 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: kira
Date: 2006-08-27 02:50
I'm currently using Rico reeds but was wondering if there is any other good ones out there I might give a chance too?
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Author: glin
Date: 2006-08-27 02:56
Rico's were what I used when I started learning the clarinet years and years ago. I'm sure others on the list well confirm that it's a popular choice for beginners-inexpensive and well stocked in music stores.
If you are advanced beyond the beginner stage, you may wish to try the following, in order of price/quality: LaVoz, Mitchell Lurie, Rico GrandConcert or regular bluebox Vandorens.
There are other premium and expensive reeds out there, but those can wait a while....
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Author: Gandalfe
Date: 2006-08-27 02:57
Hi Kira, there are so many interesting reeds out there that this is really a hard question to answer. Have you tried any of the Vandoran reeds yet? They are a little pricey but have a consistent fit and finish and might be an interesting brand for you to try.
Enjoy,
Jim and Suzy
Pacifica Big Band
Seattle, Washington
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Author: GBK
Date: 2006-08-27 03:05
kira wrote:
> I'm currently using Rico reeds but was wondering
> if there is any other good ones out there I might
> give a chance too?
Rico reeds are considered very basic, generic, inexpensive, disposable reeds.
If one works, fine. If not try another. Their active lifespan is limited.
Just about any other brand would be a step up from basic Rico reeds.
Try a few of the next level up (Rico Royal, Mitchel Lurie, Grand Concert, etc...) to see if you can notice a difference in quality and consistancy...GBK
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Author: Chalumeau Joe
Date: 2006-08-27 03:45
My old music store used to sell a reed sampler pack, something like 2 Ricos, 2 Royals, 2 Mitchell Luries, and 2 Van Dorens.
Perhaps your shop will accomodate you the same way.
My parting thought on this subject is that only buy your reeds online...the prices will be significantly better (usually 20-30% less than what you'd pay in a brick-and-mortar store).
Joe
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Author: hans
Date: 2006-08-27 13:57
kira,
GBK wrote, wrt Rico reeds "Their active lifespan is limited." and I couldn't agree more.
My current favourites are Zonda for saxes and (plastic) Legere for clarinet.
Regards,
Hans
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Author: kev182
Date: 2006-08-27 16:03
Rico reeds are OK cheap reeds out of the box, but generally have a short usable lifespan and are not as consistent as vandorens..
I've tried Black Master, Blue box, V12, 56...
Personally I find the V12s more consistent than standard bluebox. The 56s seemed a little too thin towards the tip...after break in, hardness changes however.
I would definetly try some vandoren reeds, i really think there worth the extra money
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Author: Ed
Date: 2006-08-27 18:28
I generally have my beginning students start on Ricos but then go to the traditional Vandorens for the better quality, longevity and better heart that these reeds have. They generally notice a little more blowing resistance but also a much nicer tone once they make this change. There is a bit more body and richness in the tone over what they experience in the Rico.
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Author: Cuisleannach
Date: 2006-08-28 06:40
I'm a V-12 fan, too, but they are not a reed I'd consider for beginners. One option that will save you money in the long run is to go with Hand-Select reeds. Vandoren has them (and if I'm not mistaken Mitchell Lurie has something similar). The reeds are far more consistent and you tend to get a lot more that will play straight out of the box. This means you'll have more reeds you can use per box which more than offsets the price differential.
By the way, I have my students use blue box Vandorens that I hand-customize for them during their lessons, starting from the very first lesson. This way they can start seeing from the beginning how reeds should be worked on.
-Randy
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Author: GBK
Date: 2006-08-28 06:59
Cuisleannach wrote:
> By the way, I have my students use blue box Vandorens that I
> hand-customize for them during their lessons, starting from the
> very first lesson. This way they can start seeing from the
> beginning how reeds should be worked on.
Please describe the specific things that you do when you hand customize the Blue Box reeds for your students...GBK
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Author: kev182
Date: 2006-08-28 07:46
I know about the hand select blue box, and I definetly agree there more consistent than the regular. But do V12s come in hand select options?
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Author: Tony Beck
Date: 2006-08-28 18:53
One other thing you will find is that all reeds with the same number are not the same strength. A very helpful chart is posted on the Legere website at; http://www.legere.com/strength_charts.htm
I’m not endorsing Legere, I’ve never played one. The chart is good though and I have used that quite a bit. Gonzalez isn’t listed. They seem to run about the same as Blue Box Vandorens and are very consistent.
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Author: Cuisleannach
Date: 2006-08-29 01:06
I don't believe V-12's offer hand selects in the line, but I could be wrong. I generally find them to be more consistent than the blue box reeds, anyway, so they keep me happy.
As far as my customization process, I'd rather not say as it its a trade secret (kidding).
Mainly, I get them about half a size too strong, soak them for about five minutes in warm water, and then surface the backs with 400 grit w/d paper (all but the tips) and then polish with 600 w/d (entire surface). I then have the student rub the vamp with their fingers to "seal the pores". I return them to the water briefly and then have them play them. If they sound balanced but too hard I'll return to the 400 grit. If they don't I go at it with a reed knife, balancing the reed and explaining why I'm scraping where I'm scraping. I will also draw the heart of the reed in with pencil, and explain why to avoid this area. I also use the pencil to give them an idea of how much cane to remove...I shade the area and show them that I scrape just enough to remove the pencil marks. I leave the reeds a little hard and have the student place the reed in their "break-in box", to be played only for short periods for a week or so, until they are performance-ready.
As students progress I'll let them play around with reeds that aren't too promising by using small pieces of sandpaper (I'm not a fan of reed rushes). I forbid the purchase of a reed knife until they seem to do a pretty good job with sandpaper and I feel they are responsible enough to handle the burden of playing around with a very sharp knife.
I'm not a big fan of reed trimmers (although I use them), and I forbid their use until I know they are very ready.
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Author: Ed
Date: 2006-08-29 02:21
"Please describe the specific things that you do when you hand customize the Blue Box reeds for your students....."
I will butt in on this one and say that generally, for students 1) I will make sure that the back of the reed is flat- I take the warpage out using a bastard file. 2) I will make sure that the reed is balanced 3) I will adjust as needed to make sure the tip is responding and not too hard. I will lighten it as needed.
Doing just a little bit of reed work of this type will generally get their reeds going quite well. I will also try to get them started on doing these basic adjustments themselves. During this time I will also discuss the break in process.
Post Edited (2006-08-29 12:07)
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