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Author: sonicbang
Date: 2010-11-14 20:22
Has anyone some experience with Peter Leuthner reeds? I know a few clarinettist here (Hungary) using them with different results. I have never tried them and I would appricate any opinion before I buy a box.
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Author: cigleris
Date: 2010-11-14 21:49
I play Peter's reeds exclusively since last year when my last box of Vandoren Trads ran out (they didn't have all the silly packaging etc. as they do now). I went on tour playing them and fell in love. For me I find them extremely consistent and once broken in the best ones last. As with all reeds you get some not so great but compared to the "new" Vandorens with all the packaging they are playable as practice or rehearsal reeds. I highly recommend them and I know a lot of other players in London think they are great also.
I'm using Peter's reeds on my debut CD, you can see three videos here on my You Tube channel
http://www.youtube.com/user/Cornodebassetto?feature=mhum
Peter Cigleris
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Author: Iceland clarinet
Date: 2010-11-14 21:50
I have only tried couple of them but my former teacher who is bass clarinet player in the Icelandic Symphony brought one box of them in late august 2008 to try on my ATG reed finishing system as the Strong size(they come in light,medium,strong and strong+) was to heavy for him(he usually uses Vandoren V-12 #3.5)and after balancing them down they were great and he said that the cane quality was much better than from Vandoren.
Of all the places I've seen them they are cheapest at <www.reeds-direct.co.uk> and more cheap if you buy 5 or more boxes but compared to a place like <www.dornpub.com> where you get disscount on 5 or more boxes of V-12 they are a bit more expensive.
The reason why I didn't try more of them myself is because they are more expensive and I've been getting good results from V-12 and I'm getting around 8-10 good reeds from each box with around 6 making it to be concert quality. I don't know if the huminidity plays a role but I'm not getting here in Iceland at least any V-12 reeds from the flow pack that are mussy like many other players have been complaining about.
Finally I've tried over 20 different types of reeds(many models from the same manufacture as well as from other makers) and I always come back to V-12. My former teacher as well as the teacher I had before and is also a professional player all have the same result. We always come back to V-12.
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Author: Iceland clarinet
Date: 2010-11-14 21:52
Peter have you tried Vandoren reeds from the flow pack? If so do you find them to be mussy?
I personally think the quality is much better with the flow pack than before.
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Author: cigleris
Date: 2010-11-14 22:06
Iceland clarinet,
I didn't try the flow pack Vandorens because I would turn up to rehearsals and concerts and find my colleagues having so many problems trying to find a decent reed that would keep it's strength. They would say it's like the heart of the reed collapses after use. One colleague, I remember, was having so much trouble, the reeds were quite literally green, none of them had been stored long enough. He was best off putting them in a draw for 5 years without the wrappers and seeing what they were like then. So on seeing the problems my fellow colleagues were having I decided to find something that was going to work and luckily the expert knowledge at Howarth pointed Peter's reeds out as potentially being very good. A few months after getting my first few boxes it seemed like most of London was using them.
Peter Cigleris
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Author: Iceland clarinet
Date: 2010-11-14 23:19
The V-12 3.5+ reeds bought about a year ago I've been using for the last months have been lasting and lasting and lasting and some for up to 30 hours of playing so I really don't understand this.
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Author: sonicbang
Date: 2010-11-15 05:19
I thing Vandoren reeds are getting worse and worse. This new packaging don't help at all. There is nothing to do with humidity after you open them and soak into water...That's why I search for other brands. I had some good experience with Rico Reserve, but some of them still requiers a lot of work to play nice.
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Author: cigleris
Date: 2010-11-15 19:06
Iceland,
What is there that you don't understand? I was just merely sharing my own personal and professional experience regarding the flow pack Vandoren reeds. I witnessed colleagues have issues and decided I didn't want to suffer them. Good for you if you can get 30 hours of playing out of your flow pack V-12s. Perhaps the cold weather in Iceland helps...
