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Marca Superieure- :-)

Author: fskelley
Date: 2016-03-29 18:05

I finally got around to trying Marca Superieure, why did I wait so long? 1st box of strength 1.5(!) arrived last Monday, I immediately ordered a box of #2 which arrived Thu. Eventually I will try #2.5- but with trimming and ATG adjusting I have 4 of the 1.5's (other 6 as yet unplayed) and ALL TEN of the #2's at 2 to 4 days of breakin, and all playing very well. How much credit goes to the reeds is tough for me to pin down- might require experimentation I don't have much reason to do.

I am skittish about too much enthusiasm because my heart has been broken on previous occasions- when initial gains from some equipment change were not long lasting. But this one feels different. In particular, music inventiveness is returning (more notes!)- it's been a long time.

I know now that how a reed first plays out of the box is not a good measure of its eventual value. Not only because I can adjust or trim- but because it will change during breakin. Some of these 14 reeds didn't blossom until day 3 or 4. I bet a lot of players throw out a lot of possible winners.

I've read "don't play altissimo during breakin". I thought that meant it would damage the reed. Now I think it means you can't evaluate if or how altissimo will play until at least day 2 or 3, no sense in even trying. I wonder if I gave up too easily on other brands when they wouldn't play my requisite double high C right out of the box- these won't.

Wow it's better to start too soft than too hard. I've been killing myself trying to break in reeds that are too hard. Sure, I'd eventually ATG them compliant enough, meanwhile I'd bust my gut- or at least get little out of the unpleasant practice time. For the record, of the 14 in play, I have trimmed (to increase the stiffness) all but one, most multiple times. So I don't really want strength 1.5 or 2, these 2 boxes would be worthless to me without adjustments.

These reeds play very differently than my recent stock of other brands, even when both are adjusted to similar strength. Are they unique? Perhaps, perhaps not. I have not had $$ or (more important) TIME to try multiple strengths of all the major cane brands and models. And some I did try, good chance at the time I had other issues that limited my success. For now I will take my winnings and quietly leave the casino as a happy player.

PS- how do you like my use of "ATG" as a verb?

Stan in Orlando

EWI 4000S with modifications

Post Edited (2016-03-29 18:40)

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