 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2025-10-18 09:42
Well some of you may remember me. I worked at Rico for 15 year as Quality Control and a reed designer. Rico once washed the reeds with hot water at 160 degrees"F" using baking soda, which killed any bugs on the tubes. I worked closely with famous people such as Mitchell Lurie. Rico made 25 million reeds a year.
Sadly, Rico didn't tell me they stopped washing the reeds and went to PESTICIDES. Some of the reeds were sprayed up to 3 times using illegal pesticides for humans. These include Benzene, Methyl Bromide, Phostoxen and several other pesticides. I wasn't feeling well, suffering from headaches, vomiting, fibromyalgia, muscle pain, lack of sleep, and joint pain. I was in top shape as I was a top Air Force musician, went through Basic Training, all of that.
Long story short I had the reeds tested and my blood tested as well. When the finding came back that the reeds and my blood had the exact same pesticides in them I had to walk away from a high paying job and I never recovered from the damage to my body.
TODAY - I won a huge lawsuit against Rico, however we all know Rico sold the company. So the State of California took over the case.
I won't answer any questions regarding D'Adario but the laws in the USA state that all agraculture entering the USA must be fumagated. So, they use pesticides but what kind and do they wash the cane? All of this matters.
I worry about kids to adults. I would suggest that everyone, sax and clarinet players call or write and ask this company how they prepare their reeds and if they use pesticides.
Again, I won't reply to anyone. I won the lawsuit today, that's all that matters and I promised to let everyone know. BE SAFE MY FRIENDS! Cheers! Bob
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
Post Edited (2025-10-28 10:14)
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Author: Ed
Date: 2025-10-18 16:31
I would assume their organic reeds do not have this issue
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Author: Fuzzy
Date: 2025-10-18 16:58
Hey Bob!
Fun to see you again. I always wondered if/how/what happened in the lawsuit...didn't realize it had still been going on.
Fuzzy
;^)>>>
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Author: Philip Caron
Date: 2025-10-18 17:21
Thanks for the update, Bob. Good to read posts from you again.
I wonder what it costs to have things chemically tested. Probably it depends, and there's different tests depending on whatever you're looking for. Ching-ching.
A couple times I've found "stuff" in packaged food. One time it was a cherry-sized dollop of orange glop in a snack-pack of peanuts. It looked like machine grease to me. I went through a process of contacting the company and mailing them the unopened package. They eventually sent me an apology, a statement saying it wasn't anything dangerous (without specifying what it was,) and a free box of a dozen assorted snacks.
It's hard to trust companies in this regard.
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2025-10-28 09:39
Organic is a fancy word for avoiding the word pesticides. I repeat what I wrote above. All cane gown from France, Argentina, Spain, and even in the USA, was fumigated at least once, if not up to 3 times. Cane coming from oversea was fumigated in Argentina as Rico owned farm land right next to Vandoren! Test not all of the can Vandoren uses French cane. The best French cane was located in the VAR region which in by the ocean and the winds of the ocean made the cane special and stromg. Under a microscope you can really see how thick the fibers and the cells structures are, compared to inland areas such as in Argentina, where there is very little wind.
Back to your comment France was NOT required and well as Steuer reeds to contaminate the cane with pesticides. Only the laws of the USA. Anything wood, fruits, corn veggies, or simply said grown in other countries MUST be fumigated. Here's the problem, at the docks, such as Long Beach the pesticide companies use whatever was available. including Benzene, Methyl Bromide, and Phototoxten, which is a mixture of many pesticides. I won't bot you with all of the chemicals, but most of them were not fit for humans to eat, such as on fruit veggies, oranges nuts, and many more. These cause CANCER and other diseases. I am also aware that pesticides will be sprayed in the docks where D'Addaro is located. You cannot get around this USA Law.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2025-10-28 10:06
Philip, good question - You can send me an email and I'll link you up with Dr Sucha who tested the reeds twice for me. I was very impressed with him. He found all sorts of chemicals on the reeds such as Depia gas, a cleaning agent call taluene, and this is linked to dry cleaning fluid and extremely deadly. As for cancer I got skin cancer and prostate cancer. The cost for testing was $2500.
Someone asked about the lawsuit money. I'd rather not say in case others wish to sue. I can say I got $750,000 on disability and I get medical for life. My settlement with medical for life will add up to 1 maybe million plus. I got a lump sum of money which I will pay off a million dollar house an also buy another race car! I enjoy race cars, I've had the Dodge Hellcat, a Porsche, 2 BMW's, and probably another Porsche 911.
Folks I got really sick. I can't give you the exact about the total amount. If you feel tired, sore muscles, your brain is foggy, loss of short term memory, joint pain, find an attorney. Mt Attorney may take the case or refer it to your attorney.
An interesting fact Rico's insurance went bankrupted. Guess I wasn't the only one that sued. So I sued Another company that bought Rico. That lawsuit was thrown out of court, so I had to sue the Stare of California and won after about 8 months of trial. Best of luck yo everyone. Yes I'm of course trying to start a reed business.I am perhaps one of the very best designers in the world.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
Post Edited (2025-10-28 10:12)
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Author: Lou99
Date: 2025-10-28 10:09
So is the answer to this synthetic reeds? Because some would argue that synthetic reeds are made from chemicals.
Either way, I would assume both, cain reeds and synthetic reeds are tested to be safe for us to be putting in our mouth. They don't make money selling us reeds if we're not around to buy them.
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Author: Philip Caron
Date: 2025-10-28 16:37
Hi Lou. I only **hope** things sold to go into our mouths are safe, not assume. There are and have always been many examples to the contrary in the news. Not only are laws and regulations often broken and ignored, but companies will spend huge amounts contesting evidence of harm. Sometimes companies literally calculate the number of expected deaths that they think they can afford to cause, putting dollar figures to human lives.
Not everyone will get sick, and of those who do not all will implicate a given product. When a case is made, it's fought in court or sometimes settled. Usually there's little publicity. The product continues to be sold to a trusting, assuming, hoping public.
The flip side is that individuals will often sue companies over false claims. Large companies have legal departments that stay busy just defending those. Human beings!
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Author: J. J.
Date: 2025-10-29 01:20
Is there a public record of this lawsuit that you could point us to?
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