 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Aussie Nick
Date: 2001-08-23 09:45
Does anyone else find that the Mitchell Lurie reeds turn soft very quickly? Is there anything I can do to make them last longer?
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Author: Irwin
Date: 2001-08-23 12:57
I have the same experience, and for that reason won't use them. I now use Vandoren V12's, 3.5 strength and am very happy with them.
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Author: Brent
Date: 2001-08-23 13:47
I haven't used Mitchell Lurie reeds for many years (fifteen, perhaps?), but i had the same problem with them when i did.
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Author: David Spiegelthal
Date: 2001-08-23 14:04
A few things you can do with ML reeds (or any other brand) to make them last longer: Break them in slowly (over a period of a week or more) before playing them hard; start with harder reeds than the desired final strength and (after the break-in period) carefully work them down to final strength by scraping and/or sanding (do this over a few days, not all at once); and finally, once the reed plays the way you like, do a very fine sanding of both upper and lower surfaces of the reed to smooth it and close the pores. Do these things, and even Mitchell Lurie reeds will last a good while.
Also, remember that Mitchell Lurie reed strengths do not correspond with most other brands (e.g. Vandoren), for instance, a ML #5 or even #5-1/2 is about comparable to a Vandoren #4.
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Author: Brent
Date: 2001-08-23 14:22
Oh, i understand that those things make the reeds last longer--they will for any reed. But even fifteen years ago i was breaking reeds in properly and closing the pores...and the Luries still crashed and burned earlier than other brands. That's why i switched to the Steuer reeds (may the rest in peace)--tehy lasted so much longer. I'm still looking for a brand that i like as much. I'm working in seven different boxes of reeds right now, looking for one that suits me best.
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Author: David Spiegelthal
Date: 2001-08-23 15:06
The reason I (and I suspect, many others) use Mitchell Lurie reeds sometimes is not that they last long (they generally don't, as you say) but that they're relatively inexpensive and they generally play reasonably well initially. I like to have them around in case I'm in a bind and just need a reed that will play right away, when I don't care if it's dead at the end of the rehearsal (or concert, or whatever). But still, given proper break-in, they're not bad reeds and can give pretty good service.
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Author: Kyle Jubenville
Date: 2001-08-23 16:22
I have been playing on mitchell lurie premiums for about 2 years now..and am quite happy with their response, and mine have lasted me quite a while. (not two years of course but a couple months).
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Author: William
Date: 2001-08-23 18:24
They may be inconsistant, but a good VanDoren reed is hard to bet for durability and sound. As far as I am concerned, all other reeds are just "wanabes." My opinion, of course--Good Clarineting!!!!!!!
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Author: Meri
Date: 2001-08-24 01:22
When I tried them in high school, I found the same thing. The other brands I've tried (VD's, Grand Concerts, and Olivieris) don't have that problem. I mostly like the GC's and Oliveris now (having given the Olivieris a fair chance), with Legeres as backups.
Meri
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Author: a
Date: 2001-08-24 01:51
the best way to make ML last longer is to buy V12s!
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2001-08-24 02:32
I sanitize new reeds with ReedLife and climatize them 3 months to 6 months or longer before playing them. This seems to make my reeds last longer than using them new.
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Author: Tim2
Date: 2001-08-25 03:10
I use ML reeds also. I break them in like Dave explained earlier. Most last pretty long for me. A couple months. But I rotate about six or so at a time.
What Dave says about buying a strength harder than you play and breaking them in easy is the key, I think. Close the pores and the tone stays quite good for the length of time I use them.
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