# Strings, Reeds, Mouthpieces, Picks & Drumheads

A pick's material and thickness, a string's core metal and winding, a reed's cane or synthetic hardness, a mouthpiece's cup or facing, and a drumhead's ply all trade brightness and durability against control and depth of tone, not price. The instrument and sub-type decide which spec even applies.

## How it works

These are the worn, swappable parts that actually touch an instrument and get replaced on a cycle. A string vibrates at a pitch set by its gauge, core material and tension; a pick's stiffness and edge shape decide how sharply it releases the string. A reed is a shaved strip of cane or synthetic polymer clamped to a mouthpiece by a ligature, and it (or, for double reeds, a matched pair) vibrates to start the air column; the mouthpiece's cup or facing then shapes that air before the instrument's body takes over. A drumhead is a tensioned membrane, thinned for resonance or doubled and coated to damp overtones, stretched over a shell and struck. Material, gauge, strength and ply decide tone and how hard a player has to work; the instrument and sub-type decide which spec even applies.

## How an expert narrows the choice

```mermaid
timeline
  section 1 · Product type
    string : ask String family, String material, Winding shape, Gauge (thickness), Coated or uncoated : skip Pick material, Thickness, Shape, Instrument, Material, Strength (hardness), Cut (filed or unfiled), Mouthpiece family, Material, Cup depth / tip opening, Batter or resonant, Ply, Finish, Diameter, Film material
    pick : ask Pick material, Thickness, Shape : skip String family, String material, Winding shape, Gauge (thickness), Coated or uncoated, Instrument, Material, Strength (hardness), Cut (filed or unfiled), Mouthpiece family, Material, Cup depth / tip opening, Batter or resonant, Ply, Finish, Diameter, Film material
    reed : ask Instrument, Material, Strength (hardness), Cut (filed or unfiled) : skip String family, String material, Winding shape, Gauge (thickness), Coated or uncoated, Pick material, Thickness, Shape, Mouthpiece family, Material, Cup depth / tip opening, Batter or resonant, Ply, Finish, Diameter, Film material
    mouthpiece : ask Mouthpiece family, Material, Cup depth / tip opening : skip String family, String material, Winding shape, Gauge (thickness), Coated or uncoated, Pick material, Thickness, Shape, Instrument, Material, Strength (hardness), Cut (filed or unfiled), Batter or resonant, Ply, Finish, Diameter, Film material
    drumhead : ask Batter or resonant, Ply, Finish, Diameter, Film material : skip String family, String material, Winding shape, Gauge (thickness), Coated or uncoated, Pick material, Thickness, Shape, Instrument, Material, Strength (hardness), Cut (filed or unfiled), Mouthpiece family, Material, Cup depth / tip opening
  section 2 · String family
    steel_string_guitar_or_bass : ask String material, Winding shape, Gauge (thickness), Coated or uncoated
    classical_or_flamenco_guitar : ask String material, Gauge (thickness), Winding shape : skip Coated or uncoated
    bowed_orchestral_violin_family : ask String material : skip Gauge (thickness), Winding shape, Coated or uncoated
  section 3 · Mouthpiece family
    brass_cup_mouthpiece : ask Material, Cup depth / tip opening : skip Instrument, Material, Strength (hardness), Cut (filed or unfiled)
    woodwind_single_reed_mouthpiece : ask Material, Cup depth / tip opening, Instrument, Material, Strength (hardness), Cut (filed or unfiled)
```

