 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: SVClarinet09
Date: 2007-05-12 14:48
Just now I was visiting the Vandoren website to see updates, news, etc. I was delighted to see that all Vandoren reeds are now coming in flow packs. We no longer have to buy the 30 reed box to get flow packs. I think this a great improvement for Vandoren reeds. Now I'm just gonna wait until my store gets a new shipment of the flow packaged reeds before I buy anymore. It does say Available in the course of 2007--but I hope that means like in the next month or so. It's not likely I don't think. All I can do is sit and wait =]
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2007-05-12 15:03
it's still a huge waste of plastic. we discussed it a while ago, but they really should find a more ecological solution. that goes for Rico, too.
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Author: GBK
Date: 2007-05-12 15:09
Usually I'm pretty critical of Vandoren reeds ("Vandoren reeds - where no cane goes to waste") but I think that the flow pack actually does improve the quality and playability of the reeds.
I think that individually packaged and sealed reeds do play with a bit more consistancy and do seem less "dried out."
Of course it is double the packaging waste, but in this case the improvement out weighs the resulting excess pollution.
BTW - I do recycle the plastic holders. Perhaps Vandoren should consider stiff cardboard holders (a la Gonzalez) to cut down on the use of plastic ...GBK
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Author: SVClarinet09
Date: 2007-05-12 15:20
I recycle my plastic holders too. I like Gonzalez's recycled boxes and the reed holders they use. These new flowpacks MIGHT give me enough reason to switch over to Vandoren's again but for now FOFs are all worth it.
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2007-05-12 15:41
GBK- 'the improvement out weighs the resulting excess pollution'.
perhaps for you it does, but I have never really found much of an inconsistancy problem with Vandorens that would require such waste.
it's a reed folks! We're not playing Football with it. It doesn't need to be sealed in 17 layers of water-proof kevlar for shipping.
Post Edited (2008-03-24 16:20)
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Author: GBK
Date: 2007-05-12 16:21
Since it is common knowledge that today's reeds are aged far less than in previous generations, warping (even of unplayed reeds) is a serious problem. The Flow pack seems to help stabilize the reed before initial playing.
Unfortunately, I have a bad feeling that the upcoming Flow Packaging for all Vandoren reeds will come with a price increase.
Just a hunch ...GBK
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Author: Daniel Frazelle
Date: 2007-05-12 17:08
My experience with the flow packs is a little mixed. I do think they are more consistent, but my best reeds almost exclusively come from the regular boxes. I can't explain why this would be true, but it is, at least for me.
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Author: SVClarinet09
Date: 2007-05-12 19:16
GBK wrote:
> Unfortunately, I have a bad feeling that the upcoming Flow Packaging for all Vandoren reeds will come with a price increase.
It already has. A box of blue box reeds at my music store was 21.50 today, up from 19.99 a couple of months ago, and 17.99 back when I was in middle school. Eventually I think blue box reeds will be as much as FOFs. FOFs at my store are 26.50. V12s Are 25.50 too I think and Rue Lepics 28.50 or something around there.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2007-05-12 19:24
Melvin, check out 1stopclarinet.com - FOFs @ 18.99, Lepics @ 17.99 etc....
(no affiliation whatsoever except that I buy my ML's there too)
--
Ben
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Author: pewd
Date: 2007-05-12 19:32
www.weinermusic.com
blue box vandorens $14.14 in quantities of 8 or more
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: pelo_ensortijado
Date: 2007-05-12 21:29
http://reeds.woodwindandreed.co.uk/
blue boxes - £9.95 for more than 5 boxes at a time. and no shippingcosts. atleast not to sweden...
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Author: RodRubber
Date: 2007-05-13 01:42
i am extremely concerned about this development. I have had much better success with the regular box. Vandoren should make reeds in quarter strengths. I think that would be a much better direction than individually wrapped reeds. Also, there are so many v12 reeds that the blank they used is so uneven length wise, that the scrape can often begin up to 3-4 mms too high along the reed. These reeds NEVER work for me. I rarely even try them.
All the more reason to make one's own reeds
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2007-05-13 06:56
Local price for Vandoren V12, regular box of ten reeds is $36 (with student or other discount), regular price is $45. If they bring those flow packs here for a higher price, I don't want to know....
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Author: pelo_ensortijado
Date: 2007-05-13 15:59
OMG!! thats really expensive. i'll never complain about swedish prices again!!!
rodrubber: an excellent idéa!! quarter marking instead of half!! so that one can narrow down what one wants.
i buy a stronger reed than i need. (plays on about 2.75 buys 3) and take them down to the right strenght! it works. but closer markings instead would be so much easier!!! hope mr Van Doren se this....
