 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: TAS
Date: 2016-03-09 07:49
I want to share my good fortune. I have been playing since 1959 and using Vandorens for about fifty years.
I opened a box of Vandoren V-12 4's and EIGHT OUT OF TEN WERE PERFECT. After a month. They still all play well!
It's better than winning the Powerball lottery.
It's a miracle!!!
TAS
Post Edited (2016-03-09 07:55)
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Author: John Peacock
Date: 2016-03-09 09:48
What would you say your typical success rate has been? For me, it's around 20% - i.e. a box of 10 would tend to give 2 reeds that might (with a bit of tinkering) eventually turn into something I'd feel happy doing a big concert on. Once you know that number, then you can google "binomial calculator" and quickly work out some interesting numbers:
Probability of no good reeds at all in a box of 10: 0.11 (this does happen, alas)
Probability of 8 (or more) good reeds: 0.000078
On the latter figure, I'd need to buy 12800 boxes to do so well. I get through maybe 8 boxes a year, so 400 total in 50 years. To get one at your level of 8 would need an average success rate of about 0.32 - so only one box in 50 would be a complete bust and one box in 5 would give you 5 or more good ones - does that match your experience?
But all this assumes the reeds are selected at random, and I sometimes doubt this. For example, reeds with heavy black colour on the bark always seem to be junk, and there always seem to be a couple of them in the box. Maybe Vandoren know the really bad ones in advance, and spread them out to stop us compaining...?
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2016-03-09 10:02
See, I would have said about 80% usable, 60% performance capable.
...............Paul Aviles
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Author: Wes
Date: 2016-03-09 10:27
All of the #3 V12s I buy are wetted and sanded for a few days before I even try them, to remove the raised grain. Then, if they are a bit stiff, they get touched up, and as far as I can tell, they all play can well. None get rejected for not playing well, but they sometimes get fixed. Different strokes for different folks! While I've made thousands of oboe reeds, that doesn't matter as the techniques are different.
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2016-03-09 11:37
I had a similar experience myself this month: I ordered a Vandoren sampler card that included strength 3,0 V12, V21, and 56 Rue Lepic plus a 3,5 V21.
I've tried everything but the V12 and all three have been outstanding reeds--the 3,0 V21 among the very best I've ever played. With a success rate this high, I've considered ordering more sampler cards.
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Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2016-03-09 19:21
8 out of 10 weren't "perfect," just perfect for you Tom. Sure, longevity before use may have helped matters, in addition to enormous luck.
I enjoy high success rates like Paul, but it comes only after breaking in reeds, and sanding them to my taste.
I also credit my high success rates to not only the M15 mouthpiece and the ATG reed adjustment method, but a mindset taught to me by teachers that emphasizes the need to make do with, and accept imperfections in cane.
It doesn't mean that I can play a Popsicle stick; it means that with effort, I can improve my play on most reeds.
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