1. **Product type.** Strings, picks, reeds, mouthpieces, or drumheads?
   Each product type has its own spec vocabulary: gauge and winding for strings, thickness for picks, cane strength for reeds, cup geometry for mouthpieces, ply for drumheads.
   If string: ask String family, String material, Winding shape, Gauge (thickness), Coated or uncoated; skip Pick material, Thickness, Shape, Instrument, Material, Strength (hardness), Cut (filed or unfiled), Mouthpiece family, Material, Cup depth / tip opening, Batter or resonant, Ply, Finish, Diameter, Film material.
   If pick: ask Pick material, Thickness, Shape; skip String family, String material, Winding shape, Gauge (thickness), Coated or uncoated, Instrument, Material, Strength (hardness), Cut (filed or unfiled), Mouthpiece family, Material, Cup depth / tip opening, Batter or resonant, Ply, Finish, Diameter, Film material.
   If reed: ask Instrument, Material, Strength (hardness), Cut (filed or unfiled); skip String family, String material, Winding shape, Gauge (thickness), Coated or uncoated, Pick material, Thickness, Shape, Mouthpiece family, Material, Cup depth / tip opening, Batter or resonant, Ply, Finish, Diameter, Film material.
   If mouthpiece: ask Mouthpiece family, Material, Cup depth / tip opening; skip String family, String material, Winding shape, Gauge (thickness), Coated or uncoated, Pick material, Thickness, Shape, Instrument, Material, Strength (hardness), Cut (filed or unfiled), Batter or resonant, Ply, Finish, Diameter, Film material.
   If drumhead: ask Batter or resonant, Ply, Finish, Diameter, Film material; skip String family, String material, Winding shape, Gauge (thickness), Coated or uncoated, Pick material, Thickness, Shape, Instrument, Material, Strength (hardness), Cut (filed or unfiled), Mouthpiece family, Material, Cup depth / tip opening.
   Skip if already known: a query that already names one of the five product types, an earlier answer naming a gauge, strength number, ply or cup spec specific to one type.

2. **String family.** Guitar/bass steel strings, nylon classical, or bowed orchestral?
   Steel-string, nylon classical and bowed-orchestral strings use different core materials and gauge systems, so family decides which material and gauge values even apply.
   If steel_string_guitar_or_bass: ask String material, Winding shape, Gauge (thickness), Coated or uncoated.
   If classical_or_flamenco_guitar: ask String material, Gauge (thickness), Winding shape; skip Coated or uncoated.
   If bowed_orchestral_violin_family: ask String material; skip Gauge (thickness), Winding shape, Coated or uncoated.
   Skip if already known: an earlier answer naming a specific instrument such as guitar, bass, violin or cello, a query already naming nylon strings or steel strings.

3. **Mouthpiece family.** A brass mouthpiece, or a woodwind one?
   Brass mouthpieces are judged by cup depth and rim diameter; woodwind mouthpieces by tip opening and facing length against a reed, entirely different geometries.
   If brass_cup_mouthpiece: ask Material, Cup depth / tip opening; skip Instrument, Material, Strength (hardness), Cut (filed or unfiled).
   If woodwind_single_reed_mouthpiece: ask Material, Cup depth / tip opening, Instrument, Material, Strength (hardness), Cut (filed or unfiled).
   Skip if already known: an earlier answer naming trumpet, trombone, horn, clarinet or saxophone, a query already naming cup depth, rim diameter, tip opening or facing.

## What to surface

### Product type

Whether the listing is a string, a pick (plectrum), a reed, a mouthpiece, or a drumhead. It routes everything else: a pick's thickness means nothing on a drumhead, and a reed's strength number means nothing on a string. Asking this first stops the wrong spec set from ever coming up. [1] [2] [4] [6] [8]

Values: string, pick, reed, mouthpiece, drumhead.
Question to ask: Strings, picks, reeds, mouthpieces, or drumheads?

Used as: top-level split, filter. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Derive from the product title and category breadcrumb ('Guitar Strings', 'Guitar Picks', 'Clarinet Reeds', 'Trumpet Mouthpiece', 'Snare Drumhead').
Title and category keyword match covers nearly every listing in this leaf.

### String family

Whether the string is a steel-string guitar or bass string, a nylon classical/flamenco guitar string, or a bowed orchestral string (violin family). Steel-string sets are sold by gauge in thousandths of an inch; nylon classical sets are sold loose by tension (light/medium/heavy); bowed strings are sold by tension, not diameter, and rarely show a gauge number at all. [1]

Values: steel_string_guitar_or_bass, classical_or_flamenco_guitar, bowed_orchestral_violin_family.
Question to ask: Guitar/bass steel strings, nylon classical, or bowed orchestral?

Used as: top-level split, filter. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Derive from the title's instrument name ('Electric Guitar Strings', 'Classical Guitar Strings', 'Violin Strings').
Instrument keyword in the title maps directly to one of the three families.

