 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Bradley
Date: 2003-03-02 05:33
What [in your opinion] is the best reed (Brand, Model Etc..) ?
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Author: Karel
Date: 2003-03-02 06:00
The one that plays well for you. I like Grand Concert Select, Gonzalez FOF and Olivieri Elite.
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Author: PJ
Date: 2003-03-02 06:05
I've found the Zonda Supremes to work well with my set-up, but not many people are fond of them. I've heard good things about the Gonzolez FOF's as well.
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Author: GBK
Date: 2003-03-02 07:09
Finding the best reed is one costly chore,
Order on-line, have them sent to your door.
Easy response, good color and nice tone,
Is what we all want when the clarinet is blown.
So what is the factor that makes one the best?
A reed that stands out, oh so far from the rest.
I like the cane that is from Argentina,
It doesn't take thought, not even a subpoena.
For fixing V-12's, it takes more than a knife.
All your scraping and shaping won't bring those to life.
And don't change your tip shape for reasons unknown,
Or harvest the cane till abundantly grown.
Our knife can be such a remarkable tool.
It adjusts a bad reed and makes it a jewel.
Many major brands use Argentinian cane.
Thin fibers, bad cutting, is why I complain.
You must start with good cane - a simple fact that is known.
Right now, it all comes from the South Temperate Zone.
I'll put down my pen, for I'm out of ideas.
Mr. Gonzalez and I are going out for tortillas...GBK (who never got past Poetry 101, but is still trying)
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Author: Benny
Date: 2003-03-02 13:58
I like Black Masters. I used to play on V12's. However, I got fed up with them because they, for me anyway, had a tendency to buzz. Also I only got about 4 or 5 good V12s out of the box but I can get 8-10 black masters out of a box, providing I fix them up right.
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Author: Ed
Date: 2003-03-02 14:38
GBK- I think you have a possible career with Hallmark :-)
At this point I am trying other things, but I am still with traditional Vandorens.
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Author: Bob A
Date: 2003-03-02 22:54
Respond to GBK? Let me gather my thoughts.
The guantlet’s thrown, our GBK has launched a massive quest.
In rhyming mode and scansioned line, he’s asked “Which reed is best.”
Which reed is best? It’s not enough Vandorens to decry.
Our GBK won’t stand for that! He wants the reason why
Regretfully I leave this fray. I just cannot respond.
I’ve yet to find one bloody reed of which I’m very fond.
I’ve tried them all, the plastic’s too, from weak to very strong.
The quest continues, unfullfilled—Oh, I should live so long.
Bob A
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Author: Peter
Date: 2003-03-03 02:06
My experience has really been that what is a good reed today is, often, a bad reed tomorrow. Too much inconsistency with the quality of the materials they make them out of. Too much lack of quality control.
Sort of like, today you buy a box of Super-X and they are good, so tomorrow you buy the same kind and strength and they are not good.
I still haven't tried the Gonzalez reeds. I do plan to do so, but so far, the most consistent reeds I have used, all are playable out of every box, have been made by Glotin.
Not every single one has been a symphony class reed, but all have been more than playable, to date, and most have been of enough inherent quality to be played in public.
Ohhhh, such poets on this BB! Where else can you go for such enlightenment?
Peter
Post Edited (2003-03-03 03:16)
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Author: PJ
Date: 2003-03-03 02:16
Speaking of reeds, has anyone tried the tools made by Bay and Armato for balancing reeds (I think Greg Smith makes one as well)? I've always used a reed knife, but feel that I spend more time in woodworking than playing my horn!
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Author: GBK
Date: 2003-03-03 02:27
Thick blank, or thin blank, the choices are vast.
The reeds that are weak and the ones that outlast.
The brands on the market are really diverse,
Buy "French cut"? Buy "filed cut"? - My head hurts! - get a nurse!
After years on this topic I've come to conclude,
I've spent too much money, now my cat needs some food.
There are bills to pay and the mortgage is due.
I like steak once a week, and I hate turkey stew.
So go try Gonzalez, their cane is supreme,
The fibers are dense, and they play like a dream.
I don't spend the hours with my knife and a scraper,
Or use all my time to adjust with sandpaper.
What works for me, may not work for you,
But try them just once and see if it's true.
