Comments on: The Reedmaker

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 05:54:20 +0000

For me, these reeds are the best. I ordered three reeds from him and two of them were too hard, so I sent them back, and he scraped more and threw another one in! Every one of them were the best sounding reeds I have played so far, not that I have played alot though. The only downside is it takes a while.

By: chrissy.klem

chrissy.klem — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 20:00:11 +0000

Best reeds I have bought so far! Kerry made sure that I got my order well in time for my performance and also sent me an extra reed free of charge to make sure I had a good sound! I definitely recommend him to anyone

By: karenlass

karenlass — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 18:53:47 +0000

I am a “reborn” oboist; I started playing again after a short 28 year break. When I decided to start playing again, I tried several reed makers, and then based on the reviews of this website, I found The Reedmaker. Kerry Willingham is a delight to do business with, and has been the best reed source I have found BY FAR. His reeds are consistent, responsive, and have the most beautiful sound. His service is excellent. When I got an English Horn for Christmas, I was very anxious to get a good EH reed, and not only did he sen me 2 fantastic reeds in less than a week, he sent me a recording of him playing both reeds so I knew what they would sound like. He has been a source of advice and encouragement, and his reeds have given me a chance to play better than I ever did when I was younger. I am so thankful I found him, and I highly recommend the Reedmaker!!!!

By: grossing

grossing — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 20:22:24 +0000

Love your reeds!! I just sent you my third order. I’ve never had reeds that were as responsive and capable of producing the tone I want.

Thanks!

By: Mark

Mark — Mon, 24 May 2010 17:30:28 +0000

Kerry has saved me countless hours of frustration because my reedmaking skills have never been that speedy. What I really appreciate is the personal attention. When I place an order, I generally discuss what pieces I will be playing and Kerry uses that information when scraping. We all know there are Mahler reeds and there are Mozart reeds and they are not particularly interchangeable. I recently played the English horn solo in Berlioz’ “Symphony Fantastique” on one of Kerry’s reeds. The responsiveness was flawless. It can be unnerving to sit quietly through 2 movements and have to begin by playing an unaccompanied open C. But there was no problem. I always ask Kerry to leave a little extra cane and then I customize. It rarely takes more than 5 minutes before I’ve got exactly what I need. He’s the best I’ve found.

By: reedreviewer

reedreviewer — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 02:39:35 +0000

Every person who is considering purchasing reeds from Kerry should know that he is very responsive and keeps his promises. When we placed our first order with him, he took the time to try and understand our needs. If any reed did not satisfy our expectations, he replaced it without any questions asked. His goal is for all of his customers to be happy with his reeds, and we are most definitely happy to give him our highest recommendation.

By: hgornik

hgornik — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 03:24:24 +0000

I had an arm injury a few months ago and Kerry helped me out of a difficult spot. Reed making was not an option for me with many upcoming concerts. I solicited Kerry for some of his reeds and they certainly came through for me. I made only slight adjustments for pitch (I play very much on the tip of the reed) so shortening them was a necessity to play high enough. He is a fine individual with a real desire to help and by the way, he makes very nice reeds!

By: Lori

Lori — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 21:10:48 +0000

I thought my oboe needed adjustment and had it done, but still struggled with intonation (not usual for me). About the same time a shipment of Kerry’s reeds arrived and I play a stable 440 the full range of the oboe. The reeds are dark, warm, and easily played. I love them and put in another order for four more. Do allow time for them because he does the to specs and it can take up to 4 weeks. But if I know this is what I am getting for the price, I will just allow for the time and enjoy the playing!

By: D Cushman

D Cushman — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 20:31:57 +0000

I like Kerry’s reeds the best of the 7 makers’ I’ve tried. And, he provides wonderful and friendly service. The reeds have a somewhat unusual appearance compared to the others I’ve tried: two pronounced windows on each side, not one long mild one behind the heart. But, in fact, that’s the way I myself was taught many years ago and so maybe that’s part of why his reeds work for me. The reeds are usually very similar to each other, rare initial leaks seal up, and the reeds provide a clear, stable tone. I can really sing with these reeds, and it’s easy to make the vibrato I want. The dynamic range is large, with a huge sound possible on the one hand, and second oboe playing on the other. Occasionally, a reed needs a small bit of squeezing to give optimal results. Overall, while one must bear in mind that no one’s reeds will work for everyone, I give Kerry’s reeds my highest recommendation.

By: aragorn

aragorn — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:42:33 +0000

My son is just a beginning oboe player, but he loves Kerry’s reeds because of how they sound. I am not an oboe player and I am not knowledgeable enough to comment on the sound, but I wanted to review the outstanding customer service we received from Kerry. We recently ordered 3 student reeds from him, and two of them broke. This had never happened before, and we have placed quite a few orders, and I emailed Kerry to let him know. Even though we didn’t ask for replacement, Kerry immediately mailed out two replacement reeds, and this was minutes after we had sent the email. I don’t think I have ever received such prompt customer service from anybody.