### Mouthpiece family

Whether the mouthpiece is a brass cup mouthpiece (trumpet, trombone, horn, tuba) or a woodwind single-reed mouthpiece (clarinet, saxophone). Brass mouthpieces are specified by cup depth and rim diameter; woodwind mouthpieces are specified by tip opening and facing length against a reed held on by a ligature. The two spec sets share no vocabulary. [6] [7]

Values: brass_cup_mouthpiece, woodwind_single_reed_mouthpiece.
Question to ask: A brass mouthpiece, or a woodwind one?

Used as: top-level split, filter. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Derive from the title's instrument name ('Trumpet Mouthpiece', 'Clarinet Mouthpiece').
Title keyword match to the instrument name.

### Diameter

The head's diameter in inches, which must match the drum's shell/rim size; drumheads across the family run roughly 6 to 40 inches, with bass-drum heads running largest. This is a hard compatibility spec, not a taste call: a head one size off will not seat on the rim at all, so it narrows the catalog to one exact number before any tone preference matters. [10] [8] [11] [12]

Range: 6 to 40 inch.
Question to ask: What size, in inches, is your drum?

Used as: filter. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Always stated in the title and variant selector as a single inch size (e.g. '14"', '22"').
Title/variant number extraction; this field is on essentially every drumhead listing since it is required to order the right size.
Chart: position on a size axis, toms and snares smaller, bass drums larger.

### Pick material

What the plectrum is made of: celluloid, nylon, Delrin/acetal (often sold as Tortex), Ultem/Ultex polymer, metal, wood or stone, felt, or an imitation tortoiseshell blend. Celluloid is warm and flexible but wears down fast; nylon is grippy and cheap but flexes a lot; Delrin and Ultem are stiffer and longer-wearing for a brighter, more consistent attack; metal and stone are the brightest and least forgiving. [2] [3]

Values: celluloid, nylon, delrin_or_acetal, ultem_or_ultex, metal_or_steel, wood_or_stone, felt, other.
Question to ask: Warm and flexible, or stiff and bright-sounding?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Almost always in the title or brand line name ('Dunlop Tortex', 'Celluloid Guitar Picks', 'Ultex Picks').
Title and brand-line keyword match; Tortex/Delrin 500 map to delrin_or_acetal, Ultex/Primetone map to ultem_or_ultex.
Chart: position on a brightness/stiffness axis.

### Thickness

How thick the pick is, from extra light/thin through light, medium, heavy, to extra heavy/thick, usually printed on the pick in millimetres or a letter code. A thinner pick flexes on the string for a softer, brighter strum and less control on single notes; a thicker pick stays rigid for punchier attack and precise picking but feels harsher for strumming chords. [2]

Values: extra_light_thin, light_thin, medium, heavy_thick, extra_heavy_thick.
Question to ask: A soft, flexible pick, or a stiff, rigid one?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Stated on the pick and usually in the listing title or variant selector ('Medium .73mm', 'Heavy', 'Thin').
Title or variant keyword/letter-code match (T/L/M/H/XH) to the five bands.
Chart: position on a flex-to-rigid axis.

### Instrument

Which single-reed or double-reed instrument the reed is cut for: clarinet, alto or tenor saxophone, or a double-reed instrument such as oboe or bassoon. Reeds are sized and shaped to one instrument's mouthpiece or staple and are not interchangeable between them; buying the wrong instrument's reed is a wasted purchase regardless of strength. [4] [5]

Values: clarinet, saxophone, double_reed_oboe_or_bassoon.
Question to ask: Clarinet, saxophone, or a double-reed instrument?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: derived from listing fields, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Derive from the title's instrument name ('Clarinet Reeds', 'Alto Sax Reeds', 'Oboe Reeds').
Title keyword match to the instrument name.

### Ply

How many layers of film the head is built from: a single ply around 10 mils thick, or two plies of around 7 mils each for roughly double the mass. Single-ply heads are more open and resonant, the choice of most jazz drummers; double-ply heads dampen high-frequency overtones and survive hard hitting, the choice of most rock and heavy players, at the cost of some ring and brightness. [8] [9]

Values: single_ply, double_ply.
Question to ask: A single, open-sounding ply, or a tougher double ply?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Stated in the model name or title ('Ambassador' single ply, 'Emperor' or 'Pinstripe' double ply, '2-Ply').
Model-name keyword match to known single-ply and double-ply product lines; default to single_ply when unstated.
Chart: position on an open-to-dampened axis.