Well, I've said my piece, so I'll now go away,
Watch a movie, stroll the beach and just play my Buffet...GBK
Post Edited (2003-03-03 20:53)
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Author: Peter
Date: 2003-03-03 03:14
GBK and BobA,
Y'all can put rap music to those poems, but change your name first so the lynch mob won't know where to find you!
GBK: Don't give up your music gigs quite yet to go into poetry!
:-) :-) :-)
Peter
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Author: fermata
Date: 2003-03-04 00:52
Personally, I prefer Mitchel Lurie reeds...I used to use Vandoren and found them to be rather inconsistent. But of course...it really depends on the player. ![[rotate]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smiley25.gif)
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2003-03-04 02:26
The reed that I like, to be the best player,
Is the Signature reed by Roy J. Maier.
From Selmer they came, half a century ago,
But no more can be bought, though you look to and fro,
Consistency reigns when the box seal is broken,
And nine out of ten *work*, not just a token.
But someday my boxes will dwindle and go;
Those great reeds will all be forgotten. And so...
I play on the FOF, V12, and such,
Black Master, White Master, anything I can touch.
Fibracell does it okay... well, I guess...
But none of these reeds is really the best.
At least not to me, a particular dude --
I'm not used to them yet. And I hope I'm not rude
For saying what you like just isn't for me --
Roy's reeds are still there in my case, don't you see.
Someday, I guess I will have to be strong
And play something else
...if I just last that long.
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Author: GBK
Date: 2003-03-04 03:15
John M. and Bob A. - two poets in training,
Writing 'bout reeds can surely be draining.
Let's respect those two gents because of their age,
They knew when a buck was the minimum wage.
It merely comes down to what reed works for you,
That has nice response, and really cuts through.
Reeds that won't cost a week's worth of wages
To find one that plays now - not in small stages.
I fibbed when I said that my rhyming was through,
This poem I just started - it eventually grew.
It's now time to practice and Bäermann awaits.
I'm tired - I'll just read William Butler Yeats...GBK
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Author: bob49t
Date: 2003-03-04 07:30
Quick Mark - set up an archive to capture these poems in one file and a prize for setting them to well known clarinet themes !!
I've played v12's for years never thinking to change - but this BB opened my blinkered eyes and I'm now having a whale of a time with Gonzalez FOF's. Every one in the box is playable - many are wonderful without any "doctoring". You'll spend a fortune on v12's finding 6 half decent reeds, but buy a box of FOF's and you're there !! They're very flexible and for me suit symphonic playing and chamber stuff beautifully (and even all the sliding required in the top clar part of "Fiddler" (this week's show)
BobT
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Author: Pitiscus
Date: 2003-03-04 12:04
It sounds like a lot of people really like the Gonzalez reeds. I think I'll give them a try myself. I have just one question though. How do their reed strengths compare to Vandorens? Do they feel about the same, or would one say that Gonzalez is about half a strength softer or stronger than Vandorens?
Thanks,
Ken
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Author: Bob A
Date: 2003-03-04 14:49
Next post GBK, John M and I will do one in Latin! Oh Yeah?
Meanwhile, does anyone know if and where available FOF's can be found for Bass Clarinet. The Doc. said he would ask the factory but haven't heard back from him.
Bob A
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Author: BizNizzy
Date: 2003-03-08 18:53
Personally, I am stuck between Gonzales and Black Masters. However, if you really want consistent reeds, I suggest you find that perfect reed that suits your playing, and make your own reeds. Actually is cheaper in the long run if you plan on playing for a while.
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Author: GBK
Date: 2003-03-08 19:08
"...make your own reeds. Actually is cheaper in the long run ..."
I disagree.
For me, time = money. With a busy teaching and playing schedule I do not have the extra hours to devote to reed making without sacrificing activities which produce income.
