Premium oboe reed

Staples

• Chiarugi 2+: my standard staple, an excellent all-around staple with a big sound. My preferred staple for Loreé, Howarth and Yamaha oboes.
• Chiarugi 2+ Nickel-silver: made of harder metal, these staples are very similar to the Chiarugi 2+ but may have more projection and resistance.
• Chiarugi 2+ thinwall: my newest experimental addition, these staples make very responsive reeds with a bright, expressive sound.
• Chudnow E: all-metal staples with a rubber o-ring instead of cork.
• Chiarugi 2: smaller bore than the 2+. Worth trying on Marigaux and non-ak Loree oboes.

Shapes

• RDG -1: This is the narrowest shape I use. The high notes sit up well.
• Joshua +2: Medium-narrow American shape. Good for pitch stability. A tiny bit wider than the RDG at the tip but less curve. Can be a fix for oboes with a saggy mid-register C while having more richness of tone than the RDG -1.
• Pfeiffer-Mack: More flared at the tip than the other shapes. Reeds on this shape require more control in the upper register but have a very colourful sound full of expressive potential.
• Caleb -1: More curved in the back than the Joshua but without the tip flare of the Pfeiffer-Mack. Provides reeds with a great deal of depth of tone and a large dynamic range.

Thread

• My thread colours change seasonally. Contact me for current options.

If these design options are less important to you and you just want the best possible reed try my Professional Reeds instead.