 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Curinfinwe
Date: 2009-08-21 01:14
Hi! I played a Rico Reserve, size 3.5, today, and I really liked it. I usually play V12 3.5s, and I found the Rico was better in tune, easier to play on for a long period of time, easier to articulate crisply, and had a better dynamic range. I'd like to experiment more with Rico. However, I'm not familiar with their different products and characteristic, or even how the strengths run in comparison to Vandoren. Is there some Rico aficionado out there who could educate me, maybe provide a list of the different reeds and how they're different so I have a guideline and don't spend an entire paycheck on experimentation?
Thanks so much!
(And yes, I have looked in the archives. The couple of threads I found were a few years old, and one thing I DO know about Rico is that there have been at least one new reed cut recently.)
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Author: mrn
Date: 2009-08-21 20:49
Curinfinwe wrote:
> Isn't there like a Grand Concert one, or something like that?
Yes, although there are three varieties of Grand Concert (actually, the full name is "Grand Concert Select"): Grand Concert Select, Grand Concert Select Thick Blank, and Grand Concert Select Evolution.
I think the regular Grand Concert Selects are supposed to be similar to blue box Vandorens and the Thick Blank somewhat like V12s. I think the Evolution essentially competes with the 56 Rue Lepic reeds, but to me they seem quite different.
BTW, I do know of at least one professional classical player (other than Lurie himself, of course) who used Mitchell Luries for a time (don't know what she uses now, though).
Incidentally, I just bought a new box of the Rico Reserve Classic (purple box) reeds. I bought #4s because the Rico reed comparison chart listed them as equivalent to #3.5 in the GCS Evolution reeds. On first playing, they seem a little stiffer than the Evolution 3.5s, though. Don't know what they'll be like when they're finally broken in, though. They do all seem to be more or less consistent with one another, though, so that's a good sign.
Post Edited (2009-08-21 20:57)
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Author: janlynn
Date: 2009-08-21 20:57
I just bought 3 boxes of reeds
Rico Reserve 3.5
Vandoren Traditional 4
Rico evolution 3.5
I have already tried the Grand Concerts (not bad)
my favorite of those reeds are the evolution. The Reserves arent working for me.
I use a Vandoren 5 RV Lyre
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Author: Curinfinwe
Date: 2009-08-21 21:02
mrn- Rico Reserve Classic? Is there a difference between them and the "regular' Reserves?
janlynn- did you find the Evolutions the same strength as the Reserves? Or different?
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Author: mrn
Date: 2009-08-21 21:39
Curinfinwe wrote:
> mrn- Rico Reserve Classic? Is there a difference between them
> and the "regular' Reserves?
I haven't played the regular Reserves (I'm a recent convert to the Rico Mafia), but what I do know is this (which is not much, admittedly). The regular Reserves come 5 to a box and are packed with a "Vitalizer" to control the humidity.
The "Classic" Reserves were designed in conjunction with Mark Nuccio of the NY Philharmonic--they are modeled after his hand-made reeds. They come 10 to a box without the humidity control packet. If we can believe the marketing info put out by Rico, they are made from the same cane as the regular Reserves. (The low-on-the-stalk cane, which is supposed to be denser)
What persuaded me to try them was that Nuccio claims that they require very little, if any, balancing or adjustment, and that these reeds are good enough that he has stopped handmaking reeds altogether. According to Nuccio, you can just break them in and play them. Sounded good to me, so I thought I'd give them a try myself and see if the claims are true.
I've only played on my Classic reeds once (went through the box), but I like the sound they make and they all seemed to behave pretty consistently. They were just a bit stiffer than I'm used to. Perhaps they'll limber up after I've played on them a bit more, otherwise I may jump down a strength and see if that works better.
One little weird thing I noticed, though, is that it looks like the sides of the reed are cut twice, once close to the flat side of the reed and another time closer to the vamp/bark side. I say this because the first reed I pulled out of the box looked like it had a rabbet cut into the side. (If you aren't familiar with woodworking terminology, click here to see a picture of what I'm talking about) I've never seen that on a reed before--probably a manufacturing defect, but it reveals something about the way these reeds are cut.
I think the most characteristic thing about the way these reeds are cut (that I noticed) is that the lower heart of the reed (close to where the score line would be in a blue box Vandoren) is noticeably thicker than most other reeds I've tried.
Oh, and the tip is less rounded than other reeds. Nuccio must play on a similar mouthpiece to mine because these Classic reeds appear to match the curvature of my mouthpiece tip exactly. I play on an Eddie Daniels ED1 (which is made by Zinner and distributed by Leblanc).
Post Edited (2009-08-21 21:59)
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