During a gig with his band, and in the midst of several years of research and development to find a synthetic material comparable to natural cane (Arundo Donax), Harry Hartmann came up with an idea:
In order to reproduce as closely as possible the sound of natural cane, all of the positive qualities of the cane should be kept, while the negative ones should be excluded.
In the course of further investigation it was discovered that the sound qualities of Arundo Donax originate from two characteristics: longitudinal feeding channels and the cellular structure that surrounds them. This is how nature’s perfection became the principle of Fiberreed.
Harry Hartmann plays saxophone since 1976. He obtained a Master’s Degree in music at the University for Music and Performing Arts in Stuttgart/Germany with Professor Bernd Konrad. He has been a professional musician since 1982 and has been teaching privately at music schools focusing on jazz, latin and classical music.
“As a musician, I have tried to fulfil all the requirements of an innovative reed. In order to take into account your wishes and suggestions I would be happy if you could share your experiences of Fiberreed with me. Thank you for your cooperation.”
Harry Hartmann’s Fiberreed made from HFC unites superior sound and performance qualities with twenty to thirty times the durability of a traditional cane reed. And, most importantly, every reed performs to the same high specifications. Even years from now, your new Fiberreed will perform with the exact same excellence that you experience today. And, there is no need for warming up as there is with cane reeds. With Fiberreed you will get a full response from the very first moment.
A material with excellent sound qualities was created through the unification of high-tech materials and artistic sensibility. Its name: Hollow Fiber Foamresin Compound (HFC).
HFC replaces the feeding channels of cane with hollow fibers and the cellular structure with a foaming resin. This combination, together with a balanced relation in proportion to longitudinal to lateral stiffness, enables sound qualities which not only come close to Arundo Donax cane, but actually exceed it in many aspects, making it unlike other synthetic materials.