 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ed
Date: 2023-04-21 20:19
I had tried the earlier versions of the Venn synthetic reed and was open about my dislike of them. I tried the updated version a while back and thought they were better, but still was not a fan.
I had some of the newer ones around, both for alto sax and clarinet. I did not care for the alto reed on my sax set up. One day I slapped it on a Fobes Debut alto mouthpiece, thinking it might be handy for use while teaching, and liked it almost immediately. Giving it some thought, I realized that the Debut is a closer facing than my usual alto mouthpiece.
I began to consider that perhaps part of the problem was reed strength. I had used the D'Addario chart as a guide, which list the Venn strength as pretty much the same as their cane reeds. I suppose the fact that reeds change as they break in and I that I tend to adjust and balance my reeds for feel and response can be part of the issue. My performing reed strength is likely a little softer than the chart or out of the box. I also think that the material of the Venn is maybe a little less flexible than cane.
Considering this, I bought a Venn that is a half strength lower than what I would use with cane. It was immediately more playable. A very serious plus is that the Venn can be worked somewhat like a cane reed and I was able to make some very slight adjustments and had great results. It feels very comfortable to play and sounds very good. I have used it while playing with students and practicing and have been pleased.
While like many synthetics, it is a bit of an investment, I think these are well worth exploring. Of course, your experiences may differ.
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Author: super20dan
Date: 2023-04-22 16:29
for sure the problem is with the reed strength on the venn 2 alto reeds -they are way too hard! for me at least a full number harder than what is normal. tenor not as bad but still too hard . classical playing with close tipped mpcs only! forget jazz
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Author: Ed
Date: 2023-04-22 18:58
Yeah, I agree that for my taste, it seems they feel harder than the number. That is what threw me off initially. Perhaps if you are using an open tip mouthpiece that requires a pretty soft reed. As I mentioned, if you are handy working on reeds, you can lighten the tip a little.
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