 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: rabbit09876
Date: 2006-01-06 18:08
Hello everyone, as I am re-entering the clarinet world I have found that I need some new reeds. I know there are many more new, updated, etc. out there. I used to use Vandoren White Master 3, but am curious as to what might be a better fit. I use a Gennussa GE (have a * and regular) with a Mo. barrel and a 1960's Buffet horn. I am curious about the Vandoren Bb Clar Rue Lepic, but would like some opinions before I buy. Thanks so much for the help!
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Author: vjoet
Date: 2006-01-06 18:17
Hi Rabbit, welcome back to the clarinet.
Reeds are frequently discussed here, so if you haven't done a search about them, that would be a good place to start.
I too have returned after 35 years away from the horn. I've found reeds today are much better than they were in the 60's/early 70's. I've been especially impressed with the Rico Grand Concert Select and the Evolution; in my experience, they seem more consistent than the Vandorens. I also like the Caynes Xilema, and Gonzales FOF.
vJoe
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Author: Barton62
Date: 2006-01-07 02:47
Rabbit,
I too have been away from the clarinet for several years. Isn't it like a reunion with an old friend? Anyway, I was using Mitchell Lurie #3 reeds at the time I put up my horn. I liked them then because they were easy to break in right out of the box. However, it has been suggested to me that I use Vandoren reeds. I am currently using a Vandoren 2.5. I am starting to like it, but I have always objected to Vandorens because they are so hard to break in IF you can find one that can be broken in! I must admit that I like the tone I am getting from the Vandoren. It does produce a richer and darker tone on my Leblanc L7. It also helped to have my L7 overhauled.
I also like the sound produced with the Mitchell Luries. However, they do wear out faster than Vandoren. I've about come to the conclusion that you play whatever is comfortable and produces the best possible sound.
Good luck!
Barton62
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Author: ABerry
Date: 2006-01-07 03:25
Rabbit,
I too am returning after about 20 years...After doing a lot of research and reading reviews both pro and con for just about every reed out there, I decided to try them out for myself. I used to play Vandoren #5 (in the little purple plastic box) so, I tried their new "traditional cut" #5 and it felt like a 2 x 4. Then I tried the V12 #5 and they were more like the older Vandorens. I've also tried Gonzalez, Mozart and Zonda reeds and they are fantastic right out of the box. I also have a box of the 56 Rue Lepic but I haven't tried them yet.
Hope this helps,
Allan
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Author: Iacuras
Date: 2006-01-07 06:17
Hey,
I have tried a multitude of reeds for my Bb trying to get a good classical sound. Right now my favorites are 56 Rue Lepic Vandorens. They provide for a little bit woodier of a sound, which I prefer. If you something incredibly smoothe, then I would try V12's or GCS Thick Blank. I can't stand small blank reeds after playing on thick blank's. They are just produce too thin a sound.
But try a few and use what you think is best.
Steve
"If a pretty poster and a cute saying are all it takes to motivate you, you probably have a very easy job. The kind robots will be doing soon."
"If you can't learn to do something well, learn to enjoy doing it poorly."
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Author: Tom Puwalski
Date: 2006-01-07 12:18
A white master on a Gennusa, It might work, but it would seem to me that you would have to mess with that reed an awful lot. white masters are designed for a German mouthpiece, very close and really long. Not really what an Iggy was really designed for.
Get the Ridenour's ATG reed system, it works, it has a DVD that will tell you everything you would ever need to know about reeds, it's inexpensive about $65. After 40 years of playing the clarinet, and studying with some really good teachers, I can say that finding out what do with reeds is like learning about sex in a high school locker room. You'll hear lots of information, most of it wrong and most of it supposedly told as the result of personal experience. With the ATG You will learn how to balance, fix, and choose a reed. Then get a box each of Vandoren V12s, Grand Concert, Gonzolez, and Alexander, balance them for your embouchure, your mouthpiece and how you play.
When you really learn to work your reeds and make all your reeds playable you will find 2 things:
1 when a reed is balanced and plays, you can hear very distinct subtleties between different brands and cuts cane. They will all "work" and they will all sound a little different
2. most mouthpieces really are pretty good and don't need to be abandoned for $800 ebay kasper
Tom Puwalski, former soloist with the US Army Field Band, Clarinetist with Lox&Vodka, and Author of "The Clarinetist's Guide to Klezmer"and most recently by the order of the wizard of Oz, for supreme intelligence, a Masters in Clarinet performance
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Author: Ashlee
Date: 2006-01-07 14:08
I agree w/ Mr. Puwalski...you should try a few brands and keep a record of the difference/changes in the your sound. The brands he listed are great ones to start out with. I also play on Gennusa mouthpieces (various *'s and ZE's) and I find that Vandoren V 12 are ideal for them. I'm sure it has alot to do with the longer facing of the mouthpiece and the longer/stronger reed offered from Vandoren V12's. At one time, I tested other brands with them and found the following:
Regular Vandorens - no sound or very fuzzy/airy
Mitchel Lurie - "wild" tone..aka not focused/controllable (probably need 4 or 4 1/2)
Vandoren Black - no sound or very airy
Olivier (Phil Muncy's) - not centered/controlled
With each brand, I tried to get 3-3 1/2. Some reeds came in "samples" like the Olivier which gave me reeds 2-4. As for the "harder reeds" (such as Vandoren blackmasters) I tried to keep on the "low side."
