Klarinet Archive - Posting 000571.txt from 1996/05

From: "Dr. Ronald P. Monsen" <RPMONS00@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Zonda sample
Date: Sat, 25 May 1996 09:14:16 -0400

My Zonda sampler arrived a week ago--the reeds sent were #4's. The strength
was pretty much right on--usually use 3.5 V12's on my C85 115 set-up with
my RECITAL Series soprano clarinets. The reeds "look" as good as any of the
hand-made reeds I have ever made--the sides and the blanks very even. In the
sample of the 5 reeds--I felt two were a bit "light" two "right-on" and one
classed as "hard" (speaking of resistance--not tonal colours). All of the
reeds played and were playable out of the box--I played all of them for a few
moments and set them aside--the next day ditto. Then two days off and when I
returned to the reeds my first impressions as to resistance still held.
I felt the reeds would be something I could and would play--in some respects
they reminded me of the older Olivieri reeds--but the cane seemed quite a

bit more compact--I can't describe their "sound"--but I can tell you that
in playing a series of long-tones in the lower register my hands and arms up
to the the elbow "vibrated"--I really felt "connected" to these reeds--please
don't start a discussion on "light-dark"--I am just trying to describe the
way the reed felt to me. I would never say I would not try or keep working
with other reeds (eg V12's)--but I am certainly going to continue to explore
these reeds and encourage my students to order some.

I also have a new Gregory Smith Reed Profiler--anyone else out there have one?
Ron Monsen