 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Doug Ramsdell
Date: 2002-10-01 01:03
Hi all--
I just got done playing thru a fresh box (my first) of Gonzalez FOF's. You know--the preliminary new-reed play-through: wet it, slap it on the horn & play it for 5 mins. or so, then put it away for tomorrow.
Pretty disappointing. Each one, no exceptions, played what I call "gritty & spongy" -- instead of a clean staccato you get a whistly, spongy articulation (in other words, Vandoren City). I'm confused. Did I get a bad box? Will the Reed Fairy come overnight and turn them into G&S's (Oh God, how I miss G&S's--I used to get the "play-tested twice" variety, only occasionally wondering "play-tested by WHOM?, and have they had all their SHOTS?") and there, I'd always end up with a half-dozen or so really outstanding reeds and a decent number of "practice" reeds. I can't do anything with this box of FOFs, though. Well...maybe tomorrow I can. But, for those of you who are FOF converts, please answer me this: did I get a bad box? Should I invest in another & see what happens? (PS, I'm using R13 A & Bb with a Borbeck 11 mouthpiece...nothing exotic here!!)
Thanks & best wishes to all...
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Author: Won Kim
Date: 2002-10-01 01:16
I ordered about 3 boxes for last couple months. I was extremely satisfied with the result but I realized that the reads sometimes get soft during the performance. I like their sound and consistancy but it is sometimes risky to use them for my competition program. I had some problem on playing some section of Copland because the reed got suddenly too soft. Maybe I did something wrong or had a bad control. But I still feel it is little risky. Is their anything I can do to improve the situation? Do I need better control or is it the limit of FOF reeds? Thanks
-Won
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Author: Pat
Date: 2002-10-01 02:05
I haven't had much problems with the reeds. I break them in very slowly. Sometimes, I will try out those reeds every other day or so. Try that. It's good to try out another box but the decision is yours. Good luck.
Pat
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Author: Vytas
Date: 2002-10-01 03:05
Take in to account that FOF reeds are ¼ softer than V12. I usually get 7 amazing reeds in the box. Also I've noticed that FOF have darker and more beefy sound than V12. But...IMO nothing beats GOOD V12 reed.
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2002-10-01 13:38
(Disclaimer - I sell Gonzalez F.O.F. Reeds)
One value of the BB is to get diverse opinions and experiences with products, but an overriding thought should be that we are all individuals with different skill levels and different horn set up and therefore different test conditions. There is no panacea in equipment; be it the horn, mouthpiece, ligature, reed, etc. and each individual must do their own experimentation with new items to see how well, or poorly it works for them. We can get valuable information from other people's experience which can possibly guide us in our testing.
From my own experience, playing different horns with different set ups and different strength reeds - in strengths 3-4 there is a larger difference in the strength designations from the manufacturer between reed brands, including Gonzalez from 3 to 3 1/2. The Gonzalez reeds, in my experience are very consistent but play a little softer than the corresponding Vandy V-12 in the 3-3 1/2 range but correspond well to Vandy strengths (if you take an average which you must necessarily do with V-12's because they vary so much) in the 3 1/2- 4 1/2 range - i.e their strength line (in my own testing) has a different slope than Vandoren.
Many pro's that I know have switched to Gonzalez F.O.F. because, most say, that they do not have to look as long for a good reed in the box. Example of who I think is a real pro - a player of 30 years who is facile with several woodwind instruments, plays backup for all the major talent coming to Atlanta, has paid cash to send four kids through college, can play amazingly well, anytime, any place, all the time - no complaints - no excuses.
Keep the feedback and observations coming!
The Doctor
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Author: Brent
Date: 2002-10-01 14:40
Doug,
I am now using FOFs because they are the best thing i have found since Steuer quit making real reeds. (BTW, anybody got a box or dozen to sell?) I don't like them as well, but they are, for me, a long ways better than anything else out there. They come closest to the nice crisp feeling of clear tone and great articulation. I agree that the same reed seems to be more variable. I'm going to try some different things when i break in my next box to see if i can't reduce that variability.
But...out of a single box i still found four that i like, which is better than most (for me!).
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Author: GBK
Date: 2002-10-01 18:54
Doug...The cane quality of the Gonzalez reed is (at this present time) far superior to the other major manufacturers. Combine that with the cut, slope, tip shape, etc... and you have a far different product than the V-12's you may be used to.
After a box or two you may feel more comfortable in their inherent feel, as well as the specific reed prep and adjustment techniques which work for you.
In my experience, (and I've used Gonzalez exclusively for more than a year), I have found that the most basic of reed break in procedures works the best. Break them in slowly and give them at least a good 3 days to settle in before making any minor adjustments. Since the cane is dense, it will take additional time (more than I had to with V-12's).
Since I find the profile/cut much to my liking I do very little balancing - as I find most are fine. However, the most important adjustment is to make sure the back of the reed is absolutely flat and sealed after the first 3 days of breaking in. I use plain white paper and a flat file to insure that the back of the reed has no high spots. This for me is the critical adjustment.
I feel that a common mistake that many make in breaking in all types of reeds (Gonzalez, as well as Vandoren) is to let them sit too long in water during the first 3 days. I think that too much early soaking (and playing) degrades any reed and weakens it.
Go slow - always have some reeds in prep stages as you are using your finished concert reeds. Just like a farmer "harvest, but don't forget to replant"...GBK
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