Klarinet Archive - Posting 000611.txt from 1998/01

From: Neil Leupold <nleupold@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: Reed Preferences
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 09:34:05 -0500

On Tue, 13 Jan 1998, Roger Garrett wrote:

> The Zonda's are one of the best new reeds to come out in a long time.
> They appear to use good cane, and the cut more resembles a Vandoren reed.
> Many people on the list seem to prefer these to other reeds.

Zondas behave somehwat like Mitchell Luries for me. They're nice right
out of the box, but tend to fade rather quickly. I also have this problem
with Vandoren V-12's sometimes, but never with Vandoren traditionals or
Hand Select reeds. Because of the need for good cane right away, and
due to my lack of ability to make reeds on my own, I find myself spending
the extra money for the Hand Select (they're around $10 more per box than
the traditionals) and break them in very carefully for greatest longevity.
This is one of the reasons I asked recently for a recap of books on reed
making. I'm willing to draw a compromise of time and energy for the sake
of saving some money. If I can competently make reeds from tube cane,
then I can buy a few less boxes per year and save myself a decent amount
of money (i.e.; Vandoren Hand Selects run $25/box).

Neil