 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: calvinc
Date: 2003-09-18 22:25
I know this is somewhat an opinionated question, but i want to know what the general consensus on the brand of reed is.
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Author: diz
Date: 2003-09-18 22:58
Um - to my knowledge this has been discussed at least a zillion times - try doing a search - you'll probably be bored to distraction at the number of responses that come up about this (tedious?) topic.
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Author: Clar inet
Date: 2003-09-19 05:53
Diz - To my knowledge we are running out of interesting topics on this board to talk about, there is nothing wrong with repeating posts again, after all peoples opinions do change.
calvinc -
I used Vandoren reeds... the Tradional 3.5's and the Hand Select 3.5's to be exact.
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2003-09-19 06:06
1. Roy J. Maier "Signature," which have not been made in many years.
2. Fibracell.
3. Vandoren, various types, mostly Black Master and White Master.
4. Rico for the Eefer (bought three boxes really cheap from a store going out of business).
Those are the ones I use, but maybe I don't really *like* any of them. They are sort of the ones I dislike least.
Regards,
John
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Author: LeWhite
Date: 2003-09-19 08:01
re: repeated topics... Just about everything has been done. So many new posts are answered with 'Do a search', it gets annoying. Do a search on it if you wanna find more.
lol
Used Gonzalez 3.75 for a while... But gone back to Vandoren 3.5, because they have a stability that the Gonzalez lacked. Besides, too much break-in time for Gonzalez (took me about 2 months to have a few playable and stable ones).
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2003-09-19 11:50
LeWhite wrote:
> re: repeated topics... Just about everything has been done.
Not even close.
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Author: calvinc
Date: 2003-09-19 23:52
what about plastic reeds? Should i go with legere? or fibracell?
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Author: moose6589
Date: 2003-09-20 09:35
LeWhite said:"Used Gonzalez 3.75 for a while... But gone back to Vandoren 3.5, because they have a stability that the Gonzalez lacked."
Well, that's certainly a new opinion, I haven't heard many people remark on the stability of Vandoren, and certainly nobody about the instability of Gonzalez? To me, Gonzalez plays great, and they're all just about identical. You always know what you're getting. With Vandoren, I've seen many pretty SERIOUS deviations from the normal cut of a reed.
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2003-09-20 12:11
Reed selections...
I think that there are two clear schools of thought about reeds and reed selection -
Handle all of them with care, break them in slowly and adjust away!
Pull 'em out of the box and play 'em!
*****
I think of natural cane as a raw material that is unfinished, but choose the brand that gives me most response, right away.
I play Rigotti Gold, and break them in (no sanding, no scraping) over 5 days.
When the humidity makes rapid changes, I play a Legere Quebec cut which is cunningly similar (not precisely the same) as my first choice.
The nice thing about the Legere is that they are consistent right to the point of failure. Like most springs (the reed is something like a complex spring), they will wear out. They outlast natural cane 10:1...
Given the 30 day trial now offered, why not?
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Author: GBK
Date: 2003-09-20 15:05
LeWhite said:
> Besides, too much break-in time for Gonzalez (took me about 2 months to have a few playable > and stable ones).
If after a week of break-in your Gonzalez reeds are still too hard and unplayable, I would venture to say that you have the wrong strength.
Initially out of the box, Gonzalez reeds should play at your desired strength, or just slightly harder. The reeds will then stabilize after about a week...GBK
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Author: William
Date: 2003-09-20 15:09
VanDoran V12s 3.5
However, I have found recent favorable success with a coule of Legere 3.5 and 3.75 reeds. One of our symphonic clarinetists hs been using them "full time" for over a year and other area "good" clarinetists are switchng over, at least on a trial basis.
However, I remain undecided, still liking (at least, in my own mind) the sound of cane over the plastic. But those Legere always are ready to play and they don't change half-way through the concert.....................(hmmm)
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Author: Rachel
Date: 2003-09-21 08:06
I use Rico Grand Concert size 3 1/2 (both Select and Evolution are good). I find that they have a beautiful sound, you usually get at least 7 really good ones in a box of 10, and they take no time at all to break in.
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Author: LeWhite
Date: 2003-09-21 12:34
Yes, I found Gonzales has less stability than Vandoren. To me, Vandoren takes less effort to get a nice sound all round (especially up high), whereas Gonzales you really have to work for it.
Maybe I WAS using the wrong strength. I dunno, they seemed to work for me after I broke them in (except the stability thing).
