 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: James
Date: 2007-10-03 20:43
I just got a new box of Vandoren V12 reeds (size 4) and I must say that I'm quite impressed. Compared to the last few boxes that I've bought, these seemed to be much more consistent. There was still some variety in the reeds, but there weren't any that were absolutely unplayable; just a few that will take a little more work than the rest (which still shouldn't be much). The tone seems a little brighter that I prefer, but it was very even and well centered across all registers and responded beautifully. The throat tones had great clarity in even the softest dynamic levels, and I'm a man who's obsessed with how throat tones sound. I was actually about to give up on Vandoren reeds, but this box definately has me excited. All in all I'm looking foreward to catching up on all the practicing that I didn't do simply because I couldn't get any of the reeds that I had to play the way that I wanted to.
And now for the point. Has Vandoren upped their quality control after hearing complaints of inconsistency? Is the new "humidity controlled" packaging responsible? Or did I just get lucky and picked up a good box of reeds?
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Author: Bassie
Date: 2007-10-04 11:29
The guy who puts the good ones in is back from vacation.
(sorry... :-P )
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Author: Mike Clarinet
Date: 2007-10-04 11:57
I may be completely wrong here, but if I am, then please feel free to correct. The following is based on biassed opinion, urban legend, rumour and what the bloke in the pub told me.
Vandoren grows its cane in the south of France, where they are in competition for land with the vinyards. It takes 2 - 3 years from cutting the cane to you opening a fresh box or reeds. This means that the box you open today is made from cane grown in 2004 to 2005. These were excellent years for French wine, with, according to some pundits, 2005 being the top. The growing conditions that suit grapes for wine production also suit cane for reed production. The very good cane is now hitting the shops. 2006 has not been such a good wine year, and this will reflect in the cane next year. 2007 still remains to be seen, but it has been a very wet summer in Western Europe, which will affect everything. I am not an expert in wine or viniculture, or cane-iculture, just drawing my own (probably wrong) conclusions from what information I have gleaned from various places.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2007-10-04 12:09
So....vd should be advertising its "Vintage" reeds
Bob Draznik
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2007-10-04 12:54
come to think of it, I have seen reeds with years written on the box. Don't know if this is year of production or of cane harvest. I can't remember the brand, does this ring a bell for anyone?
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Author: GBK
Date: 2007-10-04 12:58
skygardener wrote:
> come to think of it, I have seen reeds with years written on
> the box. Don't know if this is year of production or of cane
> harvest. I can't remember the brand, does this ring a bell for
> anyone?
Gonzalez prints the year of harvest. (most recently the "Harvest of 2000")
...GBK
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Author: vin
Date: 2007-10-04 13:08
Vandoren does not only get their cane from France; it comes from all over the world. The reeds are just cut in France. If you happen to get good cane, lucky you.
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Author: Ryan25
Date: 2007-10-04 14:31
I just tried my first box of Gonzalez F.O.F's and I think they are very good....I might even consider switching but I did notice that they seem to be a little "pethy" if that makes sense. Has anyone else noticed this or is this just a bad box? I like the cut, response, tone quality but there is a "fuzz" in the sound that I can't get rid of? I've done everything I know to do to them (which is a lot) and I had no luck. Comments?
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Author: BobD
Date: 2007-10-04 17:01
Guess I better open the box I got instead of just stashing it.
Bob Draznik
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Author: srattle
Date: 2007-10-04 21:17
Ryan25:
I have also found gonzalez reeds to generally have a lot of reed sound to them. Sometimes I like that, sometimes I don't. . .depends on the piece, I guess, but I am now used to expect that from Gonzalez
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Author: rtmyth
Date: 2007-10-05 00:09
I am not aware of any quality control, but play them, Rue 56.
richard smith
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Author: RodRubber
Date: 2007-10-05 01:38
I don't feel that the cut of the FOF is really suitable to the cane they use. Their wood is very dense and often kind of dead sounding. I think their RC has a better cut. It is more vibrant, because of overall less wood. I still think they have a high enough heart for a round sound.
The vandoren cane is unique, and there are nice things about it. I think it can have pretty good longevity with a brief break-in. The problem is sometimes one good reed can cost you $40, and you feel abused. A percentage of reeds from every v12 size 5 box i buy are unplayable. I can tell by visual inspection of the tips. Those which have very few xylem, or entire areas of the tip with no Xylem (holes) will generally not play at all. If they do play, they will generally become problematic quickly. Another percentage of reeds have decent enough xylem in the tip area, but for whatever reason, the cane is not vibrant, and generally the corners are extremely limp. Look for springiness in the tip. The percentage that play do just that, and when they are working, v12 is the most playable flexible reeds. Only the best hand made reeds equal.
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Author: Wes
Date: 2007-10-05 07:31
Yes, i just finished working over a box of V12s for my granddaughter and they are all first class reeds, low E to very top C, just great. But that is my usual experience with them. Good Luck!
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2007-10-06 02:22
Just a little bit of trivia: Reeds Australia also puts the harvest date of the cane on the box.
My daughter uses Vandoren reeds for her Eb clarinet, but really doesn't like them at all for her Bb. She commented very favorably on the last box of Eb reeds I got for her. Very consistent (which is NOT a phrase I often hear about Vandorens).
Jeff
“Everyone discovers their own way of destroying themselves, and some people choose the clarinet.” Kalman Opperman, 1919-2010
"A drummer is a musician's best friend."
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