 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: ctt489
Date: 2003-04-03 19:45
Before trying out some Gonzalez reeds from the good 'doctor' I was wondering what the equivalent strength would be compared to Vandoren's 3, 3-1/2 Regular and 3, 3-1/2 V12 ?
Any thoughts on Gonzalez reeds?
Thanks
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Author: Laura
Date: 2003-04-03 20:09
I know a lot of members on this board have praised Gonzalez reeds, but I tried them and I like Vandorens better. The Gonzalez reeds seemed too weak in the upper registers and they weren't very full sounding. Even after adjusting them, I couldn't get them to sound to my liking. Gonzalez are all initially playable unlike Vandorens, where some are too hard and some are too soft. The reed strengths are comparable to Vandorens.
Gonzalez are worth trying because I am sure they sound different on different mouthpieces. Expect to pay more $ for these reeds.
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Author: GBK
Date: 2003-04-04 06:47
ctt489: Most players feel that the Gonzalez reeds are about ¼ softer than V12s of the same strength. (I've also heard some players feel that the FOF's run fairly close to V12's) Thus if you normally play a V12 3½, I would think you may want to try a Gonzalez 3¾.
I made a very rough reed strength comparison chart for you:
Vandoren V12 #3½ = Gonzalez FOF #3¾
Vandoren V12 #3 = Gonzalez FOF #3¼
Vandoren Regular #3½ = Gonzalez FOF #4¼
Vandoren Regular #3 = Gonzalez FOF #3½
A few additional Gonzalez FOF comments:
Gonzalez reeds are cut differently than both Regular and V12 Vandorens.
The cane is denser, with more tightly packed fibers visible when held up to the light.
There is little to no variation of strength within a box of FOF's. (Vandoren's can vary as much as ½ strength up or down within the same box)
If you are new to FOF reeds, and until you find the exact match for your mouthpiece, I would recommend trying both the suggested comparative strength I listed, as well as a few reeds that are ¼ strength less.
Any additional Gonzalez questions can also be answered by the Doctor (Doctor's Products) or Phil Shapiro (Davie Cane) Both are sponsors of this site.
Good luck...GBK
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Author: Vic
Date: 2003-04-04 14:19
Odd, but my experience is exactly the opposite of GBK's. I find the FOFs to be about 1/4 strength harder than the V12s. But, has been mentioned several times on this board, so many other factors come into play. The FOFs are consistent, no doubt about it. I was actually shocked when my last box of FOFs had only nine playable reeds. With the FOFs you actually get to work on your musicianship instead of your carpentry skills.
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2003-04-04 16:21
Just add a few comments to this interesting set of posts....remember you may be playing on a facing that is more allied to the resistance of the Vandoren or either the Gonzalez....
different mouthpieces and playing styles interact differently with various brand name reed makes.....if two players play on different mouthpieces of course results with reed brands may vary....
different players make sound in different ways and this may be a contributing factor why the results are so varied
David Dow
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