Klarinet Archive - Posting 001409.txt from 1997/10

From: Karin Steinmetz <kast0015@-----.de>
Subj: Re: Reed Strengths and types
Date: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 05:38:01 -0500

Jerry Korten wrote:
>This is a very interesting thread that keeps coming up from listserv
>subscribers in Europe. They seem to use reeds that are a lot less strong than
>those we use.

I made the experience that Vandorens (french cut) acted much softer than
Vandoren white masters with the same strength number. But I don't think
this difference gives already the complete explanation for the different
used reed strngths in Europe and the U.S. - BTW: Do we only use softer
reeds in Europe; what about Asia, Australia, South America.... ?
(When I had bought french cut Vandorens by mistake, they always sounded
really terrible (on my mouthpiece). Mostly the pitch was flat (because the
reeds really acted VERY soft), and the sound was somehow thin, squaky,
almost more bagpipe- than clarinet-like.)
Regarding the reed dimensions: I don't know whether there are length
differences, but the french cut Vandorens are broader than the white masters.

Karin

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Karin Steinmetz <kast0015@-----.de>
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