The working of reeds
All bassoon reeds are worked and profiled with the Rieger Machine, a gift from M° Marco Lugaresi, a bassoon soloist, to M° Ovidio Danzi. The pantograph of the profiler was entirely hand-worked by M° Danzi, with only the use of a file. All of the pantographs in the laboratory were hand-refined by M° Danzi himself. They are exclusive and unique.
Preparation of the woods
Every stage in the processing of wood for bassoon are performed dry.
For the processing of Reeds for bassoon, the hardened woods are put to soak in water for 20-30 minutes at most. The soaking time should not exceed the time of 30 minutes, otherwise the risk is that you lose the present cellulose in the wood fibers and, consequently, the elasticity of the material.
The way and the uses of reeds
Danzi reed for bassoon
Plunge the reed in a glass with some water for not more than five or six seconds: you could damage the cane’s features if you keep it in the water for longer. After that, make the reed vibrate between your lips while blowing warm, delicate and controlled air.
Every reed has its own emission.
After that, play the reed with long, delicate yet strong sounds, thinking of its colours and their shades. Scales, arpeggios, staccatos can then be freely played: the reed is ductile, flexible and with dynamics.
If the reed does not soften or gets fixed in three or four days, it is recommended to use abrasive paper no. 500; rub it uniformly on both sides of the entire palette of the reed, with small circles and in a delicate way, as if you were caressing some velvet until a bright and intense sound is reached (simple yet effective tips by M° Danzi).
Danzi Reed for oboe
The same situation as the one described above about the bassoon reed is also valid for the oboe reed.
Before playing, plunge the tip of the reed in a glass with some water for five or six seconds, never letting the water into the tube. Vibrate the reed between your lips with warm air emission and then play freely, with long, vibrating and intense sounds.
If some reeds are rigid or fixed, or if you want to revive your old reeds’ fibres, it is recommended to use abrasive paper no. 500, delicately rubbing it lightly in small circles on the profiled part of the reed.
Parts of the oboe reeds are worked and built by Paola Frasson, the owner of Danzi Reeds, who graduated in oboe at the conservatory of Perugia in 1988, and has hay twenty-five years of experience in the laboratory, by the side of M° Danzi.
Danzi reed for clarinet in sib
M° Ovidio Danzi studied his reed for clarinet in sib for ten years, and after a long experience he decided to make it known for the musical audience.
Plunge the reed in a glass of water for two or three seconds, then start making free vibrations with warm air between the reed and the tube. After that, you will emit good, long, intense and strong sounds.
If, after some days, the reeds are too rigid or not flexible, it is recommended to rub abrasive paper no. 500 with small round movements on the profiled part of the entire the reed palette.
“Numerous bassoonists have played these reeds, taking part in several international competitions, and winning them. They have shone for the beauty of their sound and for their harmonic balance and have understood the value of this professional reed”