 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: GBK
Date: 2006-03-15 05:08
Every year around this time I take stock of the odd size reeds I have on the shelves in my studio and replenish as necessary. I like to always have extra reeds on hand when the occasional bass clarinetist, or bari sax player comes for a lesson and needs a reed or two.
As I hadn't ordered bari sax reeds in a while, I was a bit surprised at the recent prices.
For example: Vandoren bari sax reeds are now about $5/reed ($25 for a box of 5)
I'm not singling out Vandoren, but I am noticing a gradual, steady rise in all reed prices by all makers - across the board for all instruments.
My best advice: Keep your reed knives sharpened and learn to play the less than perfect reeds.
Or, become a performing artist for the brand you use the most. ![[wink]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie3.gif) ...GBK
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bnewbs
Date: 2006-03-15 05:35
Yeah, It all just makes me glad I don't play contrabass, now those some obscenely expensive reeds, I think more like $7/reed. And we certainly dont have as much work as bassoon players with reeds. I can certainly stomach the $2.20 a reed for my Oliveri Elites (although they have yet to ship 2 1/2 weeks after I ordered them), and the same price for alto reeds. The Oliveris are consistent enough, I wish I could say the same about VD alto reeds.
Ben
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: BobD
Date: 2006-03-15 13:11
Reeds are not the only clarinet accessories that have increased in price substantially and rather quickly.
Bob Draznik
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2006-03-15 15:24
Considering that the consumer is the fifth or sixth person down from the cane grower (grower, wholesaler or auction, reed producer, distributor, dealer and then customer) a sequential price or profit increase at any or all stages can mushroom into a substantial increase for the consumer of reeds. Contrary to popular belief a lot of the cane for reeds is not grown by the reed producer in many cases just like grapes for California wines are brokered by a number of different growers for the large wineries. European companies have just now started to pass along monetary trade rate increases (Dollar versus Euro) to companies here in the US that use raw materials from the EU which will translate into higher prices almost immediately in a number of music related items. In ordering new raw materials that I have had on the shelf for several years I have seen a 10-20% increase in reordering them from EU countries today. Due to competition all of these price increases cannot be passed on at once but will increase prices over time. Since many products have multi-national components the inflation rate in the US does not necessarily dictate the increase in prices.
L. Omar Henderson
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: clarinetgirl09
Date: 2006-03-15 18:10
Wow...you guys are lucky!
Here, the Vandoren 56 Rue Lepics cost $5.00 a reed and the V12s cost $4.00 a reed.
Vandoren Bass Clarinet reeds cost $5.00 at a discounted price from the Band director (he pays more from the retailer).
So a box of Vandoren 56s cost approximately $55-$60 depending on the store and whatever the tax is. The V12s cost $40-45$.
Thank goodness I don't play bass anymore (not full-time at least) let alone Contrabass clarinet!
But every once in a while you find a store that sells the 56s and V12s at a decent price. But they always go up.
__________________________________________________________
To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.
Music is a sory told from your soul; a story of passion, of life. Share your story.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2006-03-15 18:30
clarinetgirl09 wrote:
> Wow...you guys are lucky!
> Here, the Vandoren 56 Rue Lepics cost $5.00 a reed and the V12s
> cost $4.00 a reed.
That's nuts. You live in OK, and can order online if your local store won't sell them reasonably by the box.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2006-03-15 19:03
Dare I mention it?
I have amassed probably a lifetime supply of reeds for all my instruments by scouring the Internet Auction Site Whose Name Shall Not Be Mentioned (IASWNSNBM), and waiting for my favorite reeds to come up for auction at a low price. I never bid more than a cheapskate amount for any given box or lot, so frequently I 'lose', but when I 'win', I get good reeds, cheap. Over the years I've accumulated everything I need, for just the cost of a half-dozen boxes of new Roo Lay-Peeks.
And, as a futher bonus, by the time I get around to actually playing the reeds, they're usually nicely aged.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: clarinetgirl09
Date: 2006-03-15 19:38
"That's nuts. You live in OK, and can order online if your local store won't sell them reasonably by the box."
I agree! I usually order from WWBW, but lately I haven't gotten around to ordering, so I have to buy from local retailers. And the boxes of V12s I've been getting from WWBW have been kind of disappointing, so I'm waiting until they get a new shipment in to see if those are better.
But around here, retailers practically never sell mouthpieces and reeds at discount prices because there aren't too many other competetors. They only sell their instruments at discount prices because of a major Buffet retailer about 3 1/2 hours away that can ship instruments to local schools to sell them.
__________________________________________________________
To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.
Music is a sory told from your soul; a story of passion, of life. Share your story.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Aussiegirl
Date: 2006-03-15 21:38
Yeah...bari sax reeds are the killer ive found, when i play bari i tend not to play on vandorens even tho they give me a better sound simply coz i cant afford them (AUS$13 each).
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Kel
Date: 2006-03-15 23:21
That's why I'm glad Lavoz work so well for me on all saxes, and especially bari. As a side note, it seems the bari reeds from the premium-priced manufacturers are much more randomly shaped at the back of the vamp (the U) than their tenor and alto reeds.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: joannew
Date: 2006-03-16 08:03
All the more reason to try out a Legere! A couple of these will last for months, if not years, and play the same every day, summer or winter.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: BobD
Date: 2006-03-16 13:58
It's been so long ago that I forget which reed I used during the 30s and 40s but it was either Legere, LaVoz or Rico. I think I used the same one for 4 years at one point due to WWII shortages. That's when the white plastic ones appeared.
Bob Draznik
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