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Author: GBK
Date: 2007-05-13 16:10
Vandoren already gives you a variety of strengths (+/- .4) within each box.
I would think that the liklihood of Vandoren changing to quarter strength sizing is nil to none...GBK
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2007-05-13 16:22
changing to 1/4 strengths won't be much work for Vandoren but I don't think the stores would be happy about having to stock them.
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Author: GBK
Date: 2007-05-13 16:29
I am that I am not alone in remembering the days when Vandoren would just label the boxes "soft", "medium soft" "medium hard" etc... GBK
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Author: RodRubber
Date: 2007-05-13 16:38
I agree that vandoren will not 1/4 size their reeds. But i just really need like a 4.75
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Author: Chalumeau Joe
Date: 2007-05-13 18:30
How much of a difference does this really make? The humidity of the reed will be maintained only until the Flow Pak is opened. After it's open, the reed will achieve hygrometric equilibrium with its surrounding environment.
I would think that whatever benefit one obtains from a vacuum packed, humidified reed would be short-lived once equilibrium is achieved.
Isn't this just empty marketing?
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Author: J. J.
Date: 2007-05-13 21:31
No, there's a difference. I'm not sure what Vandoren has said about the packaging and why it works, but it does make a noticable difference. Whether it's a good or bad thing, I don't know, but the reeds perform differently and somehow are more consistent.
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Author: Katherine Handcock
Date: 2007-05-14 17:22
I think whether it makes a notable difference depends on your environment. Here in Nova Scotia, where it's very humid, I've found that flowpack reeds don't do as well for me as the regular boxes. My wild theory (with no scientific backing, I might add ;-) is that the reeds end up suffering double the stresses of being a) exposed to a new general humidity level and b) being played in at the same time. But it's only been my experience, so your mileage may differ!
I will confess, though, I'm not crazy about the tons of extra packaging...or, since I work in music retail, the wild variations in sizes of boxes between and within brands, that mean our nice reed racks don't fit all the boxes any more! ;-)
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Author: Iceland clarinet
Date: 2007-05-14 19:33
Here in Iceland box of V-12 costs around 43$ with 5% prompt payment discount. And Rue Lepic reeds are over 46$ also with 5% prompt payment discount. So I always buy my reeds online. The lowest price I've seen on V-12 is 18$ a box if 5 or more boxes are bought from Dorn publication www.dornpub.com
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Author: pelo_ensortijado
Date: 2007-05-15 13:26
how about vandoren selling their own reeds online? that way it makes it easier to store and keep them. the picky ones can order online from them. and the ones who isn't picky can just buy regulary ones.
if i'm gonna argue against myself here i can say that only today i have played on lots of different strenghts. a soft one in the morning when the muscles hasn't settled for the day. then one of the normal ones i use. and as the day passed by and the groups that im rehersal with changed i go to softer ones.
from soft 3 to regular 2.5 in a day....
after all. maybe its best to let it be. they(VD) probably have figured it out nice and gentle themselves. :D
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Author: skm
Date: 2007-05-16 17:52
Already got some in that packing from Muncy Winds...Rue Lepic #4s. And they were actually cheaper this time then when I bought them a few months ago!
I like it better than the little tray thingy they were doing before.
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Author: SVClarinet09
Date: 2007-05-18 23:11
SKM, do you think Muncy has regular VDs in flow packaging now too? I don't want to buy the big 50 reed box yet.
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Author: GBK
Date: 2007-05-18 23:20
SVClarinet09 wrote:
> SKM, do you think Muncy has regular VDs in flow packaging now
> too? I don't want to buy the big 50 reed box yet.
The Flow Pack sleeve contains 30 reeds, not 50 ...GBK
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Author: tdinap
Date: 2007-05-20 21:12
I'm glad to see the flow packaging; lately I've felt like my V12's haven't really been up to par, and perhaps this will help a bit. Anyone else see a slight drop in the quality of V12's in the past few months?
On a related note, has anyone ordered reeds (or anything else, I suppose) from Woodwind & Brasswind online lately? I ordered two boxes almost two weeks ago, and they sent a shipment confirmation email immediately, but I still don't have the reeds. It's possible it's not their fault, but I have heard they've been having some issues lately.
Tom
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Author: BobD
Date: 2007-05-22 20:36
The marketing people have their name for it but fishermen call it "chumming".