### Coated or uncoated

Whether the string has a thin polymer coating (commonly PTFE/Teflon or ETFE) over the winding, or is plain bare metal. A coating blocks finger oil and sweat from reaching the metal, slowing corrosion so the string keeps its bright tone meaningfully longer, at a higher price and with a slightly different feel under the fingers. [1]

Values: coated, uncoated.
Question to ask: Pay more for strings that stay bright longer, or go bare?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Stated in the title ('Coated Acoustic Strings', 'Elixir NANOWEB'); uncoated is the unstated default.
Title keyword match ('coated', brand lines like Elixir/Cleartone); default to uncoated otherwise.

### Shape

The pick's outline and point: the standard teardrop (sometimes called 351), the small jazz shape, a rounded triangle, or a sharper pointed tip. A small jazz-shaped pick gives more fingertip control for fast picking; a standard teardrop is the general-purpose default; a triangle offers three usable points before the pick wears out; a sharper point digs into the string for a snappier, more precise attack. [2] [3]

Values: standard_teardrop, jazz_small, triangle, sharp_pointed, other.
Question to ask: Standard shape, a small jazz pick, or a triangle?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Stated in the title or model name ('Jazz III', 'Standard', 'Triangle Picks').
Title and model-name keyword match; default to standard_teardrop, the most common shape, when unstated.

### Material

Whether the reed is cut from Arundo donax cane, molded from a synthetic polymer (fiberglass or composite), or a cane-synthetic blend. Cane gives the traditional warm tone most players still prefer but is sensitive to humidity and wears out in weeks; synthetic reeds are far more durable, do not need soaking, and play consistently from the first note, at some cost in tone for most players. [4] [5]

Values: cane_arundo_donax, synthetic_polymer, cane_synthetic_blend.
Question to ask: Traditional cane, or a longer-lasting synthetic reed?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Stated in the title ('Synthetic Reeds', brand lines like Légère); cane is the unstated default.
Title and brand-line keyword match; default to cane_arundo_donax when unstated, since it is the market default.
Chart: position on a durability-vs-traditional-tone axis.

### Batter or resonant

Whether the head is the batter head, the one struck on top, or the resonant head, the thinner one left unstruck on the shell's underside. The batter head is thicker or multi-ply to survive being hit and shape attack; the resonant head is thinner to ring and sustain, and the two are often sold as different products even for the same drum. [8]

Values: batter_head, resonant_head.
Question to ask: The head you hit, or the one underneath?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Stated in the title ('Snare Side Resonant Head', 'Batter Head'); a single head without that label is almost always a batter head.
Title keyword match ('resonant', 'snare side'); default to batter_head when unstated.

### Finish

The head's surface treatment: clear/uncoated film, a white textured coating, a coating with a center dot or ring, or a built-in perimeter muffling ring. Clear heads ring brightest and open; a coating mutes overtones slightly for a warmer, drier sound; a center dot mutes them further and toughens the strike point; a perimeter ring kills most overtones outright for a very controlled, dead sound. [9]

Values: clear_uncoated, coated, coated_center_dot, perimeter_muffle_ring.
Question to ask: Bright and ringy, or warm and controlled?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Stated in the title ('Coated', 'Clear', 'Coated Emperor X with dot').
Title keyword match ('coated', 'clear', 'dot', 'muffle ring'); default to clear_uncoated when unstated.
Chart: position on a bright-to-muffled axis.

### String material

What the string's core and winding wire are made of: nickel-plated steel, pure nickel, stainless steel, phosphor bronze, 80/20 bronze, nylon, fluoropolymer, or gut. Nickel-plated steel is the warm electric-guitar default; stainless steel is brighter and more corrosion-resistant but harsher on frets; phosphor bronze keeps its 'new' acoustic sound longer than 80/20 bronze, which is brighter but ages faster. [1]

Values: nickel_plated_steel, pure_nickel, stainless_steel, phosphor_bronze, bronze_80_20, nylon, fluoropolymer, silk_and_steel, gut, unspecified.
Question to ask: Brighter and harder-wearing, or warmer and mellower?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Almost always in the title ('Phosphor Bronze Acoustic Strings', 'Nickel Wound Electric Strings', 'Nylon Classical Strings').
Title keyword match; default nickel_plated_steel for unlabeled electric sets and phosphor_bronze for unlabeled acoustic sets, since each is the market default.
Chart: position on a brightness axis, stainless and 80/20 bronze brightest, pure nickel and gut warmest.

