The Reed Wizard

RJ Music Group is the owner, manufacturer, and holder of the patent for the Reed Wizard, having purchased Ben Armato's company in 2011. This unique tool was the first of its kind, designed and patented as an original reed balancing tool. It has been the "go to" accessory for clarinetists around the world. In 2022, RJ Music Group, in collaboration with our engineering team in New Orleans, created a Reed Wizard with balancing specifications made for saxophone reeds, which we are pleased to offer for sale on our purchase page! 

Recognized for its high quality materials, innovative and simple design, and ease of use, the Reed Wizard will take all of the frustration out of preparing and maintaining your reeds in perfect playing condition.

A great addition to the clarinet studio, teachers can help their students adjust their reeds to be balanced without knives or other guesswork. The Reed Wizard is a one-time investment that will pay you dividends for years to come.

Manufactured in New Orleans, Louisiana by our state of the art engineering firm, we are proud to perpetuate the legacy of this ingenious patented product.
The Reed Wizard is a sophisticated profiling device that hones reeds to a specified parabolic design, a mirroring of the reed's identical cross-section shape to the transverse sides of the reed. With this exceptional tool, all commercially manufactured reeds can be adjusted to perform at their maximum potential. It eliminates and demystifies the somewhat tedious and often inaccurate process of hand reed adjustment.

The base of the Reed Wizard has specified built-in measurements and a track on which the carriage travels. The carriage has a state of the art honing tool which removes mass from the reed. When the reed is placed on the base, the manual movement of the carriage back and forth accurately redesigns the measurements of the reed to within one sixth the thickness of a newspaper.

Please select either clarinet or saxophone version after you add this item to your cart. 

Instructions: The Reed Wizard is a sophisticated, precision profiling device that quickly,
simply, and accurately redesigns the shape of commercially manufactured
reeds. There are two procedures in adjusting the side rails and heart area
which determine how the reed sounds and performs.
To adjust the side rails, hold the carriage with your thumb and middle finger.
Place the carriage with the honing blade facing the metal guide lines. Align the
outer area of a reed with the metal guide on the grooved platform, with the
side of the reed parallel to the base edge. Use the side of the carriage and the
steel post as a fence. Use your other thumb to hold the reed firmly against the
steel post and the base. Gently move the carriage back and forth, with minimal downward pressure, to remove mass from the reed's surface. When there
is no resistance moving the carriage back and forth, this indicates that the
reed's parabolic contour has been redesigned. Move the reed to the transverse
side of the grooved platform and repeat the same procedure.
For adjusting the heart area, place the reed's side adjacent to the base beam.
Move the reed forward, past the metal guide lines with the tip at the end of the
grooved platform. Gently move the carriage back and forth to remove mass.
Repeat the same procedure on the transverse side of the base beam.
Adjusting reeds is a mirroring process of honing one side and then repeating
the same procedure on the other side of the reed. The Reed Wizard will perfectly balance your reed. If your mouthpiece's facing is a symmetrical, a balanced reed will not be optimal.
Do not allow the side or the tip of the reed to project over the edge of the
grooved platform. The carriage must maintain contact with the basket rack  at
all times. Raising the back of the carriage may cause damage to the reed.
Test often: Always place the reed in the same position on your mouthpiece for
testing. Experimenting with different placement of the reed on the base will
yield different playing results.
Caution!!! Do not adjust the height of the honing blade. This will change the
cutting measurements and will void any warranty. With proper use, the honing
blade will never need to be sharpened.