Reed Shape Guide.

A quick guide for selecting a reed type for your needs

There are three most common shape types, Mechler, Knochenhauer and Straight. Understanding the shape you like or need for a certain feel or capacity to accomplish what you need for each situation. Apart from reed shape, wider reeds tend to favor the lower range, narrow reeds tend to favor the upper range.

Additionally, it is important to say that wider shapes will need more air. for example an SR3 “light” response will probably feel a lot heavier than an SR1 “medium” response reed. Keep in mind too, that wire wrap reeds can be a little heavier because of the heavier mass at the back of the reed.

1) Convex shapes can be referred to as with Mechler, Christlieb, Baroque or cup shapes. These shapes tend to be darker in tone, lower in pitch and more resistant. In general better for low range. Many of our shapes are a variety of Mechler or modified Mechler shapes. The Rieger #9, Rieger #29, Fox GR, Fox KM and Rieger K2 shapes would be classified as M shapes. The SR1, SR2, SR3, SR4, SR6, SR6a, SR8 (on one side very goblet shaped), Rieger M (Maxym), Rieger #6 and Walt would all be classified as a modified Mechler shape, meaning somewhat goblet shaped. the SR4 and Walt shapes are almost closer to straight shapes, but are classified as Modified Mechler.

2)Straight shapes depend more upon tip width to the first wire. Wider shapes perform more like convex shapes, with a good bass feeling and narrower shapes can be more similar to concave shapes, favoring the upper range. This is also true with the Concave and Convex shapes, the wider the shape, the more it favors the bass range. the narrower the shape, the more it favors the high range. Our current straight shapes are the Rieger #490 (van Sambeek), SR5, SR7, Del Negro, Rieger KOR(?), Rieger K1 and the Rieger Thunemann shapes. The Herzberg is almost a Straight shape with a very subtle flair.

3)Concave shapes also known as Knochenhauer or K shapes, are usually less resistant, a brighter tone and higher pitch. In general better for high range and faster articulation. Our Knochenhauer or almost Knochenhaur shapes are the Prestini K ( which is almost straight), the Pezzi shape, Rieger1a, Rieger 2, Rieger 3, Rieger 13 (Van Hoesen?) Rieger 23 (Thunemann?), UK 1,2,3,and4, the Herzberg, that is almost straight, the Rieger K4, the Fox2 shape and the Fox3 shape.