Monthly Archives: January 2021

Filed reeds offer flexibility. Unfiled reeds offer powerful tone. The difference is in how the reed is cut and can be heard by the sound it produces.

A lot of reed players wonder about the difference between filed and unfiled reeds. Does it really matter? Yes, it does. The two distinct styles of cane reeds, filed and unfiled, differ not only on how they look but also on how they respond when you use them.

Filed reeds, or the “French cut” or “double cut”, have a straight file across the vamp of the reed. This style allows for extra flexibility and fast response. This is usually used by players who have moderately resistant, traditional, and darker sounding mouthpieces; It gives them the ability to make their sound brighter. It also makes the mouthpieces to blow more freely. Classical music usually uses this style of reed.

Unfiled reeds, also called the “American cut”, don’t have the straight file across the vamp of the reed. It is recognized by its U shape at th