 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: DaphnisetChloe
Date: 2015-12-24 14:41
At my local music store there is a sale on Gonzalez reeds and I was thinking of trying some. How do they compare to Vandoren reeds? I normally play on 56 Rue Lepic #3 strength reeds.
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Author: ledomelor
Date: 2015-12-24 16:10
I would give them a try, never know what's going to work for you. I tried a pack of 10 back in 2012ish, back when I played on Vandoren 56 #4. Tried Gonzalez #4 FOF and I absolutely love 2 of the reeds. I remember them being pretty inconsistent. Probably 4 of them were unplayable because they were too hard. The others weren't as responsive as I was hoping. But the two that worked were dreams.
Probably an indication that I should have tried a #3.5. For me, in a box of 10 for Vandoren 56, around 3-4 are performance reeds and 8 are at least playable for rehearsal.
Since they probably don't carry #2.5, I'd give a box of #3s a try if you are looking for something other than the vandoren 56.
I've actually made the change to grand concert select evolution from rico. They're generally "brighter" than the 56's, but extremely responsive. I'm transitioning from a darker sound to a more open and appealing sound. But give the Gonzalez's a try, you might find your perfect reed.
Post Edited (2015-12-24 16:13)
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Author: kdk
Date: 2015-12-24 16:54
Last time I tried them, I think they they tended to be a little stiffer than the same strength number in the Vandoren reeds I was using.
Karl
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Author: bill28099
Date: 2015-12-24 19:11
For a long time I used Gonzalez regular cut 3.25 reeds. They were 1999 and 2000 harvest years and 8 out of 10 reeds were great. 2004 harvest was awful so put those boxes away for over 5 years. Last year they were reopened and I'm back to playing Gonzalez since Rico Reserve 2006 can no longer be found. Aging in some cases does matter.
A great teacher gives you answers to questions
you don't even know you should ask.
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Author: knotty
Date: 2015-12-24 20:01
You have to get a box and try it yourself, I don't think anyone can answer your question except in a very general way from their own personal experience which may have been unique.
~ Musical Progress: None ~
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Author: clarinetguy ★2017
Date: 2015-12-24 20:23
Give them a try. You never know what might work well for you.
I've tried the regular cut (clarinet and alto sax) and FOF, and didn't have much luck with them. I've had great results, though, with GDs, and highly recommend them.
My only complaint, though, is similar to the one Michael mentioned involving the hardness or stiffness of some of the reeds in a box. I noticed the same thing when I tried a box of FOFs, and it happened again with a recent box of GDs. If you buy these reeds, be prepared to do some adjusting.
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Author: KenJarczyk
Date: 2015-12-24 20:34
There was a period that I really enjoyed the FOF reeds. They were marketed (probably still are) in 1/4 strength increments. I found them to be 1/4 strength harder than my "normal" 56 Rue Lepic. The Rue was 3-1/2, and the Gonzalez FOF were 3-1/4. I found that I really liked the FOF reeds, but suddenly, after about 7 months of playing them, I could not find any that would play like that early batch. Since then, I settled back and stayed a Rue Lepic guy.
Ken Jarczyk
Woodwinds Specialist
Eb, C, Bb, A & Bass Clarinets
Soprano, Alto, Tenor & Baritone Saxophones
Flute, Alto Flute, Piccolo
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Author: John Morton
Date: 2015-12-28 06:56
My last order of Gonzalez RC (regular cut) Bb clarinet reeds came in red boxes - previously they had come in brown/tan boxes. The brown/tan had a harvest year on the seal, but the red box style has no date.
There is no mention of this at the web site. Does anyone know if anything important has changed?
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