 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Iceland clarinet
Date: 2007-08-15 23:16
Those of you who play on Xilema reeds specially the classic one what letter do you find equal to V-12 #3.5? I've just been recomended classical size D as equal to V-12 #3.5 but I don't know if it's me or just the sound of the reed but they do feel like strongest ones in V-12 #3 ? Just curious about peoples opinion.
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Author: Bassie
Date: 2007-08-16 09:32
I play Professional 'C' on a Vandoren B45 Dot. They feel similar in strength to Vandoren Traditional 3 and slightly softer than V12 3.5. I also have some Artesana, which play slightly softer. I haven't tried Classical, unfortunately.
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Author: Bassie
Date: 2007-08-16 12:27
The place I buy mine, they say that C=4 ! (And they don't sell 'C+'... is that meant to be harder than 'C'?)
I have two ideas:
1.) Maybe it depends on your mouthpiece
2.) These reeds play much softer when wet. So for me, for the first five minutes it's like playing on a 3.5, and after that it plays like a 3. But different players might experience this differently.
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Author: Iceland clarinet
Date: 2007-08-16 12:53
I totally agree with you Bassie about them being softer when wet. They used to have them just in letters A-E but now also in + grades. Where do you buy your Xilema reeds? I see that you are in UK and I did buy a box from Reeds Direct but they were the singel cut reeds and were very incosistant. Now all their reeds are double french file cut and very consistant. It could be that it's a bit time since I played on V-12 reeds and have gone to Gonzalez FOF #3.25 and then Glotin GIII #3.5 and maybe they are harder than V-12 #3.5(I should play a little bit softer reeds to get even more singing tone on my Grabner Kaspar 14 mouthpiece).
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Author: redwine
Date: 2007-08-16 15:02
Hello,
(Disclaimer- I am the North American importer of Canyes Xilema reeds)
I equate the Professional and Artesana cut (same cut, only the Artesana has been hand finished at the factory, which is why they seem a bit softer to you) to the V-12, although they are different. I equate the Classic cut to the Traditional, although they are different too. Canyes Xilema publishes that A=2.5, B=3, C=3.5, etc., however, I find them to be slightly softer than published. Now that they offer quarter strengths (A, A+, B, B+, etc.), I actually shift the hardness to be A=2.25, A+=2.5, B=2.75, etc..
The Spanish tend to play softer reeds than we play in the US, which is why their hardest reed strength is E+ (my 4.5 equivalent).
I discovered in my second large order of Canyes Xilema reeds that the reeds with the single file cut were very consistent and the reeds without the single file cut were not consistent, so now I only import the ones with the single file cut to the US. I do believe that Inma (the owner of Canyes Xilema) only makes all reeds with the file cut now. She only recently purchased a second CNC machine so now the entire process of reed making is in-house (casa?). If you can make it to Valencia, Spain (a glorious part of the world), you should definitely drop in on the Canyes Xilema factory and see how reeds should be made!
Ben Redwine, DMA
owner, RJ Music Group
Assistant Professor, The Catholic University of America
Selmer Paris artist
www.rjmusicgroup.com
www.redwinejazz.com
www.reedwizard.com
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Author: Bassie
Date: 2007-08-16 15:41
I buy from Reeds Direct. Consistency has been very good. I haven't been paying attention to the file cut. The vamp of the (unfinished) Professional is very rough but I find they play just fine right out of the box.
> The Spanish tend to play softer reeds than we play in the US
I get the feeling that long, closed mouthpieces are more popular in the US... but I guess that's a whole 'nother thread.
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