 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Axel
Date: 2025-06-08 16:57
I wonder, whether the high costs of synthetic reeds are justified.
Surely the considerable effort required for the development of the reeds must be reflected in the costs. But the material value doesn't seem high, does it? Does anyone know, if the manufacturing process is particularly complex?
What do you think? Are the high costs justified overall, or are they simply asking for the price that can be achieved on the market, similar to what happened decades ago with compact discs?
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2025-06-08 19:13
There's more than one way to calculate whether an asking price is worth it.
One deals with the value to the buyer. Many players are drawn to synthetics because they may not be as good as their best cane, but they're far more consistent, and last longer. One of the most pricey elements of a player's day is their time. And time spent not having to select and adjust cane, not to mention deal with its inconsistencies with weather may be worth it to them.
Then there's the availability of substitutes. And in my humble opinion nobody has yet approached Legere's ability to approach cane, including Vandoren, who in my opinion is runner up by some stretch.
Another way to calculate price is just how much above the cost to make the product is being asked. As you mentioned, there is, like with pharmaceuticals, considerable research and development (and patent protection) that goes into creating the initial prototype, and it is only fair that this, along with the marginal cost of producing the "next reed" in an order of 10,000 of them, which I suspect is only a fraction of the creation cost, must be considered.
My late cantankerous father-in-law use to complain about the high prices of just about everything, including that he bought, that wasn't otherwise a necessity.
"So if you think that soda at the ball park was ridiculously expensive, why did you buy it," I'd tease him.
Of course his comparison of its price to that outside the park, which couldn't be brought in the park, better reflected the lack of monopoly the ball park vendor had.
Perhaps the same could be said of airline ticket prices. Bereavement flights notwithstanding, booking a flight the day before a trip is expensive because you are paying for convenience. The airline's seat sales modeling software leaves a certain number of seats available to not book months in advance, to hopefully capture top dollar on them, and involves the airline taking risk that they won't be sold on a flight where filling seats is a matter of survival.
Post Edited (2025-06-08 19:15)
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2025-06-08 21:44
Wow, I just go by how much it costs to use something. When playing cane I pretty much used a $32 box of reeds every month. That comes to $384.00 per year. I have been using one $37.00 Legere reed for over a year now. That comes to………$37.00 per year. That’s a savings of $347.00 per year. Since math is not a strength of mine, I may be off a little on those numbers :-)
………….Paul Aviles
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Author: David H. Kinder
Date: 2025-06-08 22:16
Compared to what?
My Legere French Cut reed is far superior to the old Fibracell reed I had 30 years ago. Back then, that was about $20. We can adjust for inflation and that would be about $40 today.
Hmmm... superior product, yet comparable cost.
I also like that I don't have to work on them to make them work unlike cane reeds. Yes, I have TR's ATG system, but while it's meant for everyone, I'm still learning how to best use it.
So let's see:
- Comparable cost
- Consistent manufacturing
- Longevity
- Time savings for not having to adjust the reed
What is your time worth?
Ridenour AureA Bb clarinet
Ridenour Homage mouthpiece
Vandoren Optimum Silver ligature (plate 1)
Legere French Cut #4 / #4.25
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