 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2010-05-06 02:05
Pardon me for starting a related thread, but I want to warn prospective Forestone reeds to be cautious on selecting an appropriate strength.
I ordered the 7-pack trial set and got excellent response from the company. I play on Vandoren V12 #3-1/2 or equivalent; so I specified reeds at strengths F2-1/2 to F4.
They seem to have great potential, but even the F4 is 'way too soft to produce a well centered tone that is comparable to my cane reeds.
I'll go back and get some F4-1/2 and F5 strengths and try again.
In the meanwhile, I find that these reeds are very promising. The 3 F3-1/2 strength reeds in my quiver are absolutely interchangeable --telling me that the manufacturing process is quite solid.
They are also very well balanced. On my (near perfect) Livengood facing, the Forestone reeds play best perfectly centered left to right, and the tip curve matches the mouthpiece.
More later when I've put some miles on the harder reeds.
Bob Phillips
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Author: MartyMagnini
Date: 2010-05-06 03:29
Bob,
I agree that they seem significantly lighter than the corresponding numbers on Vandoren or Rico Grand Concert. I got a couple on the old numbering system that I like (I can't even remember the old system - maybe a 3+?), so I ordered a few 3 1/2's, but they are way too light for me. Going to try a 4 and a 4 1/2. They are very consistent, I think once I get the right strength, they will be great reeds!
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2010-05-06 05:37
I usually play Vandoren V12 strength 3. I tried Forestone reeds at their stand and tried many strengths. 2.5 felt good. 3 felt on the hard side of good. I chose 3 as best eventually. 3.5 was too hard. I played almost only the Forestone 3 for a couple of weeks. Once I came back and the more I used it, it felt softer, eventually a little too soft. I guess compared with V12 same strength or more likely 0.5 harder is comparable. Maybe bigger difference in the harder strengths, I don't know.
Post Edited (2010-05-06 05:37)
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Author: kdk
Date: 2010-05-06 12:00
My reaction, too, is that they seem softer than the equivalent V12. I have always thought, since these reeds first became available, that the tips were just too flexible to produce a firm, focused sound. The soft tip for me (on the close-tipped mouthpieces I use) makes the reeds too free-blowing and difficult to play in tune. I've just tried a #4-1/2 with the same result. I'll try a #5 and see what it feels like.
I do hear a lot of potential in these reeds.
Karl
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Author: William
Date: 2010-05-06 14:35
FWIW--I have been playing Forestone clarinet reeds, exclusively, for about a year now and have pretty much settled on the F4 strength for my original Chicago Kaspar #14 mouthpiece. The new F4 models are a "tinge" on the softer side than the older ones, so I eventually may go to the F4.5 strength--time will tell. The bottom line is that I am using them in all of my orchestral and concert band, ensemble venues and like them. They are consistant, are always "ready to play" and seem (for me) to last forever. As an example, yesterday I played on the F3+ reed that I first used during a performance of "Peter & the Wolf" last May and it played beautifully on a runthrough of the Mozart Concerto.
BTW (and lastly), I've just started using the new Forestone sax reeds and find that they run a bit harder than corresponding cane. I'm using F2's on both my alto "Hollywood" Gregory & tenor "Studio" Guradala metal mpcies. The F2.5's seem suitable if I use my old Selmer C* soloists mpcies. If any of you double on sax, you really need to give these new sax reeds a try--they are absolutely amazing--especially in the altissimo.
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2010-05-06 16:00
Thanks, colleagues for your further comments on Forestone reed strength.
The folks there are providing me with their harder reeds; so I expect good things to happen here soon.
Bob Phillips
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Author: William
Date: 2010-05-08 16:06
Actually, I am sorry to report that a recent experiance with my trial pak of 7 revealed some serious inconsistancies in the grading of the new Forestone reeds. I had originally selected the F4 as being most suited for my Chicago Kaspar #14 mpc, but upon trying to use it at Muni Band last Thursday eve, it had deteriorated to being softer than the F2--and after only minimal previous use. And of the remaining reeds, there was not that much difference between the F2.5, F3, F3.5 & F5--all of which were usable and played well up to D8. The hardest reed was the F4.5. and I found that reed to be "unusable" for the present. These new F's do not seem to be as consistant as the older hand-finished reeds that I now prefer to rely on for my concert performance. As previously started in my former postings, I like and have been using hand-sanded Forestones for a year now, but am not as confident regarding the new models and their respective graded strengths.
FWIW--I have re-graded my trial pak of 7 to be: (softest of hardest) F4, F2, F2.5, F3, F3.5, F5, & F4.5.
Post Edited (2010-05-11 17:35)
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2010-05-08 16:32
Got mine in the maiol (2 packages) Thursday. I got around to opening them today, and they shorted me a reed. I got the buy two get one free/first timer offer. Gonna have to ping Lars at Forestone and request another reed.
Jeff
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Author: Niclas.e.gustafsson
Date: 2010-05-11 14:57
I just wrote lars to ask about the inconsistent reed-issue and he said that they are experiencing some problems with the manufacuring of the reeds.
I did send him the link to this thread and apparently they are aware of the problems.
Maybe that's why its taking such time getting the reeds i ordered...
I made great progress cutting the edge a bit though.
/niclas
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2010-05-11 22:37
If the reeds you ordered include some F3 strengths, that may be the problem. He contacted me directly and resolved my situation.
