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Reeds By Holly

All qualities of tone and pitch made acceptable,
what is the most important quality your money can buy?
Trustworthiness...and that's worth waiting for.

Learn MoreShop Now

Reeds By Holly

All qualities of tone and pitch made acceptable,
what is the most important quality your money can buy?
Trustworthiness...and that's worth waiting for.

Learn MoreShop Now

Reeds by Holly

All qualities of tone and pitch made acceptable,
what is the most important quality your money can buy?
Trustworthiness...and that's worth waiting for.

Learn MoreShop Now

Reeds by Holly

All qualities of tone and pitch made acceptable,
what is the most important quality your money can buy?
Trustworthiness...and that's worth waiting for.

Learn MoreShop Now

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Reeds by Holly

You may expect 10-14 days delivery for most orders…

A Bit about Holly’s Reeds…

  • At Reeds by Holly, all my oboe and English horn reeds are made by me personally and guaranteed to arrive without damage, air leaks, or cracks.
  • I work alone and do not use profiling machines, so the necessary waiting period for delivery ensures you get my best effort in crafting a reed  for you.
  • Reeds by HollyMy reeds are scraped most closely to the “Philadelphia school” of tone production.
  • I go for a dark center with as much color layered on top as possible and with the ability to relax the lips and blow down into the pitch.
  • The tip opening is the foundation of the reed’s pitch center. I like my reeds with a smaller tip opening. If you like big tip openings, you might not like my reeds, and trying to pinch open the tip will just make them play flat.
  • Except for reeds specifically built for young and intermediate players, my reeds tend to be (perhaps) a little resistant, as I leave all the “meat on the bones.” A few light scrapes to either side of the blend will noticeably lighten up the reed without destroying balance and pitch stability.

A Bit about Holly …

  • I hold a B.M.Ed. and a M.M. in oboe and English horn performance from East Texas State University, Commerce, Texas (now Texas A&M-Commerce).
  • My earliest training at 9 years of age was on guitar, and my undergraduate studies emphasized classical saxophone performance.
  • While earning my M.M., I began a mentorship with Stephen Lickman, then principal English Hornist in the Dallas Symphony. At his desk, I saw very good reeds for the first time. He taught me the Philadelphia sound and the long American scrape.
  • I have taught oboe, English horn, double-reed making and saxophone to students ranging from sixth graders to doctoral students.
  • I have prepared students for auditions, coached recitals, performed solo recitals, played in chamber ensembles and regional symphonies throughout Northeast Texas.
  • I have taught a bustling private studio, and then retired to take care of chronically ill family members.
  • Now, I’ve returned after almost two decades of mothballed skills. It is a challenge, but I find I’m exhilarated by it!

Holly’s Oboe and English horn Reeds …

  • $30.00 – $32.00
    Select options

    Professional Oboe Reed

    This reed is at 90%-100% finished. It should play well right out of the box, without adjustments. It might play better with a single adjustment. This is the reed of choice for students and adults who need concert ready reeds. You can order it made with an RDG or Kunibert-Michel shape. The tube options are natural cork or synthetic, Forrests, Glotin, Stevens, Loree, or Loree AK. The cane is straight from 10.5-11mm tubes. The gouge can be single or double radius, approximately 0.46-7 at the ears and + /- 0.59 in the center. The dropoff to the resonance windows is a little more gradual than steep, about 0.54. Finished length is about 69mm and the sides of the blend begin at about 65mm. The blend angle is between 30 and 35 degrees from side to center. The typical tip opening is about 1.025mm at its widest point. The reed will crow C’s and respond at all volumes, taper notes, and play at A=440 for a player with similar physical characteristics to me and whose tone production process is similar to mine.
    $30.00 – $32.00
    $30.00 – $32.00
    Select options
  • $30.00 – $38.00
    Select options

    Oboe Reed Blanks

    PLEASE NOTE: If you desire a different profile option other what is described below, contact me at hbauschka@yahoo.com. Profile Options: The tip and blend are thinned to almost clipping thickness, but not quite. The bark is removed along the full length of the vibrating surfaces, preserving a heavy spine and wide ribs. The sides of the blend are marked and faintly scraped in on the sides for reference. The tip is showing some blend and corner differentiation with backlighting. The tip is left unclipped to provide some stability to the cane as it dries and shrinks.
    $30.00 – $38.00
    $30.00 – $38.00
    Select options
  • $30.00 – $38.00
    Select options

    The Professional English Horn Reed

    This reed is 90% finished, which means it will play well right out of the box, and it may play even better with a single adjustment. It is tied on the Glotin brass tube, supported with a brass wire, and comes with some airline tubing already placed for optimal air seal at the bocal. It is made of straight cane of 11-11.5mm diameter and gouged approximately 0.70 in the center and 0.55 on the sides. The blank is 60 mm in length. Finished length is about 56mm and the blend is positioned at about 52mm. As the photo shows, there is still a little bit of extra cane on the sides of the blend and tip, in case you wish to adjust the resistance and tone color. English horn brass tubes are recyclable. Send your brass tubes back and I will rebuild your reed on that tube for a reduced price (see option below). Upgrade to Chudnow brass tube for an additional $10 per reed. Send this tube back to have your next reed rebuilt on it for the standard $22 per reed.
    $30.00 – $38.00
    $30.00 – $38.00
    Select options
  • $15.00 – $23.00
    Select options

    English Horn Blanks

    PLEASE NOTE: If you desire a different profile option, please contact me at hbauschka@yahoo.com. Profile Options: The reed is debarked along the full length of the vibrating surfaces, preserving a heavy spine and barked rails. The tip is thinned almost to clipping thickness, but not quite. The blend is differentiated lightly at the sides for reference. The tip is not clipped open.
    $15.00 – $23.00
    $15.00 – $23.00
    Select options

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