One of the many inconviences about reeds is that every box is different. You could get one box of Vandorens..not like them..and a few months later buy a second box and love them. Another thing to consider..don't be surprised if you only find one or two terrific reeds in a Vandoren V 12 box. When you're testing these brands, try to go through most if not all of the box. Each reed, no matter what brand (even though Lurie's are pretty consistant), sound/play differently. And BTW, don't think too much about my results. Reeds are a personal preference. I listed my results simply to show you what to look/listen for. My friend, who also plays on Gennusa mp, sticks to regular vandorens.
Best of Luck!
Ashlee'
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Author: Tom Puwalski
Date: 2006-01-07 14:46
The reason those Rue Lepic reads work is that they are packaged with real "French" air. I've developed a special hyperbaric chanber where I can collect all that french air and keep all my reeds in it. If you call Vandoren they will send you a 80cuft scuba tank full of French air to keep your reeds in. Make sure you get the "hand select" air becuase this is the air from Paris right from the Arch di Triumph. The other is french country air and doesn't work quite as well.
Tom Puwalski, former soloist with the US Army Field Band, Clarinetist with Lox&Vodka, and Author of "The Clarinetist's Guide to Klezmer"and most recently by the order of the wizard of Oz, for supreme intelligence, a Masters in Clarinet performance
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-01-07 16:40
Can you post Vandoren's number on here?
I must order some of this precious 'hand select' city air!
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Author: connie
Date: 2006-01-07 17:24
Haha, LOL, I want some French air too. It might help my wine also...
FWIW, I bought a box of 56 Rue Lepic, and was not really impressed. I guess the humidity here is different than in Paris. I'm back with my V12's.
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Author: Tom Puwalski
Date: 2006-01-07 17:50
I have found that out of the box with out any adjustment, not the way I would ever use one, but the ru lepics tend to like a shorter lenth facings. The V12s seem to be a little better on the longer facings which I play. But nether are concert ready till I balance them with the ATG.
One thing I've noticed, I can work on a reed get it really balanced for me on my mouthpiece. I can hand my complete set up to another good clarinetist and they can perform the same "side to side test" and come up with very different evaluation of the reed. And I've done the same with set ups of other clarinetists and found an imbalance that they didn't think was there. This tells me that teeth, embouchure, maybe even the way we hold a clarinet has an influance on the reed. It also tells me that know mater how good a reed is, be it comercial or hand made it has to be finnished to the specific needs of the player. I think we should look at all boxes of reeds as just very finnished blanks.
I failed to mention the other think I use on Rue Lepics. Water, I only soak them in perier that I've let go flat! French air and Frech water and you are on your way to getting the right sound.
Tom Puwalski, former soloist with the US Army Field Band, Clarinetist with Lox&Vodka, and Author of "The Clarinetist's Guide to Klezmer"and most recently by the order of the wizard of Oz, for supreme intelligence, a Masters in Clarinet performance
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Author: D
Date: 2006-01-07 20:14
I have found the Rue Lepic to be slightly narrower and slightly thicker than the Vandoren Traditional, and the curve is slightly different - seemed to fit the mouthpiece much better. They work for me. Couldn't get on with Mitchell Laurie myself, shape was wrong for the mouthpiece, and they didn't seem to.....bend at all....don't know how else to describe it. Still, they work for some people....you'll just have to try everything!
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Author: ElBlufer
Date: 2006-01-08 03:11
I use 56 rue lepic reeds because I find them to be very responsive and they seem to have a sweet, dark tone. Before I started with rue lepics I used Traditional Vandorens and found them to be brighter than I liked.
My Setup:
R13 Clarinet (Ridenour Lyrique as my backup/marching instrument)
Walter Grabner K11 mouthpiece
Rico Reserve 3.5's
Bonade ligature
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-01-08 07:32
I got one of the freebie promotional Rue Lepics (the ones stuck inside a card), though it wasn't until I opened it I knew what strength it was - 3.5! So it was stuffy as anything and hard work on my 5RV Lyre (that I use a V12 2.5 on), but now I'm using an M15 it works well with that facing, and makes a lovely full, dark sound (and with a good amount of fat reediness in the lower register) that I want from a large bore clarinet, and without any stuffiness on the usual troublesome notes.
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Author: Pappy
Date: 2006-01-08 13:20
As so many have said on countless threads here, that you have to try a lot of different reeds and there is no stock answer that can honestly be made. FWIW,I play rather open mouthpieces and enjoy success with both V12 (4's) and Rue LePic (3.5 or 3.5+) and always have boxes of both around. I've tried the various Gonzales types and they are good but I always come back to the Vandorens. I also really like Oliveri's (3.5 on the same open mouthpieces) and buy few packs a year - they'll be all but unavailable before too long.
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Author: Iceland clarinet
Date: 2006-11-08 23:18
ElBlufer I play on Grabner AW-personal mouthpiece and I find Rue Lepic to be the brightest sounding reed out there specially in the upper register and I have tried about 20 different reeds.
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