 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: bmcgar ★2017
Date: 2010-09-12 20:16
I bought a Forestone reed some weeks back just to see what all the hubbub is about. Imagine my surprise when I could hardly play it without squeaking and squawking, and with a sound that was as muddy as the Missouri during a drought.
Yes, I'm an accomplished player and was briefly a pro. several lives ago.
Yes, the strength was what I'd expected.
No, the reed didn't show anything weird to the eye. I'd take some measurements of the vamp, but I don't have the proper equipment to do that.
No, I'm not using some weird mouthpiece or ligature.
Yes, I've played Legeres successfully in the past, though I only use them for emergencies.
Yes, a friend, the retired principal of a professional symphony orchestra here in the South, had the same experience when he tried the reed.
Yes, I'm sure that, if I sent it back, I'd get a replacement.
I'm just curious if anyone else has had a bad experience like this with a Forestone.
(I'm not condemning the product or suggesting that those who find them good are nuts. )
Just curious!
B.
B.
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Author: dansil
Date: 2010-09-13 03:22
Your experience is somewhat unusual and totally different from my Forestone experience over the past 15 months or so. I'm still using Forestone reeds which are 12 months old (my first reeds haven't deteriorated one little bit but I've moved to stiffer reeds).
Admittedly I haven't had to buy any reeds for several months and it's possible Forestone have changed something about the reeds/stiffness, etc.
My only guess is that you haven't got the correct reed stiffness for your playing. It's either too soft (most common complaint with this brand) or too stiff for your MP combination.
cheers, Danny Silver
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Author: dgclarinet
Date: 2010-09-13 13:19
I had the same experience with Forestones. I was really hoping for something great after reading some of the opinions on this board, but of the three reads I got (4/4.5), I had no luck at all. If I wanted that kind of sound, the good old Rico orange box reeds are a lot cheaper. The newer Legeres work much better for me, but I still use mostly cane. Someday soon somebody will get it right (for me), but Forestone definitely didn't do it, yet. As usual, with any clarinet topic...your mileage may vary.
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Author: clarinetdaddy
Date: 2010-09-13 15:34
For some reason I also had the same experience with my Forestone reed. I bought mine about 1 1/2 years ago. I did not like them. But a few days ago while reading the message board these reeds were mentioned once again. So I dug them out and WOW! I have one that is playing GREAT! When I bought the reed I was living in Atlanta now I'm living in Fairbanks, Alaska. But now I have fallen for these reeds. (At the moment). Who knows how long this will last. I play on a very open mpc and these reeds work really good with my set-up! Good Luck to all of us on the Quest for good reeds!
Miles
clarinetdaddy
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do
nothing".
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Author: pplateau
Date: 2010-09-13 22:27
Might be your MP; the newer brown color reeds seem quite remarkable to me so far on a closed mp setup with VD Optimum lig. But I noticed some significant difference with different MP's
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Author: Marie from New York
Date: 2010-09-13 23:45
I had pretty much the same experience as B. I tried three different strengths and really, seriously disliked them. I use an "open" mouthpiece and a Rovner ligature but tried them on a few of my other mouthpieces as well but still found them basically unusable. I have student who plays them and sounds great on them. Wish I could do the same.
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2010-09-14 02:51
I'd say you got a lemon. I've purchased about a dozen Forestone reeds and they all played reasonably well.
Freelance woodwind performer
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Author: William
Date: 2010-09-14 15:13
It could be only a matter of misplacement on the mouthpiece. I have noticed that if the reed is not exactly centered on my Kapsar mpc, the reed does not play well. Also, If the tip of the reed is at all below the tip of the mouthpiece, it does not respond well. For me, I usually try to place the tip of the reed precisly even with the tip of the mouthpiece, looking at it from the side to make certain it is at the same heighth, or position the reed tip to be just a tiny bit higher--but never lower. I also postition my ligature to be about a quarter inch below the top line around my mouthpiece, but sometimes place it on the line or slightly above. Placing it way too low does not seem to work well.
As with any reed, it's performance may be improved by repositioning it's alleignment on the mouthpiece, but with the new synthetic Forestones--as they are remarkably consistant with respect to dimensions and contour--it is important that the position be "classically" perfect every time: even between the rails, exactly even with the tip of the mpc--or a tiny bit higher, but NEVER lower. Any ever-so-tiny carelessness of reed placement may result in the reed not perfroming well and a dissatisfied clarinetist.
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