Jones

Jones Double Reed Products (JDRP) has produced oboe and bassoon reeds for over forty-five years. The company literally started on the kitchen table, one reed at a time, by Dr. Wendal S. Jones, who in the ‘60s made reeds for his students at the University of Arizona. Dr. Jones soon became interested in finding machinery that would make this process possible. However, he soon realized that he would have to create the devices himself since only the most simple machines were readily available in those days.

An extremely talented local toolmaker in Arizona was of great help in the design and construction of that machine and it is still in use today. Starting at that level was certainly the inspiration that has led to the creation of many machines, devices and techniques that are the backbone of the JDRP effort. Several automated machines that use CNC technology now profile oboe and bassoon cane, and they can be programmed to any desired pattern. Through the use of this technology, JDRP has become one of the largest producers of oboe and bassoon reeds in the world.

Also of great importance along the way was the search for reliable sources of cane. All of JDRP’s cane comes from southern France where undeniably the best cane is grown. Both single reeds (clarinet & saxophone) and double reeds (oboe and bassoon) are made from the same natural product, Arundo Donax. This cane is a tall perennial plant, not really a bamboo but a grass relative, so it grows year round.

JDRP currently employs over twenty people who are all committed to making products that are consistent and of very high quality. Each employee understands the production process from start to finish and they have on-going and regular communication regarding the production of our reeds. This open communication allows us to manufacture the high quality reeds that our customers have come to expect.