 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Vova Doob(UA)
Date: 2012-01-28 11:00
I play the clarinet 10 years, all this time, and now i use Vandoren traditional reeds №3. From last 5 boxes of this reeds i`ve choose 1-3 good reeds per box, it`s not good i think, I can use 7-9 from box, but quality of sound will be not good.
So, can anyone give me advice about reeds, what reeds are good...
(I use Vandoren 5RV lyre mtp with Optimum ligature, it`s impossible in my country to buy another reeds only Vandorens are available, and i don`t know what number of reeds are the same with Vandoren 3, so, if you`ll write about good reeds, please type their number that same with Vandoren 3 (if you know of cource) Thank You!
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2012-01-28 11:59
You should be able to get (on average of course) about 3 to 4 performance possible reeds out of a box of Standard Vandorens (you might want to try the 56 Rue Lepique if those can be obtained out there......same strength.....though they start of just a hair more resistant).
For me, I don't bother to look at the reeds first (judge how they play!!), I just play on them. Soak for 2-3 minutes; play five minutes; put it away until tomorrow; repeat. I do this for three days. On the fourth day I figure it's ok to play as much as needed.
Now, as I do that I play the WHOLE box, each reed the whole five minutes (regardless of what that particular reed sounds like), AND I sort them according to what is going on that particular session. As this process goes on some of the reeds that were at the top go to the bottom and the other way around, but in the end they seem to stay in the order I have them on day three (of course on day three I number each one so I know which is which at that point).
Whatever you do for reeds, I would strongly suggest that you don't just grab a new one and play on it for a full rehearsal, gig, practice session (whatever) because this will 'water log' it and keep it from reaching its true potential.
....................Paul Aviles
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Author: kdk
Date: 2012-01-28 14:55
Learning to adjust the reeds that aren't exactly what you want is valuable and can make more reeds in the box usable. There are a number of books and booklets about this, and information is available on a few websites (Ed Palanker's, for example http://www.eddiesclarinet.com ). Many reeds can be made to vibrate more freely or with more resonance by scraping small amounts of wood out of the right spot(s). Some pieces of cane will never play well as reeds, but others that come out of the box sounding a little dull or not quite responding well can be saved.
Karl
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Author: LJBraaten
Date: 2012-01-28 15:28
I am very happy with the consistency of Mitchell Luries, although they don't always last as long as some others. Sometimes I can get a little more life out of them by trimming and thinning the sides (aggressive "balancing"). But I rarely find one that I can't use at least for rehearsals. They are the only reeds I can use for performances. (I've tried Rico orange box, Van Doren trad., and Gonzalez FOF).
MLs are being sold very cheaply now & with free shipping, email me for details.
Laurie
Disclaimer: I just, play, I don't work for the reed industry or their sales outlets.
(Mr Laurie Braaten)
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Author: Vova Doob(UA)
Date: 2012-01-28 17:35
Can someone give me a link for good reeds comparison chart, that includes Xilema, Bio, Australia reeds and other less popular than Vandoren and Rico
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Author: DrewSorensenMusic
Date: 2012-01-28 18:43
I suggest Rico reeds. They are extremely consistent. I even found a reed that was cut funny, and it still played like a champion. (I only used it for practice, but it was a darn good practice reed).
Mitchell Luried are very good. And similar are Rico Grand Concert select thick blank (which I play).
You could also try Legere plastic reeds. There's a lot of guys playing them.
I don't buy the Vandoren, "our reeds are made to feel different, B.S.". They really need to rethink their business strategy. #1 importance to me, consistency!
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Author: William
Date: 2012-01-28 19:03
I play and recommend Forestone reeds, from Japan. They are made from a combination of plastic & bamboo, last forever, never need tweeking and are consistant--everyone plays.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2012-01-28 20:46
Or none. Depends on what you're looking for and, I guess, what mouthpiece you're using.
Karl
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Author: Wes
Date: 2012-01-28 21:58
It is suggested that you try the Vandoren V12s. Don't expect any reed to be great just out of the box. They need several days of non-playing break- in by wetting, drying, and sanding smooth. One assumes that you are breathing properly and providing full air pressure to the instrument.
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Author: BflatNH
Date: 2012-01-29 02:20
If you are limited in what you can buy, I suggest trying to adjust the remaining reeds that you would normally find unusable from the box. A drawing of the reed regions is shown in
http://www.tcnj.edu/~mckinney/the%20reed.htm
which may be helpful.
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Author: gsurosey
Date: 2012-01-31 16:46
http://www.reedsandmore.com.au/products.php?icat1_id=2
Go to that page and click on the Reed Comparison Chart at the bottom (it's a .pdf file, so you need to be able to read .pdf files). The only mistake I see that jumps out at me is on the Legere line (3.75 should be 4.75). It's copyrighted in 2007, so I'm not sure if it's up to date.
----------
Rachel
Clarinet Stash:
Bb/A: Buffet R13
Eb: Bundy
Bass: Royal Global Max
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Author: Bob Barnhart ★2017
Date: 2012-02-01 15:31
I've mostly played Vandoren V12 reeds for at least the last 15 years. I tried Ben Redwine's Cayennas Xilema reeds with some success but haven't used them in the last couple of years. Recently I've begun experiments with Gonzales FOF reeds as they seem to play well on my Greg Smith "Personal" mouthpiece and their 3.5s seem just about right between a V12 3.5+ and 4 (which feels right for me).
The lesson here is to remain open to possibilities. Not only do products change over time, but our playing and preferences can change as well. Don't let yourself get stuck in a rut.
Concerning reed selection, I used to open an entire box and test/rank all the reeds and only play the "best" ones. This resulted in throwing a lot of reeds away.
However, due mainly to Vandoren's sealed packaging, when 1-2 of the ~10 reeds I keep on hand need to be replaced, I now just unwrap 1-2 new reeds at a time. Unless they're "poor" (which I've found to be rarely the case), I'll put them in my case and begin their breaking process.
This has a couple of advantages:
- I throw away fewer reeds, particularly as most play better after breaking them in and adjusting them.
- I also work on my ability to "play the reed" instead of letting "the reed play me". Daniel Bonade wrote about this in his "Compendium" describing a concert in which he was forced to play (a Brahms Symphony?) on a reed that was too soft. He recalled that this resulted in some of his finest playing as he had to "make it happen" regardless of the reed.
I think that many of the brands of reeds will work fine once you know what you like and don't like, how to adjust the reeds to your preference, and perhaps most of all, how to work with whatever setup you have to get the results you want.
Good luck!
Bob Barnhart
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