 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Kylene
Date: 1999-10-28 04:19
A lot of the clarinets at my school recently discovered these reeds - whats the general consensus on them? Does anyone play them, are they good (I know that the regular Rico reeds are not good), and how do their strengths compare to the Vandorens - both the blue box, and the V-12.
The one that I played I loved, but I have been having bad luck with my V-12s lately.
Also - how much are Legere reeds?
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Author: M. Brand
Date: 1999-10-28 05:35
The Grand Concerts are a great reed. I too struggled with the Vandorens until my music store recommended them. My preference is for the Select Thick Blank. They are about the same stiffness as the Vandorens, but better consistancy more good ones per box and [IMHO] a better tone. I put off trying these reeds for a long time because I believed that the cheap Rico's were junk. It turns out that Rico can make a good reed, but you have to pay for it.
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Author: Kevin Bowman
Date: 1999-10-28 15:06
I'm an avid V12 user, though I have tried the Grand Concert Select Thick Blank reeds. I found that the GC's don't quite have the projection that the V12's do *on my setup*. They may work better if I were to screw around with a different lig/mouthpiece, etc. I did find the quality and consistency of the cane to be as good as (or maybe even better than) the V12's. In fact, I keep a couple of working CG's in my case "just in case" I can't get a V12 to work. But I prefer the V12's.
On a similar note, I use RICO reeds on sax - that is, either Rico Jazz or Rico Select Jazz. I was using the Vandoren Java but when I got my new bari, I discovered that Java's aren't made for bari. So I tried the Select Jazz and Jazz reeds and they work great. Ironically, I prefer the plain Jazz to the Select - go figure!
Anyway - yes - Rico can make a good reed.
Kevin Bowman
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Author: D. Blumberg
Date: 1999-10-29 01:30
They work great for me. I prefer their sound to the Vandoren.
David Blumberg
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Author: HIROSHI
Date: 1999-10-29 02:27
I tried Crandconcert thick blank and ordinary Grandconcert. I prefered Grandconcert. Thick blank has a thicker heel about equal to that of V12. Grandconcert is brighter than thick one.
Projection, when a player speaks, may be effected by how the player himself is feeling, not necessarily that felt by others. I think it would be the best way let other people listen to what you play, and tell how they felt.
RICO's main target in designing this reed is consistency, asking many players' opinions around the world (like Michel Arignon(France), and of course David Blumberg in U.S. I guess). I think at least this target has been fulfilled.
I think it is necessary to select one good V12 reed in at least several boxes or more. Comparison between that V12 and an off-the-box Grandconcert seems somewhat unsuitable.(Although I admit my best V12 I ever had sounded better than Grandconcert.)
V12 was designed after old MORRE reed designs as Greg Smith elaborated the other day in this BBS or klarinet mailing list. I wonder what design basis Grandconcert thick blank was based on. Their shape resembles very much.
K know V12 is manufactured with less dense cane part(softer part of long diameter cane). Grand concert thick blank, made of Var cane, seems to use more dense part than V12. But this is just a guess.
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Author: TRacy
Date: 1999-10-29 16:29
I hate to say it but I really don't like the Grand COncert Reeds. I have really never had one that I like...mabey it's just my bad luck or mabey that means something...my best advice to you is no matter what people say you should try them because what works for may or may not work for the other. See if you can get one or two from somewhere and see how they are before you invest in a whole box though.
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Author: Mark Charette, Webmaster
Date: 1999-10-29 16:31
TRacy wrote:
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See if you can get one or two from somewhere and see how they are before you invest in a whole box though.
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One or two is just not a large enough sample to make any judgements. A box isn't _that_ expensive, and I've yet to find a box of any reasonable reeds that didn't at least have two or three usable reeds (maybe not good, but usable).
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Author: Jeff
Date: 1999-10-30 02:57
I liked the few that I tried very much, but found they didn't last anywhere near as long as v-12's. No one else mentioned this. Is it just me?
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 1999-10-30 03:12
Jeff wrote:
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I liked the few that I tried very much, but found they didn't last anywhere near as long as v-12's. No one else mentioned this. Is it just me?
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Yup, just you :^)
They work just as long if not longer than V12s for me.
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Author: Karel Vahala
Date: 1999-10-30 05:48
I have recently bought a new R13 which had a card of Rico Grand Concert reeds. I did not find them outstanding. However, I did find in the same store Grand Cocert reeds by LA VOZ, and these seemed better to me. Which Grand Concert reeds have been discussed in the previous posts?
Karel.
