Klarinet Archive - Posting 000061.txt from 1994/04

From: Cary Karp <nrm-karp@-----.SE>
Subj: Re: All these reeds!
Date: Sun, 10 Apr 1994 06:19:44 -0400

A long list of reed brands has been posted during the course of this
discussion. However, many of the individual labels are slapped on exactly
the same reeds. There are reed houses which don't market under their own
names, providing instead their produce to other firms whose sole original
contributions are designing and labeling the boxes in which the reeds are
sold. There are also fewer mouthpiece factories than there are mouthpiece
brand names, and fewer instrument factories than instrument brand names.

Has anyone noticed that Rico is now selling reeds in quarter sizes?

From their brochure:

"What are quarter strength reeds? Like clarinetists around the world,
you've been playing reed in half strength increments: 1 1/2, 2, 2 1/2,
etc. Now Rico International breaks through the 1/2 increment barrier to
make reeds so consistent, we're able to grade them in 1/4 increments to
save you time and money. Grand Concert Quarter Strength reeds are
available with regular and thick blanks in strengths of 1, 1 1/4, 1 1/2,
1 3/4, 2, [. . . .] 4 3/4, 5, 5 1/4 and 5 1/2."

They'll exchange the first box you purchase for an adjacent strength if
you guess wrong about your quarter-sized needs. It's nice to know that
the industry has our interests so deeply at heart.