 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: GBK
Date: 2015-02-21 06:07
A student asked me why Vandoren traditional (blue box) clarinet reeds are not manufactured in size 4.5.
Frankly, I never noticed until today.
When was the 4.5 size discontinued, or was it never produced?
I thought I remembered that at one time there was a size 4.5.
...GBK
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-02-21 06:21
Kinda reminds me of why I initially settled on 4s. It was an arbitrary decision at the time based on what was probably an urban myth. I was told (by a young peer) that 5s were just the hard rejects of any given production run. So I decided to play the next strength down from there. This was back in the 70s. At the time, the was no half size in between. There may have been at some point in between though but I don't know for sure.
...............Paul Aviles
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2015-02-21 08:19
I don't think there has ever been a 4-1/2 traditional Vandoren, at least not as long as I've been using VD reeds - early 1960s. They started making them with the V-12 model.
Karl
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Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2015-02-21 17:15
It is my understanding that reeds of a make and model, are all cut indentically, and that manufacturers use strength tests (Vandoren applies sideways air pressure to the tip of the reed to see how much the reed moves to categorize strength) to put reeds in the right boxes; essentially allowing mother nature, and the natural variability of cane to determine strength.
I wonder if the scale of distance the reed moves, as modelled by math, is better described in a linear, or exponential (logarithmic) model.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-02-21 17:27
Maybe there's a shortage of floorboards with the amount of new housing developments springing up everywhere, so they're using all the 4.5s for them.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2015-02-21 17:28)
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Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2015-02-21 20:00
Chris
If vandoren made floor boards, how many would we need to buy to find a decent one? Would some only work best with vandoren flooring nails and in vandoren houses?
This reminds me of "what if Microsoft made cars."
http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/pnw/microsoftjoke.htm
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Author: pewd
Date: 2015-02-21 20:26
Bearing in mind my memory is a tiny bit fuzzier than it was in past decades, I don't remember ever seeing a 4.5 Vandoren Traditional cut.
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: elmo lewis
Date: 2015-02-22 02:32
I always used this strength. Many years ago (5 or 6?) they stopped making them. I believe that they still make 4.5's for v12's.
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