Both our student/intermediate and professional oboe reeds are made of the highest quality American style scrape and cane selection.  Professional oboe reeds are made with natural cork staples and have a healthy resistance for a wide range of dynamic and color expression while student/intermediate reeds are made with synthetic cork staples to ensure a proper fit into all makes & models of oboes. We recommend using cork grease in your natural corked reeds in the beginning - they will be TIGHT in the reed well.
 
Student reeds are classified as "MEDIUM-SOFT" and they have just the right amount of resistance for students to learn how to use good air and are up to pitch to help develop good embouchure habits. These reeds have a slightly thicker tip (compensating with a thinner heart area) to prevent accidental chips.
 
For all our reeds, we focus on intonation, tone quality, response, articulation, and stability in all registers, however, the student/intermediate reeds may sacrifice in one or more of these areas to ensure an easier response and feel when playing. Student reeds may have clear/invisible parafilm to help with sealing, longevity, and cane stability for all weather and humidity changes. All our reeds are 100% handmade, made-to-order and finished over a few days to insure stability. They are tested to play at A=440 on a professional Loree Royal oboe and sanitized before being shipped out.
 
Student and professional reeds start at $24/$32, respectively, and choosing a custom thread color is an extra $1/reed. Monthly subscriptions are available if you'd like to place an order automatically every month (until canceled), and you'll save $1 per reed on a subscription!
 
Please check our waitlist (click here) to see how long it might take to make your reed. You can opt to skip the waitlist using our priority waitlist option or if you need one even sooner, get a next-day emergency reed. For more information on our waitlist upgrade options, please see the full details on our waitlist page.