Choosing oboe reeds can be quite a tricky task! Nowadays, there are many options for young players both locally in your hometown music store and now... ta da! Reed shopping online.
When I was a middle and high school oboist, there just weren't too many choices:
1. Buy whatever looked good at the local music store
2. Beg a teacher to make you a handmade reed
I have some helpful tips on what to look for when you are embarking on the search to find the most suitable reed possible whether it be for the beginning 6th grade oboist or the adult amateur musician.
If it is possible, HANDMADE reeds are the first choice.
Handmade reeds (not just hand-finished- yes there is a difference) are going to entail many important things. Firstly, the person that is making and selling them has probably been to college, and perhaps also grad school for OBOE. Sounds unbelievable, I know.
Collegiate level oboe courses teach the skills necessary to make oboe reeds completely from scratch starting with the main ingredient:
Arundo Donax= TUBE CANE!
Believe it or not, these pieces of "Bamboo" are the source of your oboe reeds, one way or another. Professional reed makers go through a number of steps in processing cane in this raw form, separating "good" cane from "bad".
The cane then goes through a number of processes (If you want a step-by-step analysis, feel free to email me or check out my website: www.caitlinpawl.com for info on private oboe and reedmaking lessons if you are in the greater Las Vegas area!)
It finally comes out looking like this:
At which point we can wrap it onto a staple:
My favorites are the Chudnow Sierra (2nd and 3rd from the Left).
And we end up with something like this:
An oboe reed "blank". Notice, that it is still essentially "bark" on the surface, it has not been scraped with a knife yet.
Another type of reed making is what most of you are probably accustomed to is the machine made, mass produced oboe reed. These reeds are composed of profiled cane that which is prepared by a machine rather than mostly by hand, and machine wrapped, often with little to NO hand finishing whatsoever.
These reeds have become popular due to the fact that they are quickly made, get an easy response for most young players- that is; they do not have much resistance at all. Lastly, they are CHEAP, many costing $10 or less.
Doesn't sound all bad, huh? TRUST ME though.... it is.
Oboe cane spent the better part of its life as a living, growing, plant. It is sensitive to temperature, moisture, and weather.
When it is basically "shucked" through a profiling machine, taking off a great amount of cane at one time, it is a huge shock to the reed.
Handmade reeds are made over the course of many processes and scraped, dried, and re-scraped over a period of usually 3-5 days allowing the cane to "settle" into the idea of being an oboe reed.
It may not seems like it, but this makes a BIG difference in the outcome of the reed's response, tone quality, and longevity.
You have all heard the phrase "You gotta spend money to make money" Right?
Well.....
Its true.
Look for something like this:
If you can find a reed in a store that has the SPINE (thicker line of continuous cane down the middle of the reed) intact, with a strong, defined tip, that is a great starting point for a reed.
Some possibilities are:
Marlin Lesher Reeds (Machine made but hand finished) often neon pink\purple or neon green\blue
Stuart Dunkel Artist Reeds (Machine made but hand finished) orange in color
If you are in the market for professionally made, handmade oboe reeds, go to:
For a list of various reedmakers and their websites with selling information as well as helpful reviews.
As always, if you have questions about the information posted here, or want to learn more, drop me a line! :)
