 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: USFBassClarinet
Date: 2011-02-09 02:00
So now that the new Vandoren V12 and Rico Reserves have been around for a few months, anyone have any thoughts on them?
I gave the V12's a real test run and have found I don't really like them. I am about to start giving the reserves a good run and see about them. I played the V12's all last semester since clarinet fest this past summer. I think I went through quite a few boxes of them. They play well, but seem to require a lot of adjustment for me and die rather quickly.
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Author: LarryBocaner ★2017
Date: 2011-02-09 02:11
I'm not all that enthralled by the Rico Reserves. At least on my mouthpiece they all seem uniformly stuffy (#3.5 w/Roger Garrett-Zinner). Cut seems strange to me -- sort of scooped at the tip with more resistance at the sides.
I've had better results with the Grand Concert selects, also by Rico. GC's also die rather quickly -- Gonzalez is my current default.
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2011-02-09 05:43
Part of the problem with cane is the shortage of quality. Years ago the cane grew for 3 to 4 years. Because of the shortage cane gets cut around 1 to 2 years. It is soft without quality fiber construction so they drop a lot in strength.
A lot of cane now comes from Argentina, because the Var region of France is becoming more of a tourist place with buildings popping up all over the place so there is now a limited amount of quality cane. This area is a lot like California weather.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2011-02-09 07:05
> A lot of cane now comes from Argentina, because the Var region of France is
> becoming more of a tourist place with buildings popping up all over the
> place so there is now a limited amount of quality cane. This area is a lot like
> California weather.
Hmm. Last autumn I was there (St Tropez region). No such thing as tourist places popping up where cane used to grow, as cane and tourists don't share the same habitat - cane grows best near watery ditches (mosquitos!) and wasteland while tourists prefer some oceanfront houses. Cane is an invasive species, you really have to fight it back.
Quality getting downhill is a problem, though. But I think it's more due to impatient producers (or shareholders) than due to a shortage of cane per se.
--
Ben
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2011-02-09 14:42
I've been using the Rico Grand Concert for many years now on bass though I still have several boxes of older Vandoren's that I open now and then with limited success as compared to the GC. I do have some of the Reserves but never tried the new Vandoren's so I can't make a comparison. I use # 4 reeds. So far I do like the Reserves very much, I'm not sure I like them more than the GC though. They do play a bit different but good. Only time will tell for me. I've been using a Selmer C* voiced by Dave McClune for the past ten years or so having used a stock C** for 38 years before that. ESP http://eddiesclarinet.com
PS. I am an uncompensated Rico performing artist.
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Author: NBeaty
Date: 2011-02-09 17:10
I played a box of Rico Reserve Classics in 3.0 for a concert cycle on an old Semer Oval C mouthpiece. The response and clarity was nice and had a nice ease of blowing. I got this box from a teacher who was sent many boxes for trial.
At the end of the day (and end of the concert cycle) they were too soft (although they didn't start out that way). I also have a 3+ that was from the prototype stage of the reserve classics, which I found to be too hard.
I had a similar problem with the Bb reserve classics. 3.5's were a bit soft, 3.5+ were very hard.
I ended up going back to a box of Vandoren blue box 3's that had a fuller sound with more "wood" and depth.
I have not tried the V12's. I did not like the V12 Eb reeds at all, and don't like them on most of my Bb mouthpieces either. So, a thick blank bass clarinet reed is not going to be on my reed wish list anytime soon.
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Author: USFBassClarinet
Date: 2011-02-09 17:36
I wasn't aware forestone was making bass clarinet reeds. You using tenor reeds? I tried them on Bb and found that they played terrible for me.
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Author: Fishamble
Date: 2011-02-09 21:03
I was given a box of Rico Reserves late last year, and have had four of them side-by-side with four ordinary Vandorens in my reed case. Both brands are 3.5. Mouthpiece is a Backun.
I think I prefer the Vandorens. I wanted to prefer the Reserves because I really liked them on Bb - especially their consistency. But I don't have the same problem with consistency on the Bass Vandorens that I have with the Bb.
And the bass Vandorens sound a bit better to me than the Reserves, if I'm honest.
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Author: William
Date: 2011-02-10 16:13
USFBassClarinet, I have been playing on some prototype Forestone bass clarinet reeds sent to me about a year ago and they have been excellant for me on my Grabner CX_BS mpc. I've been expecting them to be made available for quite some time now, but so far, nada. It seems that Forestone is more concentrated on their sax reeds--which are, btw, wonderful--and have put the development of bass clarinet and eb clarinet reeds kind of "on hold". I also tried the tenor sax Forestone reeds on my bass, but they just did not work for me either. Hope this answers your question.
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Author: rmyoder
Date: 2011-02-10 22:17
I LOVE the Rico Reserve Classics on my Fobes bass mouthpiece. Until I tried them, I had never been really happy with any bass reeds and always settled for Vandoren blue box 4's, which died too quickly and warped a lot. I have also tried Rico Grand Concerts and Gonzalez reeds without much luck. The Rico Reserve Classic 4's seem more stable, last longer, and there are more good ones in a box. I haven't tried the new V12s.
Incidentally, I can't make the Reserve Classics work for me on soprano clarinet at all. Weird.
http://www.clarinetcache.com
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Author: ThomasG
Date: 2011-02-12 00:28
I wasn't very fond of the V12 Bass clarinet reeds either, and they do die out fast. Although, i do really like the V12 reeds for my Bb soprano clarinet. I havn't really found too many bass clarinets that really consistent yet. I'm getting that rico reserves are good, i might just go out and get some.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2011-02-13 16:34
Remember everyone, mouthpieces and reeds are a very personal. It so much depends on how you play and in some cases what you play. I look for a very special tone when I play, I may only chose a couple of reeds from a box but they last me a very long time the way I take care of them. Often a good bass reed will last me 2-3 months easy, sometimes even longer and I play the same reed for all rehearsals and concerts. I will practice on others of course and always have 4 or more reeds ready to replace my "good" one when needed. I can't afford to play a reed that doesn't sound and respond the way I want it to. I look for a rich, warm tone throughout the registers, well focused and big. I can't stand harsh or unfocused. I generally use the Rico Grand Concerts and I also have several Rico Reserve in my reed case as well. If one can get a couple of really good reeds from a box and make them last for months it's not a problem. I used to go through 10-20 boxes of Vandoren's a year, now I open 3-6 boxes of Rico's a year at most. Several years I've only opened three boxes, 15 reeds. Partly because I find more better reeds using the Rico's but also because of the way I take care of them and learned how to make the adjustments that suite me. ESP http://eddiesclarinet.com
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