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Forestone Reed trial

Author: hinotehud ★2017
Date: 2009-04-05 11:01

I received my three Forestone reeds yesterday in the softer CL series sizes 3-, 3 and 3+ people recommended for U.S. clarinetists.

I normally play on a Vandoren M30 with V12 size 3 1/2 reeds.

I found these reeds to be very bright in tone and anything above a high C, the tone was very thin. (I didn't bother even opening the 3- reed.) I thought I could at least use these reeds to practice my scales etc, but tone quality on the 3rd octave G was so thin and flat, I gave up that idea.

I wish I had ordered the stiffer reeds at least in the the 3- and 3 sizes. I had the same trouble with Legere reeds.

By the time I found Legere reeds that gave me the dark tone I could get on cane reeds, it was so resistant, I was unable to play on them for more than 10 minutes at a time.

Since my first post, I tried these again and also the Legere 3 1/2 Quebec cut reeds I had. For me, the Forestone reed played much more freely or responsively like a cane reed would. By comparison, the Legere seemed more stuffy. When I raised the Forestone reed a little above the mouthpiece, it played with much better tone quality on the higher notes. Articulation is very clean on this reed. You can dramatically change the stiffness of this reed by raising or lowering it on the mouthpiece. By raising the reed above the mouthpiece, I feel I could use this reed (CL 3+) in situations where a dark tone is not necessary. It very well could have been my reed of choice, if just gave me a darker tone like the Vandorens.

Keith Hudson

Post Edited (2009-04-06 19:56)

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