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Author: Barrie Marshall
Date: 2003-09-22 07:01
I was once on a jazz gig, myself and two other clarinet players who were in the audience were chatting, after the break the band leader asked where his clarinet player was, he saw all three of us chatting and said to the audience, "there he is with two other clarinet players I bet they are talking about clarinets, lays, reeds, tone chambers etc" of course he was spot on, thats what we talk about when we get together.
I use a Vandoren V12 on my Bb and Rico Royal on my eb and C instruments.
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2003-09-22 07:16
Clarinet Blue Box Vandoren #3 (how unfashionable) or Rico Royal #3.5 (even more unfashionable) on Selmer C85 120
Soprano Sax Lavoz medium on NY Meyer 5 faced out to about 7
Alto Sax Hemke #2.5 on Meyer USA 6, Lavoz Medium on Selmer soloist C*
Tenor Sax Lavoz medium soft on Berg Larsen Stainless Bullet 115/1 M, Rico Royal #2.5 or Lavoz Medium on rubber Meyer USA 7.
Bassoon Jones Artist with customised final scrape on a short crook.
Cor Anglais Chartier Medium on Vintage simple system Heckel.
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Author: beejay
Date: 2003-09-22 09:20
I switched recently from Vandoren to Glotin becauseit seems to me that the VDs now come with a slightly squared-off tip -- or is it my imagination? I found the VDs fit well onto a VD mouthpiece, but they slightly overlap my Charles Bay. Anyway, so far I seem to have had good luck with the Glotins; most of them seem to play well right out of the box.
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Author: graham
Date: 2003-09-22 14:08
I have had an on/off thing with Glotin Gaias, and recently tried to rekindle some earlier enthusiasm with a box of 3 1/2 strength ones. This seemed a very good box suited only to one of my mouthpieces, but perhaps solving some of its less pleasant tendencies. In any case, I find they need a lot of work (more than Zondas for instance), but once worked on you get the chance of something fairly special. More reedy than smooth however. On the French side of the spectrum.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2003-09-22 14:23
my favorites are grand concert #2.5 or #3. i also use la voz medium hard and vandoren #2.5, depends on which mouthpiece i use. i have 3 i like a lot and use different reed strength on each.
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Author: Renato
Date: 2003-09-22 14:54
It's funny, when Vandorens are good, they're really good. Yet they often are not so. Then I switch to the Grand Concert Select or Evolution. They play easier for me, a good response, very short break-in time, the percent of good ones in a bunch is much higher than Vandorens.
After some time, when the Grand Concerts are already wearing out, getting too thin and buzzy, or I just happen to give another try at Vandorens and come across a good one (sometimes it's #3, more often #3.5), my heart goes back to them. It's a richer sound, that's how the sound to me.
I'd like to try out some Gonzalez, though.
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Author: CharmOne
Date: 2003-09-23 01:34
Try anything you like. When u do like that type of reed, keep using that brand till u are confortable and then try something else.
CharmOne
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Author: clarinet87
Date: 2003-09-23 02:01
I use Vandoren V12. Strength 4. I've been thinking about moving down to a 3.5 because 4s are hard to blow on for playing higher notes.
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2003-09-23 17:52
Rico Grand Concert Select #4
Vandoren Blue Box 3 1/2
Vandoren V12 #4
and
Rico Grand concert select 3 1/2s Blue Box as well as #4's
David Dow
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Author: Wes
Date: 2003-09-23 19:00
One man I know uses #2 Van Doren regular reeds on his Mitchell Lurie(also his teacher) mouthpiece and is simply a marvelous player. I prefer V12 #3s.
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Author: GBK
Date: 2003-09-23 19:37
As a treat, every so often I'll pull out a few reeds from my carefully hoarded stash of Morré reeds from the early 70's - German 12.6 tip, 2½ strength.
Otherwise, Gonzalez FOF 3.25 or 3.5 ...GBK
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Author: terry
Date: 2003-09-24 08:08
check out my clarinet page at http://sterkel.org for details. After wasting a lot of dollars on Vandorens, all types, and most others, and finding shocking variation in quality, I have settled on Foglietta. 11 of the first 11 were good to excellent right out of the box! I only adjusted out of fussiness not necessity.
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Author: Ed
Date: 2003-09-24 16:40
"As a treat, every so often I'll pull out a few reeds from my carefully hoarded stash of Morré reeds from the early 70's - German 12.6 tip, 21⁄2 strength.
Otherwise, Gonzalez FOF 3.25 or 3.5 ...GBK"
What is the rest of your set up?
