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 Old, boxed reeds
Author: Matthew Moran 
Date:   2008-11-16 18:23

Since Vandoren introduced humidity controlling packaging in their traditional reeds, it makes me think;

Do Reeds have a shelf life?

Would it be unwise to buy discounted New Old Stock reeds? I was considering doing so because they are much cheaper, but perhaps they degrade with time?

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 Re: Old, boxed reeds
Author: mrn 
Date:   2008-11-16 18:45

Everything I've ever seen, heard, or experienced indicates that an unused box of reeds actually gets better with age.

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 Re: Old, boxed reeds
Author: Ed Palanker 
Date:   2008-11-16 18:48

Why not, I've always store my reeds for several years before using them. It depends on where they were stored and the quality of the reed cane. You might get some very good reeds, then again, who knows. ESP
www.peabody.jhu.edu/457 Listen to a little Mozart, live recording

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 Re: Old, boxed reeds
Author: GBK 
Date:   2008-11-16 19:00

Just to remember the "good old days", every so often I pull out a Morré reed from the boxes I still have remaining from the 1970's.

They still play with the same characteristics as when I first purchased them.

As Ed said, there is no substitute for good cane...GBK



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 Re: Old, boxed reeds
Author: DavidBlumberg 
Date:   2008-11-16 21:47

They would be bad if they got moldy by bad storage.

The whole thing of keeping a new reeds humidity under control when it is in dry storage is overkill to me.

Critical when the reed is in play though. The drier the better when in long term storage.

http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com


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 Re: Old, boxed reeds
Author: Eva F. 
Date:   2008-11-16 21:54

when i first started playing clarinet, i used my mom's old mitchell luries (32 years

old!!), and they played wondefully (or at least as wonderfully as a beginning

clarinet player can play)!! sadly, i haven't been so impressed with mitchell luries

since...

-Eva

8th Grade Band Nerd!!!

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 Re: Old, boxed reeds
Author: Geirskogul 
Date:   2008-11-17 00:32

As long as they're kept dry, they'll last a long time. Moist reeds = rot.

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 Re: Old, boxed reeds
Author: Neal Raskin 
Date:   2008-11-17 02:26

I wish i could obtain boxes of the old stock reeds. i like to blame the new packaging for the lack of good reeds in each box. also, with companies going "green," why would vandoren use more material in there packaging when (i'm assuming) the general consensus of the reeds in the new packaging is not so good?

I wish I had boxes of reeds from the "good ol' days."

Neal Raskin

www.youtube.com/nmraskin
www.musicedforall.com

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 Re: Old, boxed reeds
Author: pewd 
Date:   2008-11-17 03:27

i have a few (3,4?) old purple pastic boxes of vandoren #5's from about 1972.
I'll probably pull them out next spring when i have to play the ginasteria...

most of the boxes i'm opening up now are 18-24 months old. they really are better after aging a year or 2. i store them in an ancient (100+ years old) oak dressing cabinet. very dry.

eva, fwiw, i like the really old ML's - can't say i think much for the newer ones however.

hth,

-paul

- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas

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