 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: seabreeze
Date: 2017-03-14 00:12
Just a quick note on first impressions of Behn's ARIA reeds for clarinet. I've played them for two days and like the deep resonance they give and the far better than average consistency. Too soon to tell how they will break in and sound after a few weeks, but so far, so good. I would place their sound quality somewhere between the traditional blue box and V12 Vandorens; they give a very full overtone profile, strong in the fundamental and the higher partials. Very nice balance, and cane looks good.
He sent a mixed box of 10: some #3 and some #3.5. The #3s were too soft but the #3.5s just right for the mouthpieces I play. I use a double lip embouchure and I tried them on a Behn small chamber EPIC with a close facing under 1.0 mm, a Vandoren M13, and a Vandoren M13 lyre; they played well on all three: Rounded staccato, easy speaking altissimo, clear and projecting throat tones, and the sound held well in fortissimo and piano (didn't go strident or hollow).
Also tried them on the three vintage pieces, a Vandoren 3UD, a Freeman, and an A. Perier. They brought all three of these back to life, especially the Perier, which seems to be a perfect match.
Post Edited (2017-03-14 19:34)
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Author: ClarinetRobt
Date: 2017-03-14 02:14
Seabreeze:
I've been buying Brad's Luethner (French) reeds with great success. Any thoughts on the difference between the two?
Though I've mean leaning towards just using Legere Euro Sign full time.
~Robt L Schwebel
Mthpc: Behn Vintage
Lig: Ishimori, Behn Delrin
Reed: Legere French Cut 3.75/4, Behn Brio 4
Horns: Uebel Superior (Bb,A), Ridenour Lyrique, Buffet R13 (Eb)
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Author: seabreeze
Date: 2017-03-14 04:06
Behn's Arias have a livelier response. The Luethner reeds, even in the French cut, tend toward a more covered, less focused sound than the new ARIAs. The Arias have more of a ring and maybe a bit more depth in the sound. Also very crisp in articulation.
Post Edited (2017-03-14 19:25)
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Author: gwie
Date: 2017-03-17 11:28
Just ordered two boxes! Looking forward to trying them out, especially as I've only been playing Legere for a few months.
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Author: Roxann
Date: 2017-03-17 19:49
How were you able to order them? I just went to the Behn website and it says that the Aria is "coming soon?"
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Author: Chetclarinet
Date: 2017-03-18 04:05
I Tried a box and they are excellent! I could use ALL of the ten reeds! Amazing! They have a great sound,articulate well, and are obviously well balanced and well cut! Bravo!
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Author: gwie
Date: 2017-03-22 00:00
I bought two boxes of strength 4 to share with my high school students, the majority of which are playing either Vandoren V12 3.5 or D'Addario Reserve Classic 3.5 on a whole range of different mouthpieces.
They are ecstatic about the consistency from reed to reed, and the general response which is generally better than that of their regular reeds. Time will tell how long they last, but we did not get a single truly "bad" reed out of the batch, and perhaps one or two were only a touch soft. I think in general they feel a tiny bit less resistant than the Vandoren and D'Addario 3.5's.
However,I found the 4's a bit too resistant feeling on my Behn Epic HCV mouthpiece, probably because I've been playing on only Legere Signature European Cut 3.5 since December and those feel softer to me than the Vandoren or D'Addario 3.5's. I've ordered two additional boxes in the 3.5 strength!
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Author: tucker ★2017
Date: 2017-03-22 00:43
Just an FYI.... I emailed Brad inquiring about Aria reeds for bass.... he said they don't have them at this time but hope to in the future.
Post Edited (2017-03-22 00:43)
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Author: ClarinetRobt
Date: 2017-03-22 01:07
I tried the reeds (3.5) last night with my Behn Vintage Z last night. The few I tried were terrific. Great response. I handed out the rest to my buds throughout the section, everyone seem to fall in love immediately. I found them a tad soft so will get 4s for the next go around. But Brad is definitely on something terrific. Great Reeds straight out of the box with no adjustments needed.
~Robt L Schwebel
Mthpc: Behn Vintage
Lig: Ishimori, Behn Delrin
Reed: Legere French Cut 3.75/4, Behn Brio 4
Horns: Uebel Superior (Bb,A), Ridenour Lyrique, Buffet R13 (Eb)
Post Edited (2017-03-22 05:09)
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Author: Chris Di Santo
Date: 2017-03-24 23:41
Brad Behn’s Aria reeds are simply outstanding! Made from excellent cane, they are incredibly consistent, well-balanced and perform with hair-trigger response. Having recently performed Brahms’ First Symphony on an Aria, I was easily able to produce a sweet, warm, colorful and flexible sound rich in overtones and full of resonance and projection much easier than anything else I have used over the past several months. Based on my experience, Aria reeds raise the bar and represent a new paradigm in reed concept and production. Bravo Brad!
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Author: davidycook1
Date: 2017-05-19 05:19
I also wanted to jump in with my thoughts about Brad's ARIA reeds. For a reference point, I typically play on a Peter Leuthner French cut 3.5. Per Brad's recommendation, I tried a strength 4 ARIA, as they tend to run a bit soft.
These reeds exhibited wonderful flexibility, center of tone, and clarity in articulation. I particularly appreciated the center and hold that the reeds have while still being incredibly vibrant. The box I purchased was incredibly consistent and the reeds have been incredibly durable since I completed my break-in process. The cane seems to be of very high quality and vibrates well. The price point is extremely competitive, especially considering the high quality and consistency across reeds.
I tried these on a variety of mouthpieces, both new and vintage pieces. Results were great across the board. Highly recommended!
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