Peter Cigleris
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Author: Iceland clarinet
Date: 2010-11-16 00:21
Peter
I'm glad for your hand if you get your desired results with Leuthner but my point is that despite that I think I can say without hesitation that Vandoren are still the most widely played reeds in the world as they have been for a long time so there must be something that they are doing right.
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Author: bob49t
Date: 2010-11-16 06:45
I was recommended to try Leuthner French cut reeds by a Spanish player.
My experience thus far is a revelation! There are only 3 strengths and ATG would come in here to balance if required.... however, so far VERY little has been required. When one does it responds so well and holds that adjustment.
They seem to last and last.. I've not found an initial "dip" in playability, that I do in let's say "other" reeds.
I find the sound on my Eaton Elites to be very pleasing and register flexibility is excellent. Virtually all of the reeds in a pack play really nicely for me. They need to be able to cope with a wide range of styles in my musical world and they do so beautifully.
One warning though..... in my experience, they easily disappear from the box, to other players who love them after my initial "see what I found.. try this"!
There seems no need to have individually wrapped and and hermetically sealed reeds when Leuthner get results like this! Also, from a practical point of view, if space is a premium for gigging, you can get at least 2 boxes of these reeds into the space as that taken up by the now familiar large VD blue box.
Am waiting for an order of Forestone synthetic reeds, but they will have "to go some" to surpass my Leuthners.
BobT
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Author: donald
Date: 2010-11-16 09:13
kia ora Peter- thanks for your information re these reeds. I currently use Rico Reserve Classic 4+, or V12 3.5+, what strengths in the Leuthner reeds do you think would be the closest equivalent?
thanks
dn
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Author: cigleris
Date: 2010-11-16 15:52
Donald,
No problem. I always used Vandoren 3.5 (the + weren't around then). So I would recommend using the Strong ones.
Peter Cigleris
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Author: Geten
Date: 2021-07-04 17:46
Hi all of you....
Leuthner reeds , yes they are very good and I find them as a fine alternative to Vandoren and other brands. I think is is about wich sort of sound you look for. The Vandoren are more to the French soundworld though they can sound darker with a fine mouthpiece. But for me they are to thin. No core.
Allso the kind of emboushyre you use works better or worse with correct or bad reeds. I have good experiance with Leuthner Vienese cut nr 2.5 - 3. They work great with my french mouthpieces - re bored to match my english clarinets with larger Bore. They produce a darker softer more flexible sound and play more in tune than the french reeds. I play historical clarinets allso in different groups in Skandinavia and EU. This has changed my emboushyre of course and for me the Vienese and allso German cut reeds feels a lot more natural than the French thinner reeds.
Ok so I was curious if other players allso has tryed the Vienese cut on their french mouthpieces?
I have not yet tryed Leuthner French cut but I will.....
Kind Regards to all....
Joachim
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Author: Ken Lagace
Date: 2021-07-04 21:20
Leuthner reeds have much better cane than the Vandorens and a good Leuthner will last longer than a good Vandoren. However the 'cut' has to match your mouthpiece facing. If you tweak your reeds anyway, Leuthner reeds are a better way to go.
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Author: Robert N.
Date: 2021-07-04 21:28
I am curious about the French Cut and the American cut, both of which are available via Clark Fobes website. Does anyone know about these cuts and how they compare to other types of reeds?
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Author: Ed
Date: 2021-07-04 22:23
I would contact Clark and ask his thoughts. He is always very helpful
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Author: farabout
Date: 2021-07-05 02:03
The American cut Leuthner reeds are to me harder than respective French ones. I prefer the latter, which are IMO excellent and I added to my arsenal of short lay reeds, right next to (in random order): Vandoren Trad, Gonzalez Regular, D'Addario Reserve, Aria, Ishimori Wood Stone, Pilgerstorfer Dolce, Steuer Exclusive.
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Author: Robert N.
Date: 2021-07-05 02:34
Thank you, that was very helpful.
I have been using Pilgerstorfer Dolce reeds lately, and I am curious to try the Leuthner reeds as well.
I am using a Dolce 3.5. Would you recommend the Leuthner French cut in strength 3 or 3.5 ?
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