 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: igor
Date: 2005-07-06 03:03
I had another round of fun at Sam Ash. I asked for a box of Bb, size 2.5, reeds. They first brought me a pack of V12 ones. When I asked for a blue box they told me they didn't have size 2.5 but suggested the V12 of the same strength instead. I vaguely remember that V12 are either harder or softer than the regular ones so they don't really match one to one. The Sam Ash people wouldn't know the answer. Finally they found another box of Vandoren reeds... Blue box? Check. Size 2.5? Check. Box of 10? Check.
The only thing I forgot about was to make sure there were Bb reeds...
Turnes out they were Eb ones. Again, those people wouldn't know the difference... Anyway, I feel kind of stupid now. After an hour or so of trying and sorting them out, I finally discovered that there were wrong reeds... But honestly, I can't tell the difference! Neither can the tuner I am using. So what's the deal? Should I keep them or should I return them? Thanks.
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Author: RosewoodClarinet
Date: 2005-07-06 04:23
I have similar story which igor said about the service at music store. Whole point of my story was that salesperson was trying to push me to buy wrong reeds since they did not have 3.5 V12 reeds which I originally wanted. He said to me, "No.3 (of V12) is good!!!!!" Obviously, their service was so bad and I just left there without saying anything. I could give them a penny.....I didn't......anyway.
I've never been to Sam Ash, so I don't know about quality of their sevice. But, I have something to tell you, igor. Obviously, salesperson can be non-clarinetist, right? That means, they might have no idea about clarinet reeds devided into different strengths and different sizes of different sizes of clarinets. Everyone cannot be super-clarinet-expert-salesperson-at-music-store or anything like that, right?? Again, I am not criticizing Sam Ash since I have never been there.
Or, if you are not satisfied with your local music store, I would advise you to find the one which satisfies you. For example, I find many other major music stores in the U.S., which provide much better service for me and same thing with others like mouthpiece craftman and technician for repair work (Thank you, Greg Smith and Brannens!!), I would like to get along with them.
RosewoodClarinet
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Author: igor
Date: 2005-07-06 04:57
<<< Obviously, salesperson can be non-clarinetist, right? That means, they might have no idea about clarinet reeds devided into different strengths and different sizes of different sizes of clarinets. Everyone cannot be super-clarinet-expert-salesperson-at-music-store or anything like that, right?? >>>
It doesn't take a super expert to know the difference between different types of reeds etc. It is called basic training. That's no rocket science.
But that's not the point. My question was about the difference between Bb and Eb...
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Author: OpusII
Date: 2005-07-06 10:52
Igor,
I'm just curious how the higher notes sound, is the reed "strong" enough to play them comfortably? Is the reed less vibrant, because the reed is shorter?
Concerning the knowledge of different sorts of products…. I think that a sales man can learn those differences from products that are often being bought. (I am not criticizing Sam Ash since I have never been there.). … Most music stores are far behind with their knowledge….
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Author: RosewoodClarinet
Date: 2005-07-06 13:12
You are right, OpusII. Cool down yourself, igor. Salesperson sometimes makes this kind of mistake. Maybe because of heat of summer?
RosewoodClarinet
Post Edited (2005-07-06 13:48)
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Author: cujo
Date: 2005-07-06 13:48
Some people who work at music stores really know nothing about musical instruments or acessories.
I remember one guy selling saxs that couldnt tell me the differences between a Bundy and an old Mark 6 Selmer. Figured as long as they made noise it they were baiscally the same.
I really dislike sellers the feign ignorance to push a product, Moslty seen on Eb ay. Some people have sold hundreds of band instruments and say they still know nothing about them.
One guy on ebay even directly lied to me about having a shop look at it, The sax was missing 2 springs! No way a shop wouldnt catch 2 missing springs.
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Author: igor
Date: 2005-07-06 15:07
<<I'm just curious how the higher notes sound, is the reed "strong" enough to play them comfortably? Is the reed less vibrant, because the reed is shorter?>>
Well, at my stage (a few weeks of learning) I can't really answer your questions. I can't play higher than the clarion range anyway. All I can tell is that I have Bb reeds of different strength and this box of Eb reeds and the difference between 2 Bb reeds in the same box may be more noticable to me than the difference between 2 random Eb and Bb reeds. Even *exact same* reed behaves differently at different times and I have no idea why. Sometimes I can get no sound whatsoever, sometimes it is OK.
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Author: pewd
Date: 2005-07-06 15:10
unfortunately your experience is all too common - the same thing happens here, at all the local music stores - a very common occurrence. you'd think with a local population of 4-5 milion, they'd be able to find a few sales clerks who have actually seen musical instruments before. but no.... i'm always sending students back to exchange stuff - they run out of something and switch you to something else just to get a sale. wrong reeds, ligatures, mouthpieces, books, wrong publishers on sheet music - the list is endless. the big chains, its like dealing with used car salesmen.
anyway, to answer your query, Eb reeds are smaller - shorter and narrower, and i think, thinner. they're too narrow - you'll leak air out the sides, at least thats what happens on my mouthpiece. I can't imaging getting a decent sound or response out of one on a Bb mouthpiece. If you've opened the box, they're probably non-returnable. But you could try bring them back to the store manager and asking them to correct the situation.
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: clarinetwife
Date: 2005-07-06 16:05
pewd wrote:
If you've opened the
> box, they're probably non-returnable. But you could try bring
> them back to the store manager and asking them to correct the
> situation.
>
They ordinarily would be non-returnable, but I definitely would ask the store manager to correct the situation. In the store where I worked people knew what reeds were what, but sometimes in the fall when we would get 50 people in getting instruments and supplies, somebody would somehow get the wrong reeds in the rush. It is not your fault you opened the box before you realized the mistake -- most beginners would. We never questioned in these situations, we just got them the right reeds. I found that even when new hires do play an instrument, there is a learning curve for brass people learning about string instruments or violin players learning about clarinets and saxophones. For awhile it seemed like the clerks would ask for help about 80% of the time. I remember one band season it was me and three people who started in August. There were times where I had "Barb?" "Barb!" coming at me from three directions at once. This was a small business type situation, not a chain, and I think we had pretty good relationships with our customers, some of whom would come in and chat with us while they shopped if we had the time.
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-07-06 19:24
Eb Reeds usually are not as good cane as the Bb ones typically as the smaller the cane the less aged it is.
Maybe they should have had a french lesson 
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Author: RosewoodClarinet
Date: 2005-07-07 00:13
As pewd says, this is too common. If you think the salesperson is unreliable, you should get someone who is very reliable. This is very simple answer without any stress, I think.
RosewoodClarinet
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Author: igor
Date: 2005-07-07 03:52
<<They ordinarily would be non-returnable, but I definitely would ask the store manager to correct the situation.>>
I did just that and they exchanged the reeds with no problems.
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Author: Bradley
Date: 2005-07-07 06:22
I bought Eb reeds from WWBW for my first reeds, but ending up getting Bb reeds instead. I decided to just cut them down instead of trying to return them. As it turns out, I like cutting down Bb reeds more than using Eb reeds anyway.
Bradley
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