 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: soby314
Date: 2005-06-22 03:35
Hi. I'm a 2nd year college student experimenting with different brands of reeds. Right now, I find that the "select few" from a box of Vandoren Traditional #4's give me the best sound. I've tried V12's and Mitchell Luries of the same strength, as well as Rico Royal 5's. I liked the overall "feel" of the bluebox vandorens to the V12's. The Mitchell Luries and Rico Royals were more consistent, but consistently soft (for my taste, at least).
I've been looking into trying the new 56 Rue Lepic's, Rico Grand Concert Selects, and Zonda Selects (all in the 4-5 range). Any comments or suggestions that might help me in my quest?
Also... an interesting tidbit that I discovered with the Mitchell Luries... just as the harder reed helps to build breath support, if you go back and try to play on a softer reed, it is almost impossible to bite. Interesting...
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Author: Morrigan
Date: 2005-06-22 03:44
"Any comments or suggestions that might help me in my quest?"
Yeah - try them all, choose what works best for you. And don't feel like you have to play on one brand and one strength. As long as a reed is working for you at that given moment, then it's a good one!
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Author: AMJ
Date: 2005-06-22 07:45
I second michaels suggestion on Gonzalez, abslutely fabulous reeds.
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Author: Markael
Date: 2005-06-22 11:46
I’m glad to hear you say that Mitchell Luries are more consistent. That tells me that this is not just my opinion and the opinion of the friend who recommended them to me.
If you think they are consistently soft, what’s in a number? Try some Mitchell Lurie 4 ½s.
Post Edited (2005-06-22 12:19)
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Author: The Doctor ★2017
Date: 2005-06-22 13:14
(Disclaimer - I sell Gonzalez and Xilema reeds)
Reeds, like the choice of mouthpiece, ligature, or even manufacturer of clarinet will boil down to what works best for you. The various and multiple reed companies would not survive if there was one "significantly" better reed on the market for all players. The variables of individual nasal pharyngeal architecture, embouchure position and strength, mouthpiece, etc. all interact with the reed to produce sound. We can comment on consistency in reed strength grading, consistency of tonal qualities and the number of "good" reeds per box, characteristics of reed density and cut, observed longevity, and individually observed tonal qualities (what the audience hears and processes about tonal quality may indeed be different from our own perception however). Various recurring threads indicate individual choices and preferences but in the end it only matters what works and sounds best for you (and the comments of others that hear your playing). You can of course narrow your search by reading what others consider to be good reeds but that is as far as recommendations should influence your search.
L. Omar Henderson
Post Edited (2005-06-22 13:57)
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Author: fredackerman
Date: 2005-06-22 14:11
The Doctor wrote:
The variables of individual nasal pharyngeal
> architecture, embouchure position and strength, mouthpiece,
> etc. all interact with the reed to produce sound.
Doc, You took the words right out of my mouth
Fred
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Author: soby314
Date: 2005-06-22 14:13
Thanks for the input.
I suppose the main thing I'm lookin for here is an idea of consistency within brands. I'm very pleased with my bluebox 4's, and I'm fairly certain that's what works well for me. However, even with substantial "tweeking", I can't get more than 2 or 3 from a box to the same level. I'm looking for a reed that behaves similarly, but is ultimately more consistent within the box. Like I said, my next reed investments will probably be the Rue Lepics (although, I predict consistency will be similar to the Traditionals), the Grand Concert Selects, and of course, the Zonda Selects. I've heard great things about all of these, but the saying is "you never know until you've tried."
Thanks again for everyone's input.
:)
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2005-06-22 15:25
I like Vandoren and Gonzalez. Gonzalez reeds are much more stable, but I prefer the sound of Vandorens better. My new favorites are the Blackmasters. For some reason, Gonzalez reeds when are just even slightly too soft will squick, that doesn't happen with any brand...
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