 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: bass-obsessed
Date: 2011-02-20 00:07
I'm trying to figure out which brand of reed plays the best without having to spend all my money on a box only to find out they don't work very well and never touch them again. Any ideas?
bass-obsessed
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Author: clarinettist1104
Date: 2011-02-20 00:12
well, you signed the post with bass-obsessed, so if you're talking about bass reeds I CANNOT HELP! I DO NOT PLAY BASS! But if you're wondering about soprano reeds, many of the pros are using the new (ish) Rico Reserves. My teacher got me on them in September, and I've been using them since, and at all my college auditions! They have a great tone, break in easily and in a timely manner, and I am able to play on 3-4 out of every 5! I find size 3.5+ to be the best, but that's just me.
Hope that helps,
-alex
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Author: pewd
Date: 2011-02-20 02:35
What type of mouthpiece do you have?
I usually put my bass students on a Vandoren #3.0 or #3.5, and a Fobes Basso Nova mouthpiece.
Is your instrument in good repair?
Do you adjust your reeds (sandpaper, knife)?
Do you have a lesson teacher you can consult with?
This is hard to diagnose/fix over the internet....
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: BassClarinetBaby
Date: 2011-02-20 04:02
I have used a Vandoren Traditional (the blue box) size 3 on both my bass clarinet and soprano clarinet for almost 5 years now. Before that I was using Ricos and find Vandoren to be at least a hundred times better. I have just ordered a box of the Vandoren V12s (silver box) size 3.5, so fingers crossed they're good!
Instead of buying a box, could you purchase a few different reeds individually from your local store and test them out? Then once you find the one you like best you can purchase a box.
(Oh, and just a tip. With my Vandoren reeds I smooth them out with paper first until both side are smooth as glass. They play so much better after that).
Never Bb, sometimes B#, and always B natural! ♫♪
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Author: kdk
Date: 2011-02-20 04:21
BassClarinetBaby wrote:
>
> Instead of buying a box, could you purchase a few different
> reeds individually from your local store and test them out?
> Then once you find the one you like best you can purchase a
> box.
>
You can't pick a reed brand/model this way. First (and foremost), there's far too much variability among individual reeds even in a single box of the same brand. You'll never know if you tested the worst reed or the best reed in the box it came from. Second, there are really few stores these days that sell more than a couple or three brands - usually the traditional school brands like Rico and Lurie, and then maybe a few strengths of Vandoren blue box or V12. The chances of finding a store with a real variety are small to nil even in a large metropolitan area. And if you can find such a store, you'll be even luckier to find one that will sell individual reeds.
There are really only two ways to pick a reed brand and model. One is to buy a variety by the box, or at least, if a store will sell them individually, 3 or 4 of each type. You'll probably need to search online to get the greatest variety possible. You will inevitably throw many in the trash. Another (much less expensive) is to find out what someone whose playing you respect plays on (your teacher if you take lessons?) and simply go with the same brand until one day you get the urge and have the money to try something else.
Happy hunting,
Karl
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Author: BassClarinetBaby
Date: 2011-02-20 04:46
I never said my way was the best way, or even an accurate way, but not everyone (especially students) have the money to go out and buy entire boxes.
Never Bb, sometimes B#, and always B natural! ♫♪
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Author: bob49t
Date: 2011-02-20 06:59
Leuthner French Cut... 3 strengths.
Strong, Medium, Light.
Very regular in each box... every one plays. I need little adjustment with my ATG.
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Author: William
Date: 2011-02-20 15:40
I play a Buffet Prestigue low C bass clarinet with a Walter Grabner CX_BS mouthpiece and for me, the Legere #3 0 3.5 work just fine for all of my perforance venues. What I am actually playing on bass are some Forestone bass reeds, but they have not been made available to the public as yet. So, until they are available, I recommend the Legere. The synthetic reeds are very consistant--you don't need to buy a whole box to get a good one--and will outlast cane dramatically. Before I got my Forestones, I played a pair of Legeres for five years. The sound is good throughout the entire range of my clarinet--I would say, *better* than cane.
FWIW, I use Forestone reeds on all of my clarinets and saxophones. The reeds are always ready to play, require no moistening, balancing or special adjustment and they do not die halfway through the gig. With Forestones, I can play the music without having to worry about playing the reed.
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Author: Bassie
Date: 2011-02-21 14:17
Make sure you get the right strength. Consult as many comparison charts as you can find.
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Author: beejay
Date: 2011-02-21 22:24
I solved the wastage problem (for me at least) by playing on two mouthpieces depending on reed strength. If it is too hard, I play it with a Vandoren M30, if too soft on a Vandoren B40. This way, I get to use nearly every reed in a box of Rue Lepic 56, if only for practice. I must have saved a small fortune over the years.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2011-02-21 22:35
My advice is to learn the basics of how to adjust a reed. Ridenour's ATG system is a good system, although personally I don't use the sandblock included. However the DVD and instructions on how to adjust reeds was WELL worth it. Now I can get good reeds out of every box. Certainly some still better than others, but I now think that I could be given a box of almost any major brand reed and get most of them to play pretty well.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: ErnieK
Date: 2011-02-22 03:48
I assume you play the bass clarinet. I love the Fibercell reeds for my bass (Buffet 1193 with a San Francisco MP). I tried the Legere reeds, but just couldn't make them work. The Fibercell 3.5 or 4 really sound good. I also like the 3.5 Rico Reserve. They make my bass sound more mellow than the Fibercell.
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Author: Bassie
Date: 2011-02-22 13:47
> If it is too hard, I play it with a Vandoren M30, if too soft on a Vandoren B40.
That sounds like a LOT of variation to me! Rue Lepic, you say? :D
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