Reed Case ?

[zgatt]

I've been looking around for a good reed case for bari, but I don't see any. I'd like to find something that could carry 4 (or 8) reeds, primarily to keep them separate from all my other junk, and help with a system of management (rotation/ranking).

I like the vandoren 4-reed case w/the charcoal thing for tenor. In this very arid clime it seems to help, I think it lets them dry more slowly than a fully ventilated case.

[wthalliii]

If I'm not mistaken, the vandoren case you're talking about will also take bari reeds.

[Morry]

I use the Selmer reed cases for tenor and alto, and I love them. They have the glass plate that allows the reeds to dry perfectly flat. Since I am now playing bari reeds on tenor, I'm going to have to get the bari reed version from WW&BW. It's 39.99, and on backorder until 10/29. Item number is #104339.

[Ritchie]

The LaVoz Reedguard (holding 4 reeds) works well for me. There is one size which fits tenor and bari reeds.

[zgatt]

If I'm not mistaken, the vandoren case you're talking about will also take bari reeds.

Oh. Thanks.

[wthalliii]

If I'm not mistaken, the vandoren case you're talking about will also take bari reeds.

Oh. Thanks.

Sometimes the simple solution is the best. :wink:

[melvyng]

I use a Harris reed case, very nice: http://www.harrisreedcases.com/barsaxreedca.html

Mel

[Ol Danl]

I use a baseball card plastic box with plexiglass cut to fit, and a broccoli rubber band to secure reeds -- this works for tenor (6 reeds), but haven't checked to see if bari reeds will fit yet. :)

[1saxman]

The LaVoz Reedguard is what you want. The Vandoren unit has a cover and humidifier, and the reeds will mildew badly. For rotation purposes, carry a Sharpie Ultra Fine laundry pen and put a slash mark on the bark of the reed for every session used. The Reedguard comes in two sizes; alto/soprano and tenor/baritone. Moisten a new reed in your mouth and put it in the Reedguard for at least an hour before trying it. Do four at a time, and play each one for 10 minutes. Always take the reed off the mouthpiece when the session is over, and put it in the Reedguard. Just moisten again before the next session, and your reeds will be playable almost indefinitely. The problem is, you have to remember to rotate out old reeds before you let yourself adapt to them as they soften and die. I used to play many gigs on a reed, but realized at last what I was doing to myself. Now, it's two gigs, max. If the reed starts to look dirty, don't clean it - rotate it out. You can clean them with a toothbrush and drugstore Hydrogen Peroxide, but if you are a paid player it's just not worth the risk of having a reed die during a show to stretch it for one more gig. Spend a little more and play happier. You can also rank your reeds with the laundry pen. Using a four-pack Reedguard, put a mark of your choice on each reed which will tell you at a glance if it plays hard, soft, bright, whatever. Sometimes I like to start the night with an easier reed then move up to a screamer for the later action after I'm really warmed up (in the real world, a good warm-up is not always possible). Without the Reedguard, this would all be impossible.

[shmuelyosef]

I use the Lavoz also...I used a soldering iron and burned the numbers 1,2,3,4 into the clamps on the 4 positions and keep the softest reed in 1, the hardest in 4, of whatever my current colleciton is. I have a bunch of these and also use different reeds...like Rico ROyal for R&R and Alexander DC or Vandoren V16 for jazz...keep a separate 4-reed for each one (they are really cheap from discountreed.com)

[Ol Danl]

I just checked -- Rico Royal bari reeds just barely (bari-ly? :? ) fit inside a baseball card box!

[bobsax]

I use a baseball card plastic box with plexiglass cut to fit, and a broccoli rubber band to secure reeds -- this works for tenor (6 reeds), but haven't checked to see if bari reeds will fit yet. :)
I like the way this guy thinks.
We need a frugal sax forum. I was just looking at something to keep all my Legare baritone reeds in and the best thing I found was the Selmer case that holds 5. So if I have 10 reeds its $100! ..I don't think so.

[jmathesonjr]

If you are in a very dry climate, the VanDoren Reed case would work. The reeds will mildew in a mild to moist climate. I personally use and highly recommend the LaVoz reed guard. I have taken some masking tape and placed it on the part that the reed tip fits behind in the reed guard and then written a number on the tape to keep track of the reeds for rotation purposes.

These are nice guards. Although, I miss the old metal ones.

[ironcondor]

For me, the ideal reed case would put even pressure along the entire length of the reed, pressing it against a flat surface, would allow them to dry completely, would make it easy to keep them in order from best-worst, would store a lot of reeds in a relatively small space, and would be easy to use. Nothing on the market that I have found does all of these things, so I invented my own!

Here's what I used:
60" shoelaces (the flat white kind used in athletic shoes)
sheet of plexiglass cut into pieces: 4" X 3/8" X 13/16" with holes drilled in the ends 1/2" deep X 3/16" wide (at least) (TAP Plastics did this for me)
bolts that are 1" long and are smaller in diameter than the holes
scraps of wood to make a frame. I found some scraps that were 1 1/2" X 3/4"
strips of velcro
wood screws to hold the frame together

I washed the shoelaces thoroughly by hand with laundry liquid, because they have a strong chemical smell.

Each plexiglass strip holds 2 reeds, one on each side. You should measure your reeds at the tip, to make sure 13/16" is wide enough. This width works for my Vandoren Bari reeds. Put one reed on each side of the strip. Starting at the butt end, wrap the shoelace around the reeds and strip, carefully placing each wrap next to the previous one. After covering both tips completely, wrap back down to the butt end and tie a knot or two. Obviously, you need to be very careful the the reed doesn't hang over the edge.

The main purpose of the wood frame is to keep the reeds in order. I drilled holes for the bolts, and counter bored each side so the bolt heads and nuts would be beneath the surface. The bolts should go into the holes in the plexiglass. I drilled holes in the lid and glued dowels into them. The dowels fit into holes in the base. The lid is held on by strips of velcro. The whole frame fits inside a metal box that was originally a candy gift box.

The shoelaces do an amazing job of wicking the moisture away, and putting even pressure on the reed.

[bobsax]

Wow !! IronCondor. Very cool.
This should go to the Frugal Sax Forum if there ever is one;)
I would of never thought to do anything this complex but the idea of using strips of plexiglass for me solves the problem of reed slippage.
I was using pieces of glass along with the thick rubber-band (broccoli type as mentioned above and a great idea also)
but with more then 3 reeds the middle ones slip out.
Using a single piece of plexiglass with a rubber band and a reed on each side may be the answer to the Bari Legere reed dilemma where you can't put any pressure on the tip as the Lavoz holders do.

[bobsax]

I use a Harris reed case, very nice: http://www.harrisreedcases.com/barsaxreedca.html

Mel
This link seems like a shop-bot link. I couldn't find any reed cases just links to online stores. If it's some kind of cookie gatherer I think it should be removed.

[allstonj]

Try http://harrisreedcase.com/ instead.

[ironcondor]

I actually store Legeres in my device (look closely at the leftmost strip in the photo), despite the warning not to put pressure on the tip. I suspect that the reason for this warning is that they don't want you to damage the reed by shoving it too hard into a Vandoren or La Voz case. When wrapping the shoelace, it is possible to reduce tension when wrapping the tip, or to not wrap the tip or the entire vamp at all. A rubber band would certainly be easier if you don't care about covering the tip/vamp.