Double Reeds There are 155 products.

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Showing 1 - 70 of 155 items

Double Reeds

Neuranter, Berthelot, Glotin, Vandoren, Rigotti, Marca… We’ve got a great selection of double-reed makers for you to choose from, as well as double-reed making tools, so you can make your own double reeds with professional quality. Wether it is cane, thread or tools you’re after, you’ll find it all on our website so you can start making your own reeds.

How they’re made

Double reeds consist of two pieces of Arundo donax cane fastened together with an opening at the tip. However, because the oboe does not have a bocal, the cane must be fastened to a metal tube (the staple), the lower half of which is normally surrounded by a piece of cork. The staple is then inserted into the farrow at the upper end of the oboe.

The idea is to get the two cane strips to vibrate with air to make a sound, which then goes through the Oboe, Bassoon or English Horn’s body and acquires its character.

Double reeds are especially sensitive to humidity, altitude and climate changes, so they can be difficult to look after. You could even say they have mood swings!

A Double Reed's life

Because they're so alive and sensitive to their environment, it is very difficult to find or make the ideal double reed, which is why a lot of double-reed instrument players spend most of their time scraping and modifying their shape, hoping they’ll be able to reduce the influence of factors which are often impossible to control. When a double-reed has become useless, french musicians call it a "poireau", which would translate to "leek" or "vegetable".

For beginners, we would recommend purchasing a finished double-reed. We have a great selection of the highest quality reeds from the best makers, including Rigotti, Marca, Vandoren and many more.

Some of our favourite makers

Glotin is well known for using top quality cane, as well as their double-reed’s beautiful finish. Glotin is responsible for developing a double-reed which is mounted on a 47mm tube, and has medium thickness and opening.

Musicians themselves will then proceed to scraping and finishing these double-reeds to their liking.

Rigotti has earned international recognition thanks to the Rigotti family’s Provence cane plantations, in the Var region of France. Their warm and colourful reeds are now exported all over the world, and their wonderful cane gives their double-reeds a subtle quality, loved by advancing players and professionals alike.

Marca has been manufacturing reeds in the Var region of France since 1957.

Consistent quality control and regularly testing their products with some of the best professional musicians results in beautiful, high quality reeds and double-reeds.

Created by Jany Berthelot,Berthelot specialises in making Double Reeds. Very fond of Oboists and of top-of-the-range products, Berthelot also manufactures Obow accessories and tools such as reed guillotines, gouges, shapers and more.

Vandoren is one of the most appreciated reed makers amongst professional musicians around the world. Created in France in 1905 by Eugène Vandoren, they have been manufacturing some of the best reeds and accessories on the market for years.

Apart from its renowned reeds, Vandoren also manufactures top quality double reeds with Provence Cane from its own plantations. Nowadays, Vandoren exports all over the world, thanks to its determination in consistently making excellent products.