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Author: Karel Vahala
Date: 1999-10-30 10:41
I recently bought a new R13, and with it came a card of Rico Grand Concert reeds. At the same store I bought a box of Grand Concert reeds by LA VOZ. Of these I thought the La Voz reeds were better. Which ones were the previous posts discussing? Karel.
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Author: Aaron Hayden
Date: 1999-10-30 16:39
Karel,
LaVoz does not make the grand concert reeds. Also LaVoz is part of Rico. Where did you see LaVoz Stamped, on the reed or the holder?
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Author: Aaron Hayden
Date: 1999-10-30 16:55
I think the Grand Concert thick blank is an excellent reed. They are more consistent than Vandoren. Also I believe that Vandoren is not seasoning the cane to well. There is a slight greenish tint to their reeds. If you compare a Vandoren to a Grand Concert, you will see that the GC has a more yellow color than Vandoren.
Years ago when the Vandoren reeds were in the plastic purple box, I would buy about 10 boxes at a time. At that time I was using #5's with a 5RV mouthpiece. Out of a box maybe I would find at least 2 reeds that were decent, at least 4 reeds unplayable and at least 4 reed fixable. For the last 10 years I have noticed that out of a box I may not even get a playable reed. I've recently changed my setup(about 3 years ago) to a 5RV Lyre and #4 reeds. I've found that the Traditional Vandorens unplayable, the V12's not bad, the Grand Concert thick blank pretty good. But I've also noticed that out of a box of 10, I will get at least 3 good reeds, 5 a little buzzy & 2 fixable for practice.
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Author: D. Blumberg
Date: 1999-10-30 20:57
I'm a Concert Artist for them. Here's the story:
Rico makes the Lavoz, Grand Concert, Hemke, Rico, Mitchel Lurie, and a few others. Same Company - different machines, different cane (even different parts of the world for the cane)
David Blumberg
http://www.mytempo.com
http://www.ricoreeds.com/newsite/ricoart.html
Aaron Hayden wrote:
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Karel,
LaVoz does not make the grand concert reeds. Also LaVoz is part of Rico. Where did you see LaVoz Stamped, on the reed or the holder?
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Author: Karel Vahala
Date: 1999-10-31 06:29
Aaron, the box has a GC emblem and under it GRAND CONCERT
5 clarinet reeds. Back of box states: "These extraordinary reeds, hand selected from the finest cane, have been skillfully crafted to the standards of the most demanding professionals." MADE IN USA BY LA VOZ CORPORATION.
The reeds are a nice yellowy-gold colour.
Karel.
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Author: D. Blumberg
Date: 1999-10-31 11:42
Karel, youre playing an older box of reeds. They stopped making the 1/4 strengths in the Blue box, and changed over to a red/black box of 10 reeds in 1/2 strengths. The newer style reeds has a longer cut (before the bark is scored), and is a little thinner in terms of the width of the reed. I liked them before, I like them now. I do miss the 1/4 strengths, as 3 3/4 was the perfect strength for me.
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Author: Justin Willsey ★2017
Date: 2015-10-16 08:13
Sorry to resurrect an ancient thread - glad that Y2K thing turned out OK!
Grand Concert Selects (traditional and thick blank) are offered up to a 4.5, and the old quarter strengths went all the way up to 5.5; did the scale of strengths change when they ditched the quarter strengths and strongest strength designations? In other words, was a size 4 back then (boxes of 5) basically the same as a 4 from a box of 10?
Thanks very much.
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2015-10-16 14:34
Well I was the designer of the reeds 18 years ago. I think you have to have a very good clarinet sound. If you have a really good sound you can create wonderful reeds. I have a top symphony level sound, play with a double lip and at that time I was using an old 1950's Chedeville. 6 hours a day of playing for 15 years was about average, so you kind of have to develop a decent sound.
Both the regular and thick reeds were designed first, then the introduction of the 1/4 strengths was added. I did not design them after any type of reed already on the market or from past reeds. I simply wanted a really good long lasting reed. However I'm not sure where the cane comes from now since Rico has cane fields all over the place, California, Argentina, France, and other places. When I was there the Grand Concert cane was hand selected from the finest French cane only.
As some of you may remember me talking about me leaving Rico because of the use of pesticides on ALL of the reeds. The lawsuit continues and I did turn down an out of court settlement offer of $280,000 about 5 or 6 months ago against Rico. Sadly Rico still uses pesticides. I can safely say this or they would sue me. Please be careful my fellow friends.
I haven't played on the reeds at all, but if they kept using my strict machine measurement settings and guidelines and reed measurements, with large diamond cutters the reeds should still be good. Of course picking choice cane is also a key factor.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
Post Edited (2015-10-16 15:30)
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