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Author: GBK
Date: 2003-09-24 17:01
Ed... As some of my students say, my teaching studio is like "mouthpiece city", but lately I've been alternating between a Kaspar Ann Arbor (which I purchased new for $25 while in college), an early 1970's Vandoren Crystal or a Borbeck from about 1974. All played with either an inverted Bonade (with the center removed) or a Spriggs Floating Rail ligature.
I have also used, on occasion, an original Ch Chedeville (Qualite Superieure blank) or my latest addition - a 40 year old Pomarico crystal.
On the Eb and the C clarinets I use a Ralph Morgan Eb mouthpiece and a Ralph Morgan C clarinet mouthpiece.
It sounds confusing, but actually I do not find it difficult to adapt the reeds to all the different mouthpieces...GBK
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2003-10-21 15:21
sorry to bring up this old thread, but i'd like to know how are the gonzalez reeds compared in strength to vandoren blue box?
thanks.
Post Edited (2003-10-21 15:22)
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Author: GBK
Date: 2003-10-21 16:16
clarnibass....There is a reed size comparison chart on the Davie Cane web site:
http://www.daviecane.com/Pages/FAQ.html
Also, be aware that Gonzalez FOF reeds are a different cut, thickness and profile than Vandoren Blue Box reeds.
The Mozart reeds, which I also use (especially during high humidity/summer), have a sightly thinner tip and may be a bit closer in feel (but not in quality) to the Vandoren Blue Box...GBK
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Author: wyatt
Date: 2003-10-21 16:25
the winner is -------no winner. we try and try and then try again.
maybe this is part of the fun .
bob gardner}ÜJ
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2003-10-21 16:29
well, i was just going to order some stuff cause my friend is coming from the usa. i don't really like vandoren really i just wanted to know the strength cause i wanted to try a few new brandsof reeds.
thanks GBK.
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Author: RWW
Date: 2003-10-21 17:31
Many weeks ago I was struggling with various brands of reeds and not finding anything satisfactory. I couldn't find any Vandorans in my boxes at the time that I could count on. Others would go suddenly mushy half way through a performance. I looked for information on this bulletin board for help and discovered a Brand that was new to me, Gonzales FOF. I had no idea how they would compare in hardness with what I was used to and they come in 1/4 sizes and I really couldn't afford to buy a box of every size. So, I asked Davie Cane Co. if I could buy an asssortment because I also have students who need to try some sizes. They sent me a bunch for clarinet, soprano and alto sax and a couple for oboe. I found the size I like (same size I used from Vandoran) and I have been playing Gonzales FOF now (nearly everyday) for about 6 weeks and only on my third reed. The two failures didn't go soft suddenly, but faded slowly in responsiveness (I could probably still use them if I had to). Of course, this sample size is pretty small so far, but still a big improvement from when I was having to change every other day or so and going weeks without a good reed in my case and getting sudden failures at the most inconvenient times. I like the warm fuzzy of knowing I have a box full of dependable reeds. By-the-way, I use them right out of the box with no break-in.
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Author: Luke
Date: 2003-11-08 20:40
I'll second the notion for Alexander Classiques. You'd be hard-pressed to find something more consistent, playable, and with a better cut.
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Author: john gibson
Date: 2003-11-09 01:22
MITCHELL LURIE PREMIUM......by far the best reeds I've played......
john gibson
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Author: theclarinetist
Date: 2003-11-09 06:30
Vandoren v-12, size 4.5. I've found that they are quite consistent. I've played many different brands, Alexander Classique, Grand Concert Select, Vandoren Blue Box and V-12, Brancher, Mitchell Lurie Premium, Zonda, Legere.... In my opinion, the individual variation between reeds was greater than the variation between brands.
It seems (from my experience) that reeds are just weird. You can have a great one that plays super, then one day it won't play at all, then the next day it will play again. I've mentioned this concept before, and I'll see if anyone else agrees with me (or at least can see where I'm coming from).