Bob Draznik
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Author: A Brady
Date: 2007-10-19 21:43
Just to check in on this topic again, what is everyone experiencing with the current Vandorens in the flow packs? I've generally been having good results with the Rue LePic reeds, along with the traditional saxophone reeds.
Yesterday in Sam Ash in Midtown Manhattan, I was buying Vandorens in the new packaging and I mentioned that I was having pretty good luck with it so far, and the salesman mentioned that Sonny Fortune had been in recently and "hated" the reeds since the change, and I've heard other conflicting opinions as well.
I still think it's the best cane available in a commercial reed overall; opinions?
AB
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2007-10-20 00:53
Once you open the wrapping the reed will start to adjust to the air around it. In a day or so, you have reeds that are the same as if there were no flow pack- totally adjusted to the surrounding environment. So, this new wrapping really can only affect the playing for the first 1-2 days, tops. Can someone explain to me how this wrapping can have any real effect on the reed. Other than marketing, I can't see the point.
Also, does it still have the plastic holder?
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Author: A Brady
Date: 2007-10-20 01:10
Yes, there is a plastic holder inside the little bag.
After I open the reed, I wet it briefly, play test it for a few minutes, then put it in the reedguard inside of a baggie with a Rico ReedVitalizer pack in it.
This keeps the reed at an optimal hydration level; I don't let them dry out 100%. It's been working quite well for me.
Vandoren seems to be concerned about variable atmospheric conditions during shipping and this certainly eliminates that particular variable.
YMMV.
AB
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2007-10-20 13:38
I made a reed humidor combining online directions for a cigar humidor and an article on maintaining humidity for double reeds.
The humidor stays at 68% humidity with almost no effort on my part (one adjustment every two months), and I've found that my reeds play well and last long.
(I do use Ridenour's ATG system, and I then cure the reeds over three days...)
The only warped reeds that I've seen are the ones that I forget to put in the humidor!
James
PS...the humidor cost was $15 to make, cheap investment.
Gnothi Seauton
Post Edited (2007-10-20 13:39)
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2008-03-24 16:18
After years of not buying Vandoren, I have bought a few boxes and now there is the flow packaging that I have heard of , but never actually experienced. Every reed is the most perfectly balanced piece of cane that has ever touched a mouthpiece. I feel like I am actually in France and the reeds have only been put in the box yesterday. What a great idea... too bad that it will make no difference in 2 days when all the reeds adjust to the climate in the immediate space around them, just like they would have without the wrapping. Having studied these things a little... the packaging can only make a difference for maybe the first 3-4 days (5 tops) after it is removed from the wrapping. This is the "break-in" period for most people anyway. There can be no difference in the long run. Also the new box looks like it uses 40% more paper than before (like we don't have enough waste in the world).
The only thing that CAN make a difference is to KEEP the reeds in that environment all the time when they are not being used. It's like dry ice; you keep it in a special environment to keep certain qualities, buy after you remove it, that quality is quickly lost.
If there are any differences, then it would be in some other part of the production than this extra wrapping.
Post Edited (2008-03-24 16:23)
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2008-03-24 16:42
Skygardener,
The increased "carbon footprint" is a complete bummer. I would rather that the reeds were provided like the Rue Lepic's (one humidity controlled container for all ten reeds).
Because I keep these reeds humidified most of the time I find that there are beneficial positives throughout the life of the reed. When I'm using the reeds they are either in my mouth or underneath the mouthpiece cap.
I generally experience that the reeds last longer (or that could just be my rotation) and that they retain their spring for an extended amount of time.
I do not find that the reeds are better balanced at the outset, but I adjust them all anyway.
I cannot dispute that we're all different and will find varying levels of success with the same products. The waste in packaging is something that we can all agree upon, however!
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2008-03-24 17:11
I just experienced my first batch of 56s that come in the individually packed containers. Does ANYONE at Vandoren know that woodwind players work on about ten reeds at a time ???!!!!???? It is not only a complete waste of resources but gets in the way AND takes away the smaller, more convenient to carry ten pack box.
WHAT WERE THEY THINKING !!!!????!!!
..............dismayed in the South,
..........................Paul Aviles
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2008-03-24 17:58
Maybe we should start a petition?
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: Ed
Date: 2008-03-24 18:26
It was stated-
"Unfortunately, I have a bad feeling that the upcoming Flow Packaging for all Vandoren reeds will come with a price increase."
