 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: donald nicholls
Date: 2001-11-19 08:44
kia ora (hello)
who's tried these, have you liked them? I have gone through 2 boxes of 3s and 2 boxes of 3.5s over the last year or so (in combination with Vandoren trad/V12 plus some homemade ones).... i find some i like.... some good sounds- one of them was hopeless until i zapped it on the Reedual to balance it out, then it lasted a whole opera (Verdi- Falstaff). Alas, one day it died suddenly.
There are not many comercial reeds with the shorter (31mm-ish?) vamp that is recomended by many of those who make their own reeds, so most players are not used to the shorter vamp and may not find this a very satisfactory reed. The Zonda Classico is quite short and has a wide tip (like the older GC Thick Blank), but the tip is cut too thin on most of them.
Another entry some way back asked about the Evolution and got virtually no response (at least none that addressed his original question). Surely you guys have tried these out? I formerly used GC Thick Blank from the Blue boxes of 5 and really liked them, but don't like the new GC TB that much. Once Charles Neidich told me i was TOO DARK AND MELLOW, and while he meant it as crit, as someone who has always been told i was "too bright" it was a sort of compliment. Anyway, that was using GC Thick Blue box 3.5.
but the EVOLUTION, what do you think?
donald
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Author: Irwin
Date: 2001-11-19 11:30
I've had mixed results with the Evolution. I'll probably try one more box, but don't really expect to make a permanent change from V12 - 3.5's. I do, however, like the Evolution at least as much as I like Zonda Classico.
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Author: Martin
Date: 2001-11-19 22:55
I had been using Vandoren Traditioanl 3.5s and have switched to Evolution 3.5s since September. The Evolutions seem somewhere between the Traditional 3.5s and 4s. Their quality varies but I find the really good Evolutions give me a richer sound than comparable Vandorens.
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Author: Karel Vahala
Date: 2001-11-20 00:15
Of the Grand Concerts, I personally do best with the "Grand Concert Select" regular (not thick), and also like their price. Karel.
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2001-11-22 12:06
A Trans Tasman response. I have had tons of samples of the various Grand Concert reeds here in Australia and did find the evolution the better of the bunch. The other Grand Concerts dont work real well in the humidity of Sydney and Brisbane I dont know how the humidity relates in NZ.
If you want a short vamp try the Reeds Australia Vintage which blow a bit harder than Vandorens and are available in standard or file cut and last for ages. They also have an XL with file or standard cut which are thick blanked and still fairly short.
I am a jazz player and I find the LaVoz mediums have a shorter vamp but they are probably not the right sound for opera etc..
If you bump into bassonist called Gordon Skinner ex Sydney Conservatorium around the traps give him my regards. He kind of left Sydney in a hurry and I am deeply in debt to him. I want that old Heckel when he retires!!!!!
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Author: Jonathan
Date: 2001-11-25 08:54
I've used the evolutions since around June/July of this year. They work really well for my setup and I'm getting at least twice as many out of a box compared to the Vandored Classics that I used to use. Additionally, I don't have to work on them as much as any other brands that I've tried - I only polish the table on a file and polish the vamp lightly with sandpaper (occasionally ballance of course but most are pretty good). Somewhat different to most other reeds I've tried I feel that I can use a softer reed (of the evolutions) - and yet still obtain as quality a sound - even in the extreme range and whilst doing any extended techs like flutter tonging, glisses, multiphonics, etc. They take me round 1 and a half weeks to break in after soaking them on and off every day for a week before hand. They also give me more control - thats why I swapped and they are quite consistant for me in strength. Of course this isn't to say they'll work as well for anyone else -- but hey - I'm not complaining. :-)
Jonathan Farquhar (Aus)
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