 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2007-10-19 05:44
I did a quick search and can't seem to find anything to answer this question and I think it is something that might be useful info for all of us.
Just how integrated are the cane growers and the reed companies?? Does Vandoren or Rico (or any company at all) have their own fields??? Or... Do they buy from different growers dependong output/ price/ quality, etc.??
And if the answer to the second question is "yes"- How many cane growers are there?? Is it just a handfull of big growers that supply all the cane?? Is it a bunch of small growers that supply the cane??
As a PS question, Is the cane used for anything other than reeds (wicker baskets, etc)?
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2007-10-19 12:30
About 10 years ago I played in an international competition in the south of France. Vandoren organised a tour for the competitors to their cane farm. They showed us the plantations and gave us a tour of the whole place. They also gave us each a bottle of rosé wine made by Bernard van Doren. I don't know whether this farm produces all the cane that Vandoren uses to make its reeds.
By the way, the wine was really terrible! Perhaps you have to try a whole case to find the good bottle??
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Author: Iceland clarinet
Date: 2007-10-19 13:44
Reeds Australia like Rico Reverse are very hard to control and sounds very fluffy. Then the Reeds Australia I tried wraped very easily. They are deffinatly not playable right out of the box like Vandoren V-12 or Xilema Professional(which I found last a long time).That's why I gave up on Gonzalez FOF takes way too long time to brake them in.
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Author: Pathik
Date: 2007-10-19 14:29
My experience with Reeds Australia and Gonzalez FOF reeds is the exact opposite of Iceland Clarinet's. Passion, Vintage and Vintage XL from Reeds Australia and Gonzalez FOF are all great reeds. They're nearly all playable straight out of the box, and even the odd one that needs a bit of tweaking only takes a few seconds with the ATG reed finishing system to make perfectly good. I have never found any of these reeds "hard to control", and especially the Vintage XL ones are fantastic, with a strong, solid and focused sound - and not the slightest bit "fluffy"! Very long lasting too. Hmmm, maybe it depends on the reed strength you use, and probably the mouthpiece as well. I use strength 3 and 3 1/2 on an Eddie Daniels mouthpiece, and that works perfectly for me, but then, we're all different.......
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2007-10-20 20:05
Attachment: Rigotti.jpg (118k)
Having been near Cogolin (which is near St. Tropez) last week (doing some, er, field research on swimming pools and restaurants) I thought I'd visit Rigotti's. I must have picked the wrong time of day (or the wrong day of week or week of year, whatever) - unfortunately the shop was closed with no business hours schedule on the door, so I didn't dare to test my poor family's patience any further. Thus instead of being the prowd owner of at least a box of reeds (hand-picked by maidens during full moon, of course) and some insight into the reeding process, all I got was this lousy shot.
--
Ben
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2007-10-21 23:35
(Disclaimer - I am owner of Arundo Donax Musicalis)
The big reed companies have their own plantations but by no means can they grow all of the cane needed for the tens of thousands of reeds sold. Rico however is expanding its plantations worldwide.
There are small plantations, farms, back yards all over the Mediterranean shores from Spain to Turkey also in South America, China, etc. that grow cane for reeds. Around the Med they have cane auctions yearly, much like the tobacco auctions if you are familiar with them where the small growers will bring their bags of cane (2nd year, cut into tubes, aged 6-18 months) to auction and the big reed company buyers will look over lots of these bags and determine through experience and eye what to pay for each lot of bagged cane. There are also cane brokers that collect the produce of many small growers and bring them to auction or hold them for later sale for higher prices during shortage periods.
The cane can be of various qualities and each buyer will have an end price per quantity of cane needed and then buy the best lots, some mediocre, etc. to end up with a mix at his/her end buying trip. Bags are tagged with some secret coding which is deciphered at the factory (after some further period of aging and quality inspection) to put bags into the proper production lines for low, medium, and higher quality reed types. With this conglomeration of cane from various geographical areas much of the individual environmental highs and lows for a cane year's crop are evened out. There are obviously larger environmental events over larger regions that yield better or lesser cane growing conditions in any given year. Reed cane is pretty much a cash crop unto its own for the growers. (I have spent some time in So. France and Spain and seen the whole process first hand).