While learning how to make your own reeds is a very valuable skill, and one that will certainly give you an insight into what makes a reed work, learning to adjust store bought reeds will ultimately yield the best overall savings of time and money...GBK
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Author: RWW
Date: 2003-03-08 22:05
About a year ago, being unhappy with Vandoran, and after trying many other brands, and on a whim, I tried the Pete Fountain reeds. Since I play a lot of Dixieland, I was really pleased with their bright and crisp sound right out of the box. I thought I had solved my problem. Then I bought a couple more boxes about 3 months ago. They are the same satisfactory performance for about 3 hours of playing, then they do something funny I have never experienced before. It is like they suddenly change to some other kind of material than cane. It is hard to describe. They go soft and kind of feel like the mouthpiece is suddenly full of cotton. It is a different kind of soft than when reeds are graded softer (I can play those, it is just harder to control). All trimming and or sanding efforts have been futile. The whole box has done that to me. Great for 2 or 3 hours, then suddenly unplayable, not just gradually getting weak. I have never paid much attention to taking proper care of reeds before, I just played them and tossed them after 10 or 20 hours. Now I am thinking maybe if I knew how to take care of these Pete Fountain reeds maybe I could salvage their original great sound. Any ideas?
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Author: Bob A
Date: 2003-03-08 23:55
Re my previous post about Gonzales FOF's for Bass Clarinet. Graham just sent me a e-mail saying they will be available soon and Doc will also have them. Told him to put me on the "wants" list.
Bob A
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Author: GBK
Date: 2003-03-09 00:14
RWW... At the New Orleans Clarinetfest I sampled some Pete Fountain reeds, and (to be 100% certain of my impression) eventually bought a few extra boxes in different strengths.
On first try, they did seem to blow relatively free, producing a rather large (though somewhat reedy) sound. The thin tip of the reed did trouble me.
I prepared and broke in the reeds the same way as I would any other brand. As I suspected, in my initial observation, their useful life was ultimately very short.
This is obviously caused by an inferior grade cane which has not been properly aged. The thinness of the tip gives one an instant sense of a free and responsive sound, but as the quality and density of the fibers (especially at the tip) is rather poor, the reeds ultimately fail - usually quite quickly. If one plans on using Pete Fountain reeds, use them once or twice and then discard them. Trying to prolong their life with careful prep and break-in is pointless.
I would catagorize them as an average mid priced reed - in the same class as Mitchell Lurie and Rico Royal...GBK
Post Edited (2003-03-09 01:16)
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Author: clarigurl
Date: 2003-03-09 00:26
someone cannot really tell you which reed is best because everyone has a different mouth. i prefer though grande concert selects thick blank,gonzalez, and zonda.
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Author: GBK
Date: 2003-03-09 01:11
"...because everyone has a different mouth..."
and mouthpiece, and oral cavity, and bite, and embouchure, and breath support, and tonguing proficiency, and ligature, and barrel, and..... and.... and.... ....GBK
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Author: Stoops
Date: 2003-03-09 06:44
I just received a bunch of Gonzales FOF's and Mozarts. I was very impressed with the quality of the cane and the consistency of quality of the cut. I tried a variety of strengths and found that I could use several from 3.75's-4.25's (FOF's). If the reed was good, it didn't seem to matter what the strength was. When I went back to my usual Vandoren (blue box) 4's they seemed insubstantial and bright. I'm a new fan. I await the bass reeds with anticipation.
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Author: Bradley
Date: 2003-03-09 11:55
Clarigurl- If the "someone cannot really tell you which reed is best because everyone has a different mouth" ( which was later expanded on by GBK) , I know that.
I did not ask "what is the best reed, so I may go down to my local music store and purchase and play it for the rest of my music career". I simply asked what [in your opinion] was the best reed. I wanted to get a discussion going to hear people's thoughts on different reeds of which most I have tried and have formed my own opinions. Maybe I should have asked "what is your favourite reed", to clarify it for you........
On another note- I play on Grand Concert Selects and V12s (when I find a good one).
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Author: johnny
Date: 2003-03-10 00:30
although consistantly inconsistant v12 git the best range and tone
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Author: PJ
Date: 2003-03-10 02:25
After reeding all of the replies to this thread, I thought I would give the V-12's a try again. I've taken them through the entire break-in process that I always do for any reeds. It was as if I was back in college all over again back when I threw the last box in the trash and switched to Zondas just after they came out on the market. The V-12's are much to inconsistent...to the point that nothing I do with a reed knife makes any difference. For me, Zonda Supreme is just the reed that I can't seem to beat. With them, I take them through the break-in process and that is it! Once in a great while, I might have to adjust the tip a half a hair to improve stocatto or something like that, but no where near the pile of saw dust left on the floor from the Vandies!!
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