From my experience, having the ability to make your instrument work is very important under many varied circumstances. I see some clarinetists who literally carry around a tackle box full of reeds and reed supplies and spend forever sanding and scraping before they even play a note. Personally, I carry about 8 reeds with me. I usually have 4 that I teach on, that I'm not worried about wearing out (I also use these for long periods of practicing). Then I have about 4 that I would deem performance worthy. I've yet to have a situation come up when I couldn't make one of the reeds I have work. I'm not saying that all reeds play the same or that we should all be able to make any piece of junk reed play beautifully, but at what point should we just accept that all reeds don't play the same (this isn't rhetorical... I'm really asking). I've seen people go through a whole box of reeds looking for one that would play properly. Assuming the reeds are of a somewhat decent quality, these just seems unnecessary to me. - I suppose I'm from the "just pull 'em out and play" school of thought that Synonomous Batch mentioned. That technique has gotten me pretty far and I don't have to waste half my practice time messing with reeds, so I'm sticking with it! - Again, this isn't to insinuate that people who do work on reeds need to "buck up" and learn to play anything. There is just so much talk about which reed is the best and how this reed does this and this reed does that. To what extent should we take responsibility for the way a reed plays (again, geniunely asking)?
Thanks
DHite
theclarinetist@yahoo.com
PS - I agree that answering questions with "do a search" is kind of counterproductive. Presumably, there are new people coming to the Bboard all the time who haven't read the same topic many times. It might be a young player who doesn't even know they make other reeds than Vandoren or who is looking to buy their first clarinet CD and wants to who is the "best" to listen to! If you think a post is tired or overly-discussed, then just don't respond to it. Why discourage others from freely exchanging their ideas (which is the whole point of this thing, right)? I've also noticed that posts of this nature (the frequently asked questions) often have the most responses. If the topics are so old and don't deserve to be re-opened, why do some many people chime in every time they resurface?
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-11-09 15:20
Reeds are like wine. I'm currently using Gonz and vds both. For some reason I like the greater thickness of the G's. An old practice I only recently started is soaking for awhile in water both before and after playing. I have the feeling (no stats!) it's a preferable practice. I like the vision of the guy coming with a tackle box full of reeds....haha. ......and having no more luck than goin fishin.
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Author: DougR
Date: 2003-11-09 17:11
I've been unhappily vaccillating among V12s, White and/or Black Masters, and Gonz FOFs, and they all are lousy after their own particular fashion, and every now and then you get a good one (although my entire last box of White Masters was nothing but toothpick material, and unfortunately I don't need any toothpicks).
Long story short, and after a perhaps excessively whiney phone call to Pam at Muncy Winds inquiring about possible similar successors to my beloved Steuers, I am now the lucky owner of probably the last 2 boxes of Steuer German-cut reeds in all of North America (which she just happened to have on her desk when I called!). I plan to treat them like GBK does with his Morres--parceling out over the next few years.
Meanwhile, anybody tried the new Vandoren Rue L'Epic, or whatever they're called?
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Author: Bradley
Date: 2003-11-09 17:13
Vandoren V12s
Rico Grand Concert Selects
Gonzalez
All #4, although I'm thinking of going to 3.75 on Gonzalez.
Bradley
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Author: stickpoet
Date: 2003-11-09 18:09
1. Vandoren regular #2 for its resiliency
2. Vandoren Rue Lupic #2.5 for its clarity
3. Rico Grand Concert #2.5 for its suppleness
...
7. Vandoren V12 #3 moderate resistance
...
...
10. Rico Royal any strength for its fuzziness
13. Rico Regular any strength for its buzzingness
18. La Voz any strength for its shrillness
With fondness, Ryan...
Post Edited (2003-11-10 19:48)
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2003-11-10 13:50
Vandoren 3 1/2 and 4 V12 cane
as well
as Classico # 4.
David Dow
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Author: potatohead
Date: 2003-11-10 17:25
I play on Vandoren #3s; and I find good Vandorens hard to find. In a box of ten, I usually only find at the most three that work properly. The others in the box are either too soft or too hard. Is there any good alternative to Vandoren? (stupid question, I know.) I'm considering either Marcas or Rico Grand Concert Series. Any experience with either?
Thnx,
MFG
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Author: Rachel
Date: 2003-11-11 00:31
I use Grand Concert, and I find that they are consistently reliable, with a good tone and virtually no break-in period. I personally have not found any disadvantages, but I have heard a couple of people mention that Vandorens give a richer tone, and I also heard someone say that Vandorens are better in the altissimo register. But I've tried both and have found the Rico Grand Concerts to be superior.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2003-11-11 14:08
I haven't seen it mentioned, and I just want to mention that Gigliotti Plus reeds, in my experience with them, turned out to be very good also. The only downside I saw was that you only get a box of 8 instead of 10. But of those 8, I'd say 7 were very good out of the few boxes I used.
But then I found Gonzalez FOF. And the rest my friends, is history.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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