Author: Morrigan
Date: 2016-11-30 14:21
This makes sense - it explains why I get good boxes of V12s, and sometimes bad boxes, where all the reeds seem to have a small harsh sound. The good boxes tend to last much longer - maybe they're French cane?
Anyway, back to the OP's question. I used Gonzalez FOF reeds on a Gregory Smith mouthpiece for many years, with huge success. They required a longer break in time, but I found them to last a really long time and had superior articulation. Lots of patience is required: for the first few weeks, they may be too hard, have a massive brash sound, but they will slowly be tamed. And when you get that one amazing one, it'll last you for a long time. I had "The One Reed" (Gonzalez FOF 3.75) which was incredible, I knew instantly it was special, played it in slowly over the course of about 6 weeks, it lasted me about 3 months through a recital, concerto performance, and a successful audition for a scholarship. I still have it tucked away somewhere, for possible future cloning haha!
HOWEVER, articulation doesn't come from the reed. Of course you need a setup that allows you to do what you want to do, but it's simply practice that will improve your articulation.
For the record I now play on a B40 with V12 reeds.
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The Clarinet BBoard
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