 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Kathy
Date: 1999-12-22 20:38
Does anyone out there use Olivieri reeds on a regular
basis? I find that they are a fairly consistent reed as
far as reeds go....
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Author: Tony L.
Date: 1999-12-22 22:54
I use these reeds for clarinet only. I think the quality is better than the Vandoren V-12. They are also more durable and sound better too. I've never used Olivieri reeds for saxophone. I would be interested in hearing from those who have.
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Author: J. Butler
Date: 1999-12-22 23:57
I used to use them exclusively. I enjoyed them very much. They aren't available here in the Houston area, but can be ordered through the mail.
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Author: Dee
Date: 1999-12-23 00:27
I tried them a few years ago. They were nice reeds but somehow they just didn't thrill me. I went back to regular Vandorens and Mitchell Luries.
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Author: sylvan selig
Date: 1999-12-23 05:47
I played some about 20 years ago and remember them as being very good reeds. Where would I be able to get some now? This discussion has given me the urge to try some more.
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Author: Kevin Bowman
Date: 1999-12-23 13:47
I used to use Olivieri reeds about 15 years ago. At the time, I thought they were the best cut, best playing reed around - of course I was a bit biased by my instructor at the time. I now play V12s but still have a couple of boxes of Vic's that I try out every now and then. They're still decent reeds but I find the V12s to be better for me now.
BTW - you might want to do some research on Olivieri's history. I think I have read (or heard) somewhere that these used to be made in France and the company has since moved to the US and possibly uses different cane, etc.? (At this time, this is just hearsay because I don't have any references or 1st hand knowledge).
In general, I find the current Olivieris to have a bit more open grain structure than the V12s and the heel seems almost too thick at times. The tip is also not shaped well for my 5RVLyre mpc -it's too rounded.
Kevin Bowman
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Author: Dave Spiegelthal
Date: 1999-12-23 20:53
I'm used Olivieri reeds on and off over the years, on both B-flat and bass clarinets, and I've found them to be generally good, with the exception of two flaws: (a) The tips are too rounded for most mouthpieces (as has been pointed out), but of course a slight bit of sanding, or use of a good trimmer such as the Vandoren, will fix this; and, more importantly, (b) They frequently have an uneven tip thickness which can result in squeaking and/or splitting of the tip. I have occasionally had an Olivieri reed which had a nice sound, but was so unreliable (i.e. squeak-prone) that I couldn't use it without fear and trepidation. Given those caveats, I'd say they're worth trying. As for where they're made and by whom, they are marketed by a U.S. firm and the cane used to come from Spain, although I don't know what they're using nowadays.
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Author: M. Brand
Date: 1999-12-23 23:54
I played some about 20 years ago and remember them as being very good reeds. Where would I be able to get some now? This discussion has given me the urge to try some more.
-------------------------------------------------------
Sylvan,
Try Discount Reed Company at http://www.discountreed.com/
They are a sponsor here and have great prices.
Oliveri makes a wonderful reed. I personally prefer the Rico Grand Concerts, but the Oliveri Premiums would be my second choice.
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 1999-12-24 02:04
In 1970's.they were good.Since then different owner.I am afraid they are not what they used to be.
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Author: mark weinstein
Date: 1999-12-29 22:49
Recently, I tried a box of Olivieri reeds. I was told that they were old stock. Whether they were or not, I didn't particularly care for them. I play V12's and am always searching for alternatives. As children, my sister and I played Olivieri's many, many years ago. So when I found some I was excited. My teacher played on them, too, thru the late 1980's, but quit after she noticed changes in the reed. I have seen several ads promising "old stock still available". Recently, I also tried the Daniel reed. I think the Olivieri's that I tried were very similar. Both went soft very quickly (seemed like I blew their hearts out pretty quickly) and the sound I got wasn't one I would prefer --- certainly not over Van Doren. Good luck.
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Author: Bill
Date: 2005-02-27 14:37
I think Oliviers are very high-quality reeds, but I have never been able to play them without what I call "chirping." It has to do with the cut of the tip, I think.
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Author: sonatina1234
Date: 2005-02-27 14:48
I ordered a number of different brands a few days ago off the Woodwind/Brasswind website, and Olivieri was one of them. I haven't gotten them yet, but this thread is making me feel better about trying them out. I also ordered a box of Gonzalez, a box of Marcas, and a box of Vintages. Any thoughts on these?
-------------------------------------------------
Det. Lennie Briscoe: Maybe he's got some other life-long pursuits.
Lt. Anita Van Buren: Like what? You think he plays the clarinet?
Det. Lennie Briscoe: I *hope* he plays the clarinet.
~Law & Order
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Author: donald
Date: 2005-02-28 18:36
i got a box of Olivieri reeds about 2 months ago (oldish stock, but newer than the old old stock that came in yellow plastic boxes). The cut of the reed works quite well on my mouthpiece and despite what appears to be terrible quality control (on visual inspection) i could get quite a good result from a number of reeds. However the cane quality was very bad- the "break in period" results in a total loss of "jump" in the reed and you end up with mushy cane with no feeling of "spring" in it.
they were very poorly finished. Good dimensions/design, poor manufacture and quality control. Junk to make you feel better about V12s really.
donald
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-02-28 18:45
(considering that this thread started in 1999)
I have yet to try to newest (post Phil Muncy) version of the Olivieris. Hopefully they will be an improvement from the reeds that were marketed for the past 20 years.
In the 70's and early 80's Olivieris were one of the more popular brands, and were played (and endorsed) by many players. The tempered and untempered versions both had their devotees, even though many now suspect that there was no difference between the two types.
Suddenly, in the early 80's the reeds took a nose dive. Miscuts were rampant, cane quality was very suspect, and the packaging was horrendous. In short, they became a mere shadow of themselves, and players abandoned them in droves. The reeds had a tendency to squeak due to the thin tip, and their useful life (of the few good ones) was quite short...GBK
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Author: pewd
Date: 2005-02-28 19:03
that matches my memory - they turned to junk in the 1980's.
i haven't touched one in over 20 years.
they were very popular when i was in college (mid 1970s).
i suppose its time for another try.
paul
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: Pappy
Date: 2005-03-01 13:49
Got a couple of very good boxes of them from WWBW a couple of months ago. Don't know when they were made but I was quite pleased. Reminded me much of the 70's version.
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Author: vrufino
Date: 2005-03-01 15:01
In the mid 60's Oliveri reeds were very popular in NYC area. I purchased them from Lynx and Lawn on 47th st. the only dealer in the city that carried them. They were very tapered at the heel and I agree with previous writers who talked about their inconsistencies at the tip that caused their trademark squeaking. Yet they had a warm tone, many in the box played directly from the box with minimum manipulation. I played them on the clar., alto and tenor. Iwas studying with joe Allard at the time and those of you that knew him know that he had very definite opinions about reeds, yet he could fix any reed (or a popsicle stick) so that it played magnificiently. His advice at the time was to play Rico #5 until I was making money playing then use Van Doren. He never had any objection to the Oliveri, however. As a previous writer cited, at that time the cane came from Spain( mainly on the plain). Later Joe had all of us playing on Morre's (he charged his students only $5 per box of 10 reeds until he received the bill from Mr. Marks)
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