I am sure there are other factors, but I am sure the extremely poor exchange rate of the dollar has something to do with the price increase as well.
I have generally felt that Vandoren makes a good reed and a fairly consistent product. I have had better luck with those than most any other over the years. I can often get most working fairly well for me.
I do hate the new packaging. I am still waiting for the return of the old purple plastic boxes!
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Author: Tara
Date: 2008-03-24 22:40
I hate it too. Hate it. I can't tell much difference in my own playing, and at my school I am forever assisting little children rip open that darn wrapping.
Oh well. What would we have to talk about if it was the perfect reed and we loved it?
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Author: timg
Date: 2008-03-24 23:35
I don't think we can accuse Vandoren of ruining the environment. The new packaging may or may not be worthwhile - clearly some people love it. Myself I don't see any difference in the reeds, but the actual volume of plastic wasted is vastly outweighed by, well, almost anything. The new "reusable" bags at my supermarket for example (they break instantly).
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Author: Blake Arrington
Date: 2008-03-25 00:09
In response to the quarter strength question...I asked this to the Vandoren reps when they did a talk at UNT a few years ago. One of the main reasons was stocking issues. Could you imagine how big the store would be to hold all these different strengths.
If you are searching for more specific strengths, go to one of the Vandoren Musician's Studios. They will put some of your great reeds on the computer and find a specific strength. It will be a three digit number anywhere from 100-whatever. The higher the number the harder the reed. From there, they will go through new reeds and pick out as many as you want in that specific strength. Just give them a call when you need more reeds and they will send you more of that specific strength.
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Author: GBK
Date: 2008-03-25 17:53
FWIW - My most recent Vandoren reed order (just a few days ago) from Weiner Music arrived in the older style packaging, not the newer Flow Packs.
Since Weiner sells so many boxes of reeds, I was surprised to see that they had the older style remaining.
I don't know how much more of the older stock they still have, but if you are opposed to the new Flow Packs, you could always call them to see if they have remaining boxes of the traditional style packaging in the Vandoren reed strength you need...GBK
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Author: C2thew
Date: 2008-03-26 06:52
flow packs aren't dumb. americans waste more by opening a candy bar wrapper or a snickers. remember, consistency is key to the survival of a business. vandoren has been consistently producing duds in boxes of 10 reeds, and lets face it people got annoyed, to the degree that vandoren began to lose business to reed manufacturers that had better soil climate, more internal control creating more playable reeds.
vandoren was losing business, so now they're trying to retain control over the reed market.
just my 2 cents.
Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. they are but improved means to an unimproved end, an end which was already but too easy to arrive as railroads lead to Boston to New York
-Walden; Henry Thoreau
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2008-03-26 07:08
"americans waste more by opening a candy bar wrapper or a snickers"
I love this logic. It's like saying "the emissions from automobiles are much worse, so we don't have to worry about the pollution caused by our small factory".
It's time less people started thinking this way.
Regarding the flow packaging, it wouldn't bother me so much if there was a noticeable improvement in the quality of the reeds. But I find that this packaging makes no difference to the reeds at all, so it really seems like meaningless waste to me.
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2008-03-26 07:36
candy bars have LESS wrapping.
Vandoren- reed in plastic holder in plastic wrap in paperbox in plastic wrap in cardboard box on truck. 6
snickers- bar in plastic wrap in paper box in plastic wrap(maybe) in cardboard box on truck. 4-5
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2008-03-26 08:49
"americans waste more by opening a candy bar wrapper or a snickers"
They also gain more ![[grin]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie5.gif)
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2008-03-26 10:24
Dear C2thew,
I think we are talking about the box of 10 that has individually wrapped reeds. Prior boxes of Rue Lepics had an aluminum seal on the whole box.
I don't know about you, but I work on 10 reeds at a time. This means I have to unwrap 10 times before I start to get into practice. This also means the boxes are much bigger and DON'T fit into my clarinset case (that's the part that pisses me off).
Let's face it. If the environment were the issue none of us would be scrambling to chop down the last African Blackwood tree for horns.
..................Paul Aviles
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Author: BobD
Date: 2008-03-26 11:15
Holy crap. All this talk about such big issues.
Bob Draznik
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2008-03-26 11:41
Hey Bob, I think it's more like "holy crap...look at all the crap my reeds come in!"
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2008-03-26 12:20
Like I said, you have to keep the reeds in the same environment all the time for any real effect.
I think Vandoren might start selling air-tight reed cases that have a compartment for a time release carterage that is filled with... you guessed it- French AIR!
