Klarinet Archive - Posting 000140.txt from 2005/06
From: Karl Krelove <karlkrelove@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Question on Gonzales FOF reeds
Date: Mon, 06 Jun 2005 21:06:45 -0400
Walter,
This thread quickly changed direction and then died out, but when you
posted it my curiosity was aroused. I ordered a box of 3-1/2 FOFs and
then discovered I had some older 3-3/4 ones in my box of discards (from
an earlier mouthpiece). I don't know when I bought them - the logo is
not exactly the same as the one on the new reeds I got last week but the
letters are the same.
As you know, I'm using one of your K11 mouthpieces.
I opened the new box (the 3-1/2s), wetted and tried blowing each one.
Three were unplayably heavy out of the box, several were stuffy but
playable and one seemed to close too easily. None played very well.
After reading the few posts that came in I was surprised at the range
within the box - I had expected more consistency. But next, I tried the
older 3-3/4s - 5 of them. I actually liked them much more. In fact I
played a concert this weekend using two of them, with no balancing or
adjustment of any kind, through the rehearsal and the performance later
the same day. Now, comes tonight and the new ones have had a couple of
days to dry from their first playing. The same three are still much too
heavy without a lot of adjusting. But the others, including the one that
closed up so easily, while they still need balancing more than the older
ones, are much more vibrant sounding and responsive, and I think with
some fairly minimal work, they will play very well.
My overall reaction from this particular trial (to draw back to your
original question) is that I may turn out to be personally more
comfortable on the 3-3/4s, but I can't be sure until I try a new box of
them against the recently bought 3-1/2s. I am struck by the difference
in the cut between these reeds and Vandorens, at least the V12s I've
been using. The Gonzalez reeds seem much more deeply cut back at the
butt end of the vamp - they almost look gouged. When I tried with a
knife to imitate the cut with a Vandoren, it actually started to sound
much more like the Gonzalez reeds, which makes me not so sure that it's
so much the Argentinian cane as it is the way the reeds are cut.
So there, for what any of it's worth...
Karl
GrabnerWG@-----.com wrote:
>I am quite "sold" on the Gonzales FOF reeds. I really don't want to start a
>"I like my brand of reed best contest here. I know many of you get good
>results from a variety of different brands).
>
>Of those of you out there, who use Gonzales reeds, what strength do you
>prefer. I seem to always wind up back at the 3 1/2 strength. Is that the
>consensus of other Gonzales users, or do you congregate at a slightly harder (or
>softer) strength?
>
>How many of you use a Gonzales 4, for example, and if so, with what
>mouthpiece?
>
>Walter Grabner
>www.clarinetXpress.com
>World-class clarinet mouthpieces
>
>
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