L. Omar Henderson
www.doctorsprod
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2007-10-22 13:52
IcelandClarinet, you have, on several occasions, referred to reeds (or the sound they produce) as "fluffy." I realize there are some linguistic differences among many of us here on this board, but I am interested in what exactly you mean by this comment. Can you be more descriptive or precise in your categorizations? I'm rather curious, as your experiences and observations seem to be in direct contrast to those of many others here, and I am interested in your observations.
Thanks in advance,
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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Author: skygardener
Date: 2007-10-22 14:07
I bet a good reed that he/she means what we usually call 'airy' or 'fuzzy'.
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2007-10-22 14:58
Quote:
<<They also gave us each a bottle of ++rosé+++ wine made by Bernard van Doren. I don't know whether this farm produces all the cane that Vandoren uses to make its reeds
By the way, the wine was really terrible! Perhaps you have to try a whole case to find the good bottle??>>>
Begs the question, was the wine from the '32 vintage ? (....runs for cover)
Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-
Post Edited (2007-10-22 15:52)
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2007-10-22 15:05
"Begs the question, what was the wine from the '32 vintage ? (....runs for cover)"
More likely the overrated and overpriced "56" variety. ![[toast]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smiley15.gif) ![[tongue]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie6.gif)
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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Author: skygardener
Date: 2007-10-22 15:13
At a saxophone masterclass I once went to a student asked, 'Is there anything special about the new 'xxxxx Select' reeds?'
Teacher's answer- 'Gold letters on the box'.
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2007-10-22 15:56
Quote:
<<They also gave us each a bottle of ++rosé+++ wine made by Bernard van Doren.>>
Begs the question, was the wine from the '32 vintage ? (....runs for cover)
Well, I feel like Jay Leno when he blows a joke. I have edited my post to convey whatever little humor/irony remains.
The +++ signs are mine.
The gag was bad to begin with, much less when you have to explain it.
oh well.
Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2007-10-22 20:56
Oh yeah.... I get it now.
Sorry I blew the gag for you, Dr. Segal.
Oops.
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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Author: Alseg
Date: 2007-10-22 21:17
No you didnt, JJA.
I had it written incorrectly, now fixed by the edit button.
Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2007-10-22 21:51
The EDIT tool is a magical device. Wish we had one for everyday life!
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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Author: C2thew
Date: 2007-10-23 00:40
"The EDIT tool is a magical device. Wish we had one for everyday life!"
or a CTRL + F key. man wouldn't that be sweet.
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: skygardener
Date: 2007-10-23 00:53
"or a CTRL + F key. man wouldn't that be sweet."-
The way things are going, it doesn't look that far off.
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Author: Alseg
Date: 2007-10-25 22:02
David, I tried the Reserve reeds and liked them alot. The first try was a 5 pack, so I ordered so more. Might as well be statistically significant.
Former creator of CUSTOM CLARINET TUNING BARRELS by DR. ALLAN SEGAL
-Where the Sound Matters Most(tm)-
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Author: Iceland clarinet
Date: 2007-10-25 22:45
JJAlbrecht I mean that they are good playing loud passages but when it comes to soft a delicate passage like in Brahms symphonies they are just too hard to control. I found this also the case with the Australia Vintage reeds.
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Author: RodRubber
Date: 2007-10-25 23:13
no matter how good the cane "quality" is, or how dense the xylems are, i still see a lot fo the reserve reeds with significant holes near the tip. Also, they have a thinner heart than either vandoren, or other ricos (evolution). They probably did that, because the cane is maybe a little "duller"
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2007-10-27 20:53
Thank you, Iceland Clarinet. I appreciate your clearing that up for me. I understand better, now, what you were indicating.
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."
Post Edited (2007-10-27 20:53)
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Author: Iceland clarinet
Date: 2007-10-27 23:02
David maybe I'm so unprofessional with reeds but my teacher has no success with the Revers and he plays professionally in the Icelandic Symphony orchestra and I my teacher and another professional player who I studied with all found the Australia Vintage to be very fluffy.
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