn. I don't personally understand why be so finicky about the appearance of an instrument when the goal is to make music, not look beautiful. Seems to me disproportional use of time.

I guess all the trappings are important to some people and they like to fuss with it all. They can do that, of course. Me, I learned from cats who just slapped a reed on the horn and blew. Threw the horn in the case when they were finished and hit the town.

[HonkBopSax]

Gary,

I apologize - it seems we do share similar views on these sorts of things - ie, the guy who spends almost as much time polishing as practicing. My favorite is the guy who wants to know if he should use silver or gold ligature screws, but then also posts in another threat about not knowing pentatonic or harmonic minor scales. I agree - most of the time, people get way too caught up in the gear, and not the playing.

[gary]

My favorite is the guy who wants to know if he should use silver or gold ligature screws...ROTFL !!
I forgot about that one and that was one for the books.

But, and I shouldn't get too caught up in this, I'm not anybody's momma, but I wonder sometimes about the inexperienced, young, and or naive folks looking for some proper guidance and they come across something like that. It's confusing and sometimes somebody has to apply their BS filter on behalf of these folks.

Now. If I could only decide whether to use leather or silk swabs...

[retread]

If I could only decide whether to use leather or silk swabs...

Doesn't that depend on the venue?

[gary]

ROTFLMAO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, man. I don't know how many are going to get that but you get extra points going into the next millenium.

[Saxophoon]

Gary,
I understand that somethings can be hard to understand but what may make no difference to you may mean a lot to someone else. You may be content blowing through reeds in a week but I hate it and Ive found something that prevents that. Now I dont have to worry about reeds for months and a significant amount of additional time is given to me to worry about more important things i.e my playing.

Like I said before I dont know about the humidor but the bags work for me. Im sure you would be plesently surprised if you tried one and hey if it doesnt work for you well then who cares! Right?

As for me I'll keep my bag! :D