Klarinet Archive - Posting 000008.txt from 1995/02

From: David Gilman <dagilman@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Preferred reeds?
Date: Wed, 1 Feb 1995 12:11:08 -0500

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>Date: Tue, 31 Jan 1995 20:17:16 -0600
>Reply-To: Klarinet - Clarinettist's Network
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>From: "April J. Shallenberg" <ashallen@-----.EDU>
>Subject: Preferred reeds?
>To: Multiple recipients of list KLARINET
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>
>I am a college-level symphonic band clarinetist. I am currently using
>Vandoren reeds, but I am becoming frustrated with their cost and the
>amount of work they take to become playable. Any suggestions for
>something better? I've also heard of some new reeds from Australia...
>I'm not sure of the name. I'm wondering what the consensus is on their
>performance.
>
>
I tried a box of these reeds, the "Vintage" series, which is the more
expensive of the two, and I found them unacceptable. The cane seemed fine:
nicely cured, with a good cone structure in the center, but the workmanship
was poor. The strength varied from reed to reed by a large margin, and on a
couple I saw slivers of wood ready to be peeled off the stock. The tone (on
the average) struck me as more strident than the Vandoren V-12's and Glotin
G-III's I was used to as well. They were so inconsistent that I decided not
to buy another box. I still recommend V-12's and Glotin G-III's as the best
overall. I use the #3-1/2, which is roughly comparable to a #4 in Vandoren
Traditional and to a #4+ in a Mitchell Lurie.

David Gilman