Rico, eat your heart out!
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Author: Ed
Date: 2008-03-26 12:26
C2thew says-
"vandoren has been consistently producing duds in boxes of 10 reeds,"
Face it, it is an organic product. There is no way to have 100% control over every reed. There will be variation no matter what. In addition, being cane, it will change, warp etc. I think that every maker has duds in each box. I haven't found one that doesn't.
I think that the more any of us knows about working on reeds, the better the odds become. Sometimes a little work can make those duds into real workable reeds.
..............and sometimes they are just duds. ![[frown]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie2.gif)
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Author: Hatten
Date: 2008-03-27 19:34
Here in Norway, flowpackaging is a total waste of time. You get the reeds, open it ut, a couple of days, and they are the same as the old ones. Marketing tricks from VanDoren because of their slow decrease in the market.
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Author: C2thew
Date: 2008-03-28 05:52
i guess my reed preparation is more of a use when needed approach. my reeds last for a good deal amount of time so i can see the approach vandoren is coming from. Aimed more at students in the classroom then people who adjust multiple reeds at one time then store. (that's where the vandoren humidifier comes into play, but that's another story. not like i own one)
it could also very well be a ploy to increase the price of reeds in addition to the falling value of the dollar. hats off to the strategist
Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. they are but improved means to an unimproved end, an end which was already but too easy to arrive as railroads lead to Boston to New York
-Walden; Henry Thoreau
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Author: William
Date: 2008-03-28 15:09
I miss the old days when Vandorans were packaged in boxes of twenty with no special labeling (V-12, Trad, Rue, etc), plastic sleeves, flowpacks, etc. Just "Vandoran" reeds, loose, in a box and labeled 21/2-3, 31/2-4, etc. Those reeds were inconsistant, but the "truth in labeling" sort of allowed for that. Also, I they seemed to have more heart and play better. Most of us clarinet majors in music school played the 21/1-3 strengths which seemed, back then, just right for my Chicago Kaspar #14. Now, I have to use at least a 3.5 or 4.0 V-12s on the same mouthpiece and the reeds do not have the same "zing" I recall from yesteryear. For me, I do not like the new "flow paks"--just more reason the charge more for an increasingly inferior product.
Give me those plain old Vandorans. Better still, how about those old Morres????
[ala Archie Bunker] "Those were the days.........."
Post Edited (2008-03-28 15:28)
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Author: Terry Stibal
Date: 2008-03-28 17:00
Content deleted
leader of Houston's Sounds Of The South Dance Orchestra
info@sotsdo.com
Post Edited (2008-03-30 03:12)
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Author: William
Date: 2008-03-28 22:04
Back in the 50's, when I bought a single reed at the local music store, it was taken from a box of new reeds and placed in a cardboard reed holder for protection. A biodegradeable cardboard sleeve, BTW. My main point, however, was that it seems Vandoran is currently more interested in the fancy packaging of the reeds--probably to enhance sales, not sanitation--than in the quality as I remember in yesterdays boxes of twenty.
I still have a couple of those old boxes of new, 21/2-3's which I have kept unopended from the early 1960 and someday, I'm gonna crack one open and see if they were as good as I remember. I also have a few hundred of old used reeds from my college days--why I saved them all these years is now a mystery (my wife say's I'm a "packrat")--but I think I will try some of them as well. Be getting back to ya'll soon.
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2008-03-29 16:25
Because of some pervious experience with "moisture-proof" packaging and growing up seeing thing like the air bubble in a snow globe slowly get bigger, it akes me think that the packaging really does nothing- not even seal the air it says it does.
So here is the cruel experiment that I tried this week. I took 2 sealed flow packs and taped them to bottom of a bowl and filled the bowl with water. After 4 days (today), I opened them and I was shocked...
There was absolutely no moisture inside that I could find. Not one little drop of water or dew. The seal passes my test (whether it helps the reeds play better is still debatable) BUT it does seal that French air.
Yup... sure does.
Post Edited (2008-03-29 16:25)
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2008-03-29 17:32
skygardener wrote:
> There was absolutely no moisture inside that I could find. Not
> one little drop of water or dew.
That's not very surprising. For water to displace trapped air, it'd need at least two holes, else the water would have get past that big fat ugly air bubble in that one single hole. Not unlike that glass ketchup bottle you're so vigorously shaking.
