Klarinet Archive - Posting 000669.txt from 1996/02

From: niethamer@-----.BITNET
Subj: Re: German reeds
Date: Thu, 22 Feb 1996 22:55:14 -0500

On Thu, 22 Feb 1996, Ed Lowry wrote:

> My teacher has suggested that I use VanDoren "White Master" reeds for my Eb
> clarinet. These reeds, as I suspect most of you know, are for German-system B
b
> clarinets. They appear to fit perfectly on my B44 VanDoren Eb Mouthpiece,
> although I need to cut the ends (not the narrow tip, but the blunt end) so tha
t
> it doesn't hit the barrel.
>
> Can anyone see a distinct advantage in this? Any disadvantages?

I've used Steuer reeds (expensive German Bb reeds) on Eb, altering them
by cutting off a bit of the butt end of the reed. On some Eb mpcs, Eb
reeds are a bit too narrow for the facing. In general the idea is to have
a reed that fits the mpc - not wider or narrower. Since German cut reeds
are a bit narrower than their french style counterparts, they fit some Eb
mpcs better. I don't know of any down-side to this, but then I don't play
a lot of Eb either. The suggestion to do this was made by a major
orchestra Eb player, and it worked for me on a Hite Eb mpc.

David Niethamer