### Gauge (thickness)

How thick the string set is, named light, medium, or heavy and (for steel-string guitar/bass) measured in thousandths of an inch for the thinnest string. A thicker string needs more tension for the same pitch, so it is harder to fret and bend but louder and more stable in tune; a thinner string is easier to play but loses projection and breaks more easily. [1]

Values: extra_light, light, medium, heavy, custom_mixed_set.
Question to ask: Light and easy to play, or heavy for tone and projection?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Stated in the title and spec line ('Light 10-46', 'Medium 11-52'); the first number is the high string's gauge in thousandths of an inch.
Title keyword or leading gauge number maps to the five bands; default to light/regular when unstated, the most common beginner set.
Chart: position on a thickness axis, light to heavy.

### Strength (hardness)

How stiff the reed is, graded on a scale most commonly running 2 to 5 in halves; a higher number is a stiffer, harder reed. A softer reed speaks more easily and suits beginners or a brighter sound; a harder reed resists more air for a fuller, more controlled tone but is harder to play in tune and tires the embouchure faster. The scale is not standardized, so a 3 from one maker can feel like a 2.5 or 3.5 from another. [4]

Values: 1_to_1_5, 2_to_2_5, 3_to_3_5, 4_to_4_5, 5_plus.
Question to ask: A softer, easier reed, or a harder, fuller one?

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Printed on the reed and stated in the title/variant selector ('Vandoren Traditional Strength 3').
Title or variant number maps directly to the five bands; cannot be reliably compared across brands without a conversion chart.
Chart: position on a soft-to-hard axis, 1 softest to 5 hardest.

### Winding shape

The cross-section of the wrap wire on a wound string: round wire (roundwound), flattened wire (flatwound), or round wire ground flat after winding (halfwound/ground wound). Roundwound is brightest and cheapest but squeaks under the fingers and wears frets faster; flatwound is smoother and longer-lived but duller and harder to bend; halfwound splits the difference at a higher price. [1]

Values: roundwound, flatwound, halfwound_ground_wound, plain_unwound.

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Stated in the title for bass and jazz-guitar strings ('Flatwound Bass Strings'); roundwound is the unstated default elsewhere.
Title keyword match; default to roundwound when the title is silent, since it is the overwhelming market default for guitar and bass.
Chart: position on a brightness-vs-smoothness axis.

### Material

What the mouthpiece is made of: plated brass (gold or silver), hard (vulcanized) rubber, plastic, crystal/glass, wood, or stainless steel/titanium. Material changes feel, weight, care and allergy risk more reliably than it changes tone: brass is traditional but needs plating against skin contact, plastic survives outdoor marching use, hard rubber is the professional woodwind default, and whether any material actually changes the sound is disputed among players and acousticians. [6] [7]

Values: plated_brass, hard_rubber_vulcanized, plastic_or_lexan, crystal_or_glass, wood, stainless_steel_or_titanium, other.

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost medium. Look for it as: Usually stated in the title or model description ('Gold-Plated Trumpet Mouthpiece', 'Hard Rubber Clarinet Mouthpiece').
Title keyword match where stated; many woodwind listings omit material and default to hard_rubber_vulcanized, the professional standard.

### Film material

Whether the head is built from synthetic plastic film (almost always PET/Mylar) or, rarely, natural calfskin. Mylar film is stable across humidity and temperature and is what essentially every modern drumhead uses; calfskin is a specialty, weather-sensitive choice mostly bought by vintage and some hand-drum players for its traditional warmth. [8]

Values: synthetic_mylar_or_pet_film, natural_calfskin.

Used as: shown on the card. Data: needs research, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Rarely stated explicitly; assume synthetic_mylar_or_pet_film unless the title says 'calfskin', 'skin', or 'natural head'.
Default to synthetic unless the title names a natural material; natural-skin listings are a small, clearly labeled niche.

