 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Topher
Date: 2004-06-24 02:29
Hey everyone, I mentioned a few weeks back that I would tell you what I thought of the Alexander Classique bass clarinet reeds. First, I don't work for anyone, not a paid endorser, nothing. Second, I use a Buffet 1180 bass with Vandoren B45 mouthpiece and a Rovner dark lig. Third, I am still in high school, so take my words with a grain of salt.
I would like to say that these reeds come in a beautiful case, and all are visually perfect from the box. All the cuts are exactly the same, the reed is clear of rotted or pitted spots, they have the pretty brown-flecked gold color that some of us dream of at night, and they are perfectly flat. The problem is that while they play okay if you just slap them onto your mouthpiece, if you use proper break-in procedure and/or use them straight from the box for more than an hour, they warp. And I don't mean warp, as in need a little sanding, I mean they WARP to the point that almost a full two millimeters needed to be taken off the bottom to make them flat and therefore playable. By the time the reed is flat again, it has that nasty buzzing sound of an over-adjusted reed.
Please anyone tell me if I am doing something wrong, but it happened to every Alexander reed I used, and not to any of the Marca, Vandoren, or Riglotti reeds that came in the same shipment. I will continue attempting to adjust them, but in the mean time, two thumbs down.
topher
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Author: Roger Aldridge
Date: 2004-06-24 12:25
Topher,
I use Alexander Classique reeds on all of my clarinets and saxophones and I've never had a problem with them warping as you described. Frankly, your message leaves me confused as to what you're actually doing with the reeds. You speak of following a proper break-in procedure. But, you also talk about "just slap them onto your mouthpiece" and "use them straight from the box for more than an hour". Neither of these follows Tom Alexander's recommended method for preparing the reeds and breaking them in over several days. As I mentioned above, I've never had a problem with Classique reeds warping nor have I ever had to sand them. It appears to me that you are definitely doing something wrong. But, again, it's hard to understand exactly what you are doing with the reeds.
I'd suggest that you get another box of Classiques and follow the steps for reed preparation and break-in that are given on the paper insert that's included in the reed box. This information is also posted on the www.superial.com web site. I've found this break-in method to be straight-forward. When I first started using Alexander reeds 3 or 4 years ago I quickly got used to this method and didn't think of it as a big deal. It now feels very natural to me.
If you continue to have problems with Classiques I suggest that you write to Tom Alexander via the superial web site. Tom is very good about responding to emails and taking a sincere interest in people's comments or problems.
Good luck to you! Roger
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Author: graham
Date: 2004-06-24 12:41
As mentioned last time, I have a box of tenor sax reeds which I am using on my bass clarinet. I think they are less prone to warping than Marcas, and once wetted through they lose the warping characteristic. But I do feel that they can get soggy with extended playing and the tone goes off. To that extent they are a more "straignt out of the box" reed than many others. But the exact situation you describe seems so extreme that I cannot really visualise it.
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Author: Topher
Date: 2004-06-24 14:35
When I first opened the box, I broke the first two reeds in almost exactly like Mr. Alexander suggests. Five-minute soak, ten minutes of playing, then sealing the vamp. The next day I put them on to play and they were so resistant I could get little out but squeaks. I checked for warping, and I was amazed to see serious warpage that wasn't there the day before. I tried another day of soak-and-(attempt to)-play, and the next day, they were no different. At this point I decided I better sand them down, though usually I give my reeds a week to stabilize before I adjust. I spent a good ten minutes trying to sand one of them down, but could not get it nearly as flat as I would have liked. It made sounds easier, but not necessarily good sounds. I attempted the break-in with reed number three, and the same thing happened. Number four was used straight from the box, since some proffessionals I know use their reeds that way. It worked ok until the next day when I had used it for about an hour, when the same warping occured. Reed number five has not been used yet, so I will try that one today, following Mr. Alexander's procedures to the letter.
topher
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Author: CPW
Date: 2004-06-24 15:45
tried em on Bb
nice tin they come in
otherwise
well there they sat.
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2004-06-24 17:28
Funny about Alexander reeds -- they really seem to polarize players. A while back there was a big thread about them on the SaxOnTheWeb forum --- there seemed to be very little ambivalence about the reeds; players either loved them or hated them. Curious........
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Author: Roger Aldridge
Date: 2004-06-24 18:35
Topher,
Just a couple of follow ups.....
The way that you described Tom's reed prep and break-in isn't quite right. Tom suggests soaking the reeds in warm water for 2-3 minutes and then rubbing the wood grain in a smooth one-direction motion from the vamp toward the tip for the length of the reed. This is the prep stage. The break-in stage is to play softly for just a few minutes on the first day and a bit longer on the second day. After that the reed is good to go. Please understand that I'm not quoting Tom's instructions word-for-word. It would be a good idea to review the actual instructions.
The cane used in Alexander reeds is of denser quality than other brands of reeds that I've tried. For example, it's really interesting to compare the wood in an Alexander to, say, a Hemke or LaVoz. With this in mind, I've found that one needs to approach an Alexander reed in a somewhat different way than how we're used to with other reeds.
The other thing I'm curious about is how you're storing your reeds after playing them. Perhaps there's a problem here that's contributing to your reeds warping. There are any number of reed cases and the like. Personally, I'm not sure if one is significantly better than another. But, I've come to use Pro-Tec reed cases. After using a reed I'll disinfect it with peroxide on a q-tip, rinse the reed in water, dry the reed lightly on a towl, and then put it in the reed case. This is just a personal method that I've come to use. Other players have their own ways. Anyway, I've never had trouble with reeds warping or growing mold. At one point in time I used a LaVoz reed guard and had trouble with warping reeds and mold. After switching to a Pro-Tec reed case those problems went away. If you have a warped reed it will usually go back to its normal shape by soaking it for around 3-4 minutes.
It's my personal feeling that sanding your reeds in the manner you described probably ruined them. I would never sand a reed to take out a warp.
I agree with David. Some players really love Alexander reeds and others don't. There doesn't seem to be much ground in-between. As with any piece of musical equipment it comes down to personal preference.
Best Wishes, Roger
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Author: CPW
Date: 2004-06-25 13:40
Alexander reeds
I have tried a few
Rigotti gold
better in my view
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