Klarinet Archive - Posting 000149.txt from 1998/07

From: thomas@-----.com
Subj: [kl] Re: reeds
Date: Tue, 7 Jul 1998 09:02:56 -0400

>I agree with Bill-save the money.

Right. Kids like to break reeds just for the heck of it, LOL. Ricos at
least absorb some of the expense that way ;) You get 25 of them for $6, and
only 10 ML's for $10+. Very hard to justify to the parents of a beginner
who's holding either a used or rented plastic clarinet.....

I also don't think that Ricos have that bad of a sound. Personally, I don't
*like* the tone that Mitchell Luries get. Fuzzy *does* pertain to them.
Not the strength, please, I do know the difference. My school provides
reeds to the students free, and every so often I used to borrow one for
myself. Blech.

> Try the Rico
>Plasticover--yes, the black ones--or the Fibercell. Because of the plastic
>covering on the Plasticover, they're tough to break, and FAR MORE SANITARY.
<snip>Now, bunches of you will complain that the sound won't be as good.

I don't generally tell my kids to use fibercane type reeds (except for
marching band) because, especially for beginners, it's important to
understand how regular reeds respond. Sanitary isn't a big problem, most of
my kids abuse reeds so badly they never get to the moldy point, LOL. You
can teach a kid to take the reed off the mouthpiece after playing, but you
can't make them put the reed in the reed case!

I have a couple of old Fibercanes I've been using for years for bass
clarinet work. When I say years, I mean like 20+......... :D (eeek!) I
get more compliments on my mellow tone, LOL, if they only knew. Not that I
don't like the sound of a good VanDoren on a bass, I do, and use them if I
have them. But hey, one of these fibercane things even has a major split in
it and still works fine. I have no idea why....

Lynn
thomas@-----.com

********

Sometimes the note sees the attack coming,
and retreats........ ;)
-- Niles Crane

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