### Cut (filed or unfiled)

Whether the reed's vamp has had the bark filed from its sides (a filed cut) or left on (unfiled); sold as separate products within the same reed line and strength. Filed and unfiled versions of the same reed line and strength are different products with a different feel, so matching the strength number alone is not enough to get the reed a player is used to. [4] [13]

Values: filed, unfiled.

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: on the listing, backfill cost low. Look for it as: Stated in the title/variant name when the line offers both cuts ('Select Jazz Filed', 'Select Jazz Unfiled').
Title keyword match ('filed'/'unfiled'); most reed lines sell only one cut and don't label it, so leave unspecified rather than guess when absent.

### Cup depth / tip opening

For brass, how deep the cup is and how wide the rim; for woodwind, how far the tip opening and facing length sit from the reed. A shallow brass cup or close woodwind tip opening plays easier in the high range with less air but a thinner tone; a deep cup or open tip gives a fuller, darker tone and more low-range flexibility at the cost of resistance and control. [6] [7]

Values: shallow_or_close, medium, deep_or_open.

Used as: filter, shown on the card. Data: needs research, backfill cost high. Look for it as: Encoded in the model name/number (e.g. a trumpet '3C' or a saxophone mouthpiece's tip-opening number) rather than stated as a plain spec; needs a brand's own conversion chart to read.
Not reliably backfillable from the listing alone; requires a per-brand model-number lookup table.
Chart: position on a shallow/close-to-deep/open axis.

## What you give up

- Roundwound strings are the brightest and cheapest option, but their bumpy winding squeaks under the fingers and wears frets faster than flatwound; leaving them uncoated keeps the brightest attack but lets finger oil dull the tone within weeks. [1] Board branch: "Smoother, longer-lived, but duller and more expensive".
- A higher-strength reed resists more air for a richer, more supported sound, but it takes more embouchure strength and breath to make speak cleanly, which is why softer reeds are the default starting point. [4] Board branch: "Softer reeds speak easier; harder reeds give more tone and control".
- Synthetic reeds hold up for months instead of weeks and play the same note one, needing no soaking or warm-up, but most players who have tried both describe cane as warmer and more nuanced. [4] [5] Board branch: "Synthetic lasts longer; cane sounds warmer to most ears".
- A double-ply head is roughly twice the mass of a single ply and survives much harder hitting while damping high-frequency overtones, which is exactly why jazz drummers who want an open, resonant sound tend to stay on single ply. [8] [9] Board branch: "Single ply rings open; double ply is tougher and more controlled".

## Words you will meet

- **Gauge**. The diameter of a string, usually given in thousandths of an inch; a bigger number is a thicker, heavier string.
- **Roundwound**. A wound string wrapped with round wire, giving a bright tone but a bumpy, slightly squeaky surface.
- **Flatwound**. A wound string wrapped with flattened wire, giving a smooth, quiet feel and a mellower, longer-lasting tone.
- **Phosphor bronze**. An acoustic-guitar winding alloy of copper, tin and a little phosphorus that keeps its bright 'new string' sound longer than plain bronze.
- **80/20 bronze**. An acoustic-guitar winding alloy that is really 80% copper, 20% zinc; brighter and harder than phosphor bronze but ages faster.
- **Coated string**. A string with a thin polymer layer, usually PTFE or ETFE, over the winding that blocks finger oil and corrosion so it stays bright for longer.
- **Cane**. Arundo donax, the giant reed plant most woodwind reeds are cut from; it gives a traditional warm tone but is sensitive to humidity.
- **Reed strength**. A number, usually 2 to 5 in halves, grading how stiff a reed is; the scale is not standardized between brands.
- **Ligature**. The band, usually metal, plastic, or string, that clamps a reed onto a woodwind mouthpiece.
- **Celluloid**. An early plastic made from nitrocellulose and camphor, still used for guitar picks for its warm, slightly flexible feel.
- **Delrin / Tortex**. An acetal plastic (Delrin is a DuPont trade name; Tortex is Dunlop's version) valued for guitar picks for its stiffness and consistent wear.
- **Cup depth**. How deep the bowl-shaped cup of a brass mouthpiece is; a shallower cup brightens the tone and eases high notes, a deeper cup darkens it and helps the low range.
- **Tip opening**. The gap between a woodwind mouthpiece's tip and the reed's tip; a wider opening takes more air for a fuller sound, a narrower one takes less effort.
- **Batter head**. The drumhead on top that actually gets struck, usually thicker or doubled to survive the hit.
- **Mil**. A thousandth of an inch; drumhead film is commonly described as a single ply of about 10 mils, or two 7-mil plies for a double-ply head.
- **Filed reed**. A reed with the bark shaved from the sides of its vamp; sold as a separate product from the same line's unfiled cut.