Jeff
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Author: Niclas.e.gustafsson
Date: 2010-05-12 12:19
Jeff: no it did only contain 4-4,5-5's and the problem as i understood it was the reeds changing so much during use which, as i understand it, wasn't a problem with the old models.
Now im using a 4 that i cutted some. It vary so much that it needs to be too hard in the 1st movement of mozart to be able to play through the 2nd and 3rd with descent sound and articulation. Otherwise my staccayoplay sounds like a horny duck allready in the final of the 1st...
None of my cane-reeds act like this so i know its not me!
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2010-06-25 20:23
I want to share my further evaluation of Forestone Bb Clarinet reeds.
Comparing the strength numbers with my drawer full of Vandoren V12's I ordered a Forestone evaluation kit with reeds numbered around 3.5. These turned out to be too soft, and Forestone sent me harder reeds to try.
I got an F4-1/2 and 2 F5s.
The F4-1/2 is just about perfect, and the F5s are too hard. For the last couple of weeks, I've been "playing off" my F4-1/2 against a couple boxes of my current reeds along with some that are harder and some that are softer.
Its been tough to make a choice, but Forestone finally won out, and I've just ordered 2 more F4-1/2s and another F5. This means that my "quiver" of Forestones consists of an F4, and F5 and 3 F4-1/2s.
The softer reeds have been passed to students, and the other 2 F5s are in my teacher's clarinet case --in case he needs to really project over the orchestra. In trying out the 2-F5s, we (with him playing, as the 5s are too stiff for me to play comfortably) we noted a difference in the sound and responsiveness of the two reeds.
My professional colleagues are hard sells when it comes to moving away from the pain of cane, so the number 5's are in their back-up reed cases.
For my part, when rotating reeds in the practice room, the 4-1/2 Forestone always feels great when I put it on the mouthpiece. It is as different from my best cane reeds as my best cane reeds are from each other.
Bob Phillips
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Author: William
Date: 2010-06-26 00:38
Upon further review--isn't that what an NFL ref would day??--I have decided to "overturn" an earlier posting in this thread and report that the new model F5 plays best on my Chicago Kaspar #14 with the F4.5 a close second. Many of my older reeds F3+, F4 & F4.5 are holding their original strength very well, but it seems the new model reeds need to be played a bit before they "settle in". So, if a F5 seems a bit too stiff "out of the box", play it anyway and it will quickly come around and remain stable for a indefinate time--unlike cane which rapidly deterorates leaving you to buy three more boxes to search through. Been playing Forestones for over a year now and am totally satisfied by the sound & articulation in all registers (up to D7) and their durability. I second the "pain of cane" referrence above and am quite happy to be pain free.
Post Edited (2010-06-26 00:40)
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Author: chewkhd
Date: 2010-06-28 00:58
Hello,
I, intending to order some Forestone reeds to try and I was also using Vandoren V12 size 3.5 or equivalent. Based on some the previous threads, do you guys reckon I should get their F3.5, F4 and F4.5 to evaluate which size fits best for me? It seems that they play slightly softer than the Vandorens.
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Author: Franklin Liao
Date: 2010-06-28 05:03
I am actually waiting on my F2.5 and F3. I really want to see how this compares to Legere myself. The strange thing is that it's the been 16 days and still no reed :(
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Author: William
Date: 2010-06-28 15:12
I used to play Vandoran V12's, 3.5 or 4.0, depending on how the current crop of cane was growing--always a gamble. I'm still using the same mouthpiece and discovering that F4.5 or F5's work best after they have been played a little. Once a Forestone reed has "settled in", it will retain it's resilience indefinately. Some of mine are still playing well after a years use. Rotating my Forestones between playing sessions probably accounts for some of their "longevity", but they still last much longer than any cane reed I've ever known. Hope this helps a bit.
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2010-06-28 15:17
7-10 days from Japan to USA seems normal for Forestone, ---once they get the package in the mail.
Please let us know if you "lucked out" on your choice of stiffness and don't need to go back for a stiffer reed.
Thanks
Bob Phillips
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Author: Franklin Liao
Date: 2010-06-28 23:29
I got most of my reeds and I am very happy with them.
It took me a good 1 hour before I feel comfortable with them, since they have a very unique feel to them. They have the same texture as the Legere, but their response isn't like the Legere. This was a little disorienting. The two reeds of 2 1/2 strength that I've tried are quite consistent.
These reeds are less picky than the Legere about the clarinet + mp that they are used on, and they are a tad bit harder than the Legere, but not by much. They would sit somewhere inbetween a Vandoren and a Legere marked the same stiffness level.
I played it on 2 clarinets. On the Bb where the Legere was happy to put up with, the Forestone felt a bit more precise and yielding a more focused tone on 2 different mouthpieces that I've tried. It wasn't a drastic difference.
These reeds corrected the annoying issue of being perpetually flat on my Forte C clarinet, but of course things like stuffy bell F remain the same. I find them being much easier to work with than the Legere reeds. I like how that the Forestone isn't as prone to note bending as Legere... whether if that's good or not I think is subjective.
I think the fact that the trill fingerings have gotten a bit more in-tune alone makes me want to weep...
edit1: I can't help myself with putting the reed back to the mp and spend some more time on the horn. This thing is strangely addictive.
Post Edited (2010-06-29 04:14)
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