Another question would be whether or not it is beneficial for a reed to be trapped in French air for maybe years on end. ![[tongue]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie6.gif)
--
Ben
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Author: redwine
Date: 2008-03-29 18:09
Hello,
In this age of awareness of widespread degredation of our environment, I believe that it is unethical to package any product in ways that ignore our sense of environmental responsibility. In my opinion, this type of packaging is merely marketing hype to convince people to continue purchasing their product. This waste of valuable resources is one of the identifiers I look for when deciding which products I will or will not purchase.
Ben Redwine, DMA
owner, RJ Music Group
Assistant Professor, The Catholic University of America
Selmer Paris artist
www.rjmusicgroup.com
www.redwinejazz.com
www.reedwizard.com
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2008-03-30 01:45
"I believe that it is unethical to package any product in ways that ignore our sense of environmental responsibility."
Worse yet, this is not only wasteful,. it is a change to MORE waste than before.
Why don't they just try to make a good product? Other companies seem to have less trouble making consistent reeds, and at little increase in price on the consumer end. Why can't Vandoren do it too?
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Author: Ed
Date: 2008-03-30 12:12
Iceland Clarinet says:
"Why do people buy Vandoren and complain??????"
![[happy]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smiley12.gif) LOL!
Good question. I recall years back when there were literally a couple of choices of reeds. Vandoren (in one flavor), Mitchell Lurie, Rico, sometimes Olivieri and not much else. Once in a while you might find someone who had something else.
These days you can find a huge supply of reeds other than the variety of Vandoren styles available, including:
Alexander Classique
Alexander DC
Alexander Superial
Brancher Classic Cut Bb Clarinet Reeds
Brancher Jazz Double Cut Bb Clarinet Reeds
Canyes Xilema Artesana
Canyes Xilema Classic
Canyes Xilema Professional
Glotin Gaia
Glotin GIII
Gonzales FOF
Gonzalez Regular
LaVoz
Marca Excel Bb Clarinet Reeds
Marca Pete Fountain
Marca Tradition
Mitchell Lurie
Mitchell Lurie Premium
Mozart Reeds
Olivieri
Olivieri Elite
Peter Ponzol
Queens Reeds
Reeds Australia Vintage
Reeds Australia Vintage XL
Rico
Rico Royal
Rico Grand Concert
Rico Grand Concert Evolution
Rico Reserve
Rigotti Gold
Woodwind Paris
Zonda
Zonda Classico
Zonda Select
This does not include the hand full of choices of synthetic reeds that are available today. Many are excellent and can be used in any professional setting.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2008-03-30 13:15
Ed,
you forgot the "Flying Goose" in your lineup.
Seriously - anyone in here tried reeds from comparatively exotic brands, like Steuer/Esser, Leuthner, AW, Reeds Australia, Oswald, Foglietta, ...?
(many links appear on http://www.uhl-technik.de/en/links.html)
--
Ben
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Author: Iceland clarinet
Date: 2008-03-30 15:13
I tried AW French reeds think 302 rather than 301 # 3 and they felt almost like #4 and they wraped so seriously that they were unplayable. They are also very expensive. Reeds Australia Vintage and Vintage XL are about 1/2 strenght heavier than Vandoren V-12 and to me took long time to brake in and were very fluffly sounding. I also tried some examples of Foglietta both of their French cuts and the ones I got were not golden colored but rather grey and didn't last long. I also did try Leuthner and liked them a bit but they are like AW very expensive. I'm now playing on Glotin GIII which I got very cheap but when my batch will finish I will go for Xilema Professional reeds they are fantastic very consistant,with comfort amount of resistance but also very vibrant andl ast long but don't need too long brake-in time . I highly recomend them. You can get them from www.doctorsprod.com (only A,B,C,D,E grade no A+ etc grades) and www.redwinejazz.com which has all the grades.
And another thing Glotin are no longer produced and they are a bit hard to find and where you find them they are on closeout sale.
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Author: Upper left tip
Date: 2008-03-31 16:29
Well, I like the new packaging and what it does for the reeds. I've had a higher success rate and I'm able to determine with more certainty if a reed will end up working for me. I think it's important to remember that most reed makers are faced with the conundrum of balancing consistency with the need for enough variety in shape and quality to appeal to a broad spectrum of players and styles.
It might help if you do have packaging concerns to visit the Vandoren web site:
http://www.vandoren.fr/en/home.html
I think it will answer a lot of the misconceptions people have.
Now, if you're still really upset about the packaging I suggest going vegan as that will reduce your carbon footprint by up to 1.5 tons!
Post Edited (2008-03-31 23:39)
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