## Where we made a call

- Reed strength numbers are not comparable across brands; a 3 from one maker can play like a 2.5 or 3.5 from another. (confidence medium). Sources disagree. Stated directly by the source as non-standardized and varying by manufacturer; the same source separately lists manufactured strengths as commonly 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5 and 5, consistent with this claim. [4]
- Whether woodwind mouthpiece material actually changes tone, versus only internal geometry mattering, is genuinely disputed among players and acousticians. (confidence low). Sources disagree. The source reports Larry Teal's view that material has little effect against other makers' designs that assume it does; this is a live disagreement, not a settled fact. [7]

## References

1. [String (music)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/String_(music)) (primer). Supports: Roundwound/flatwound/halfwound construction and trade-offs; String materials: nickel-plated steel, phosphor bronze, 80/20 bronze, nylon, gut, fluoropolymer; Electric guitar high string runs 8-12 and low E 42-55 thousandths of an inch; Coatings (Teflon/ETFE) resist corrosion and extend tone life.
2. [Guitar pick](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar_pick) (primer). Supports: Pick materials: celluloid, nylon, Delrin, rubber, felt, tortoiseshell, wood, metal; Thickness naming and approximate mm/inch bands from extra light to extra heavy.
3. [Jim Dunlop guitar picks catalog](https://www.jimdunlop.com/guitar-picks/) (spec sheet). Supports: Confirms Tortex, Nylon, Celluloid, Ultex, Delrin 500 and Jazz as real, currently sold product lines.
4. [Reed (mouthpiece)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reed_(mouthpiece)) (primer). Supports: Reed strength/hardness graded 1-5, most commonly 2 to 5 in halves, not standardized across manufacturers; Cane (Arundo donax) vs synthetic reed material and durability trade-off.
5. [Saxophone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saxophone) (primer). Supports: Reeds vary in hardness and are made from Arundo donax cane or, since mid-20th century, fiberglass/composite.
6. [Mouthpiece (brass)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mouthpiece_(brass)) (primer). Supports: Cup depth and rim diameter trade-offs between bright/high-range and dark/low-range tone; Brass mouthpiece materials: plated brass, plastic/Lexan, stainless steel, titanium, wood.
7. [Mouthpiece (woodwind)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mouthpiece_(woodwind)) (primer). Supports: Tip opening and facing length definitions and their effect on response; Woodwind mouthpiece materials: hard rubber, metal, crystal/glass, plastic, wood; ligatures of metal, plastic or string.
8. [Snare drum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snare_drum) (primer). Supports: Batter head vs. thinner resonant head; Modern heads are Mylar plastic film, around 10 mils single ply or two ~7-mil plies double ply; historically calfskin; Typical snare drum diameter is 14 inches.
9. [Drum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drum) (primer). Supports: Double-ply heads dampen high-frequency overtones and suit heavy playing; single ply preferred by some jazz drummers; Coated and center-dot heads further muffle overtones versus clear heads.
10. [Tom-tom drum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom-tom_drum) (primer). Supports: Toms typically run 6 to 20 inches in diameter, floor toms up to 24 inches.
11. [Bass drum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bass_drum) (primer). Supports: Kit bass drums run 16 to 28 inches; marching bass-line drums reach past 36 inches.
12. [Remo Ambassador Clear drumhead product page](https://remo.com/product/ambassador-clear) (spec sheet). Supports: Lists a 40-inch size option for the Ambassador Clear drumhead line.
13. [D'Addario Organic Select Jazz reeds (filed/unfiled)](https://www.daddario.com/products/organic-select-jazz-filed-tenor-saxophone-reeds) (spec sheet). Supports: Filed and unfiled are sold as separate current SKUs of the same reed line and strength.