1A Bassoon Reed – Soft Cane

1A Bassoon Reed – Soft Cane

Responsive • Flexible • Natural

A classic and versatile bassoon reed, crafted in the 1A shape by Georg Rieger. Designed for a comfortable response and balanced playing characteristics, the 1A produces a warm, rounded sound with an easy and natural response. It responds comfortably throughout the instrument and is an excellent choice for players wishing to favour the lower register of the bassoon.

Crafted from hardness-tested soft cane for reliability and consistency, these reeds are an excellent choice for students and developing bassoonists, as well as experienced players seeking greater flexibility, an easier response, or characteristics suited to particular repertoire.

Soft cane provides a responsive, flexible and natural playing feel. It responds readily to changes in air and embouchure, offering a more forgiving character, greater comfort at softer dynamics and a tendency towards a warmer sound.

Hardness-Tested Cane

Every Cameron Burnes Bassoon Reed is made from individually hardness-tested cane. Cane is measured and selected before being classified into one of three carefully controlled hardness ranges:

Soft Cane: 18-16
Medium Cane: 15–13
Hard Cane: 12–10

Choosing a cane hardness allows musicians to further refine their reed selection according to their playing level, personal preference, instrument setup and repertoire.

Each class deliberately contains a small range of cane hardnesses rather than a single measurement. Cane is a natural material, and this controlled variation allows reeds within the same class to retain their defining characteristics while providing enough individual variation to accommodate the different needs of the musician.

For example, reeds within the Soft Cane range will share the characteristics of response, flexibility and a natural playing feel, while subtle differences between individual pieces of cane may provide slightly different levels of support and flexibility. This gives musicians scope to select reeds for different playing situations and repertoire while remaining within their preferred hardness class.

Choosing Your Cane Hardness

The three cane hardnesses are designed around playing characteristics rather than ability level alone. A harder reed is not inherently more advanced or better than a softer reed; each provides a different playing experience.

Soft Cane — Responsive • Flexible • Natural
Hardness 18–16. A forgiving and responsive feel with greater flexibility, comfortable softer dynamics and a tendency towards a warmer sound. An excellent choice for students and developing players, or experienced musicians seeking these characteristics.

Medium Cane — Controlled • Stable • Balanced
Hardness 15–13. The all-rounder of the range, balancing responsiveness with additional stability and control. A versatile choice across a broad range of registers, dynamics and repertoire.

Hard Cane — Crisp • Powerful • Spicy
Hardness 12–10. Provides greater resistance and support with a crisp response and slightly brighter character. Well suited to players seeking greater projection, presence and stability at louder dynamics.

Individually Made and Finished

Every Cameron Burnes Bassoon Reed is individually made, processed and adjusted with an emphasis on reliability, comfort, response, articulation, consistency and longevity.

Precision profiling provides a controlled foundation, while final adjustments take into account the individual characteristics of each piece of cane. Combining reed shape, measured cane hardness and individual finishingprovides musicians with greater choice when selecting a reed to complement their instrument, playing style and repertoire.

Shape: Georg Rieger 1A
Cane: Soft
Hardness: 18–16
Character: Responsive • Flexible • Natural
Sound: Warm and rounded
Recommended for: Students and developing bassoonists; players seeking a responsive and flexible reed; and musicians wishing to favour the lower register, softer dynamics and a warmer sound.