 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Antonio
Date: 2001-11-24 11:28
I would really appreciate your experience and opinion on Fibracell for clarinet.
I've heard so many different opinions!!!!!!!
Thanks for your comment
Antonio
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Author: jenna
Date: 2001-11-24 14:51
I really liked fibracell hards once I got accustomed to the differences between them and cane. I'd use them more often, but I have to drive an hour to get them, so right now I'm on cane until i can get to my music store that carries them.
They can feel a little shrill at first, but once you learn to control the sound it's nice. They can be played dry - saviors during the recent marching band season. They're also very durable.
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Author: Irwin
Date: 2001-11-24 17:41
Jenna,
Rather than drive an hour, why not order from Discount Reed, a Sneezy Sponsor? I get all my reeds from them at prices that the music stores in my neck of the woods can't touch.
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Author: William
Date: 2001-11-24 19:54
They are good for situations where you cannot keep a cain reed wet and sound quality isn"t a priority. Marching bands or some pit orchestral and jazz gigs where your B. Cl or Sax sits for long periods of time between use are some examples. In a serious concert setting, however, they are inappropriate for use.
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Author: Antonio
Date: 2001-11-24 21:25
Thanks Willian
Interesting, when I looked at Fibracell web page , you see some "responsible" players there saying how good it is, then I thought: If these guys are have their names no line approving that and considering that I'm a very novice player, I should follow then.
Is that rationale stupid?
Tks
Antonio
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Author: GBK
Date: 2001-11-24 22:11
Unfortunately the lure of the $$ will often make the "responsible" players (as you call them) actually "approve" of a certain product. In certain unique situations, as noted above, these reeds might have their place..
However, they are not used in serious clarinet concert applications.
Learn to work with, break-in and adjust cane reeds. The lessons learned are invaluable to your future success...GBK
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Author: Mark M
Date: 2001-11-25 04:46
I use them quite often. They can even be worked like a cane reed. They do sound good, however, they are not as consistent as they claim to be. There is a bright side..... They can be tried out at the music store as they are a non porous material and can be cleaned like a mouthpiece. I have my local music store trained so I can go in and try a few when I want. Would you guys above say the same, for example, about Legere reeds? These are supposed to be quite the thing nowdays, however, for a synthetic reed, I always go back to the fibracell. In the end just like horns, it's what you like. You gotta try it!!!!!
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Author: Todd
Date: 2001-11-25 19:01
I used to get about 10 hours of playing time out of the Fibracell alto sax reeds, before they started to delaminate. They might last longer if you don't have to play very loud. So, when I used Fibracell reeds for clarinet I was surprised at how they felt compared to what I was used to (V-12 cane reeds). The altissimo register especially sounded un-interesting to me, and the chalumeau very sax-like. I may not have gotten the exact strength worked out though. None of the clarinet reeds I'm using have blown out or delaminated yet, even after 12 hours of playing on one of them. Longevity hasn't been a problem. I used them as a solution to "Sun and wind dried out the reed again, blast it... yikes.. they ought to give you more than a brief moment to switch horns" problem this past summer, when there was a lot of doubling to do. You have to do what ever gets you through the show without a serious case of chirps/squeaks or strangely silent moments.
I'm glad to be playing indoors now, and able to use cane reliably again.
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Author: jenna
Date: 2001-11-25 19:08
I'm only 17, with no credit card to buy things off-line. My parents are still a little unsure about the idea of ordering things from the internet. I had to practically twist their arms to register for the SATS over the net. =)
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Author: David Spiegelthal
Date: 2001-11-26 20:54
[Flame suit: ON! Sarcasm: OFF!] Okay --- Maybe I'll upset some folks with this: Everybody I know who uses a synthetic reed (be it Legere, Fibracell, whatever) and thinks that their sound is just as good as cane ---- sounds like doo-doo to me. Legere's come pretty close, but they're not quite there yet. Be it on clarinet, saxophone, or double reeds, to my ear there's nothing yet that sounds like a good cane reed. I fully agree with GBK: Learn to work with cane if you want to sound the best you can. For doubling (shows, etc.) synthetic reeds certainly have their place, but for serious music on your primary instrument, cane is it, as far as I'm concerned.
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Author: SusieQ
Date: 2001-11-28 14:29
I have to agree with you David, that synthetic reed don't sound as good as cane, but I haven't been able to find a good cane reed for my bass clarinet. The cane reeds don't seem to hold up as well and I was spending a small fortune on reeds. I have been using the same Legere reeds for a year and they sound fairly decent. I play my bc only once a week in community band. I would like to find a good brand of cane reeds, without having to go through a whole box for just one. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
SusieQ
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Author: David Spiegelthal
Date: 2001-11-28 15:37
For bass clarinet: Vandoren, Marca, Olivieri and Zonda (tenor sax reeds, same size), Rigotti, Glotin --- all are good reeds and with proper break-in AND SOME SCRAPING, will work fine. As I've said before, DO NOT expect these or any other reeds to work perfectly and last long right out of the box --- ALL cane reeds require break-in and working. And always buy them 1/2 to a full strength harder than your desired final strength, to allow you to work them down to where you want them to end up. End of sermon.
Pastor Dave, Church of the Cane Reed
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Author: SusieQ
Date: 2001-11-28 16:48
Thanks Pastor Dave for the advice. I have a box of Vandoren bc reeds which I don't like, but maybe I have been too impatient expecting results out of the box. The problem with me is that I put my instrument away for the week and when our weekly community band rehersal rolls around is when I think of reeds and need one right away. Maybe I should practice and break in my reeds before rehersal, but that would require becoming organized. I will start again with the Vandoren's and go on from there. I like synthetic reeds, especially outdoors, but I really shouldn't always rely on them. Sermon well taken.
Thanks Again,
SusieQ
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Author: Ralph Katz
Date: 2001-11-29 17:08
A (now deceased) local music store owner told me that John Moses (who is from this area) played the Nutcracker on TV on a Fibracell, so I bought some. They vary about as much as any cane reeds. One was a complete dud, one played fair, and I got 20 weddings on the third. A year later, I ran the dud through my new Reed Wizard and darned if I didn't get 10 weedings out of it.
Yes they do play, feel, and sound differently from cane reeds. My take is that they don't feel as live as natural cane, which stands to reason because the material is denser. It appears that their lay is thinner to compensate. You will probably want to have a trusted, open-minded friend listen and tell you their opinion of how you sound on one. So far as playing in concert settings, I don't like to pull my reed off to keep it wet during breaks/tacets, so the Fibracell can be an advantage in this situation.
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Author: Todd W.
Date: 2001-12-04 19:01
jenna--
I just got to this thread today and tried to reply directly to you, but it looks like my e-mail system couldn't find you.
I want to second Irwin's "endorsement" of Discount Reed. You had concerns about ordering over the Internet and using a credit card. I have purchased a number of boxes of reeds from them and have been quite satisfied with their prices and swift service and with Ken's (he always answers the phone and replies to e-mails) friendly answers to my questions. Also, if you prefer, you can print out the order form from their web site and mail it to them with a personal check. (That's what I do to try and keep my clarinet habit on a cash basis.)
Todd W.
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