A few weeks back I discovered Clarineat, a blog and podcast series hosted by Canadian clarinetist Sean Perrin. The first episode I listened to was an interview with John Mackey, a biomedical researcher and woodwind player in Alberta. Eager to keep up with members in his band, Mackey began putting in more hours than he was used to in the practice room. As you might expect, the more time he spent on his instruments, the faster his reeds died. Frustrated with the longevity of his reeds, and, more importantly, the monthly cost, our innovative scientist realized he had the skills and equipment necessary to solve his problem.

Through careful research, he discovered precisely what was causing his reeds to break down. It comes down to two things.

1. Wetting and drying causes warpage, eventually causing the reed to lose its basic structure and cease to vibrate evenly.

2. Moisture + bacteria from you mouth = a petri dish of harmful living organisms that eat and erode the cane of your reed, rapidly.

So what’s a person to do? In order to work, reeds must not only be soaked, but maintained at a constant humidity level to prevent warpage. 

The solution: storing your reeds in a reed case that 1. maintains humidity and 2. sterilizes them to prevent growth of harmful bacteria, fungi, and mold. 

Fast forward a few years, and Mackey invents: ReedJuvinate, an airtight, humidified, and sterile reed storage system suitable for any double or single reeds. Promising eternal life and day-to-day consistency, the ReedJuvinate system piqued my interest immediately. The cynical side of me, however, brought on by two decades of experience with failed reed storage systems, rendered me suspicious of this alleged alchemy. 

In need of a new reed case anyway, I decided to purchase one straight from Canada. To be clear, the product is available in stores across the US as well, I just didn’t look very hard. This blog post isn’t meant to be a review of the system I purchased. Instead, I am going to compare four different reed storage systems, each that promise humidity control and improved reed quality, based only on their product details, in an effort to answer the age-old question: Does reed storage really matter? 

Let’s start at the beginning: 

ReedJuvinate

• Number of reeds held: 6 b-flat, 3 bass

• Humidifying method: sponge

• Sterile environment: Yes, by soaking sponge in original-flavor Listerine.

• Airtight: Yes

• Cost: $22.50 USD

• Other features:

  • Inner magnet so the case can attach to a metal music stand or chair leg

  • Lanyard

  • Completely airtight. You won’t need to refresh your sponge, in theory, at all.

All in all, even if you’re not convinced your reeds can last forever, Mackey’s product is by far the cheapest option on the market, and is worth the small investment at least to give it a try. (I personally have given it a try, and I will link to my review in the future).

Hygro Reed Case by Vandoren

 

• Number of reeds held: 6 b-flat or e-flat, 6 bass (the case comes in two versions, small and large. Bass reeds only fit in the large case)

• Humidifying method: Sponge

• Sterile environment: Yes, by soaking sponge in original-flavor Listerine, although Vandoren does not make this suggestion. This is my suggestion.

• Airtight: Not explicitly mentioned on the website. Possibly.

• Cost: $30 USD

• Other features:

  • Humidity monitor that tells you when the sponge needs to be re-soaked.

  • Air can flow freely around the reeds to help circulate the humidity.

All in all, this is is another low-cost option that is, in my opinion, worth a try. The product may or may not come with an outer box. Weiner music includes a photo of a second, solid black case that, if I were to guess, is meant to enclose the clear, plastic case. This second case may make the system more airtight than if it were just the one, clear, plastic case by itself. 

D’Addario/Boveda

• Number of reeds held: 8

• Humidifying method: Boveda humidifying pack

• Sterile environment: No. The humidifying pack humidifies, but does not sterilize.

• Airtight: No

• Cost: $30 USD

• Other features

  • The humidity pack is a two-way system, meaning that it both adds humidity when needed, and it also DE-humidifies when the outside environment is too humid. The pack maintains a perfect, 72% humidity level.

  • The humidity pack would need to be replaced, depending on the humidity of the outside environment, every few months.

  • You could replace your Boveda pack with packs of varying humidity levels, based on your personal preference.

I am extremely intrigued by both the low cost, and the two-way humidity system. Just be aware that if your reeds are not contained in a sterile environment, they could grow mold, bacteria, or fungus, that contribute to the reeds breaking down over time. The Boveda pack would also need to be replaced every few months. 

Hygrocase by Reeds n Stuff

• Number of reeds held: 12 B-flat reeds

• Humidifying method: Sponge

• Sterile environment: Yes, if the sponge is soaked in original-flavor Listerine.

• Airtight: Possibly. Not explicitly mentioned on their website.

• Cost: $150 USD (sold in Germany, so price is subject to the fluctuating value of the dollar)

• Other features:

  • A hygrometer, a device that measures percentage of humidity inside the case. This way you can accurately maintain a level of humidity to your liking with utmost precision.

This is a more expensive option, but there are a few benefits worth considering. First, you can use a sterilizing agent like Listerine to maintain both humidity and a germ-free environment for your reeds. This is true also of the ReedJuvinate and the Vandoren brand Hygro Case. However, this case hold twice as many reeds, numbering at 12. If you’re a professional musician, even if every reed is a good reed, and lasts longer because of the sterile environment, you may need as many as twelve reeds to choose from on any given day, if not more.

You also would not have to buy a separate case to fit your different sized reeds for E-flat, B-flat and bass clarinets.

Reedcure by Silverstein

• Number of reeds held: 4 B-flat reeds

• Humidifying method: None

• Sterile environment: Yes. See Other Features for Details

• Airtight: Possibly. Not explicitly mentioned on their website.

• Cost: $99 USD (sold in Germany, so price is subject to the fluctuating value of the dollar)

• Other features:

  • This reed storage and sterilizing system uses a UV lamp and a device that generates what is described as ozone gas to sterilize your reeds. Reflective mirrors allow the UV light to reach all sides of the reeds. The clips that hold the reed in place promise reinforced reed structure to prevent warpage. The device comes with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery.

This system uses vastly different and more advanced technology to sterilize your reeds. At $100, it is certainly an expensive option, especially if you need to purchase a separate case in which to humidify the reeds after sterilizing. This system would eliminate the taste of mouthwash, however, which is one side effect of using Listerine with the other sterilizing options. You could sterilize your reeds using this device, and then store them in a non-sterilizing environment but well-humidified environment, such as the D’Addario/Boveda case. Total cost for both together would be $130, or, $20 less than Hygrocase by Reeds n Stuff, and $100-110 more than ReedJuvinate and Vandroen’s Hygro Case. 

I hope this summarizes a few options out there on the market today. The most basic answer to my question is, yes, reed storage matters. Reeds do need to be humidified, and the method of humidifying does impact their performance. If you do humidify your reeds, you will need to consider how to prevent unwanted bacterial and fungal growth, which is an inevitable side effect of humidifying a piece of wood that you put in your mouth. I’m curious to know if anyone has any experience with any or all of these options. Comments and reviews of your experiences with these products are welcome!