Reeds - Vandoren reeds, are they stiffer than other brands? | CafeSaxophone Forum Supporting special needs music Supporting special needs music education Log in Register Search Search Everywhere Topics This forum This thread Search titles only By: Quick Search Advanced search… Home About Support the Café FAQ, Rules, Privacy etc, Mailing List Forums New posts Forum List Featured Articles Reviews Beginners Featured Articles Reviews etc. TTS Tutorials TamingTheSaxophone: Saxophone Info Beginners Beginners impro Great Players Impro & Theory Mouthpieces Saxophone Effects Improve your Tone Patterns & Exercises Arranging & Composing About Pete Shop Log in Register What's new Search Everywhere Topics This forum This thread Search titles only By: Quick Search Advanced search… New posts Forum List Menu Log in Register Install the app Install Home Forums Saxophone Saxophones & Accessories Discussion JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly. You should upgrade or use an alternative browser. Reeds Vandoren reeds, are they stiffer than other brands? Thread starter MikeM70 Start date Aug 17, 2018 M MikeM70 Member Messages 94 Locality Aylesbury, UK Aug 17, 2018 #1 needed some new clarinet reeds and for a change I thought I'd try some vandoren traditional out (I've been using rico royal since I got the clarinet as they were what JP sold me when I got it, always been happy).. Finally got round to putting on the reeds this evening and wow, could only just blow the thing, was really stiff and resistant. I thought mebbe it's me, maybe I've become a wuss overnight, so put the old reeds back on and they were fine. On a whim, I tried some rico 2.5's I had lying around (I normally use 2.0) and again, they were fine, a bit stiffer than the 2.00, but to be expected. So, put the vandoren's back on and still the same, unplayable. Is this standard for vandoren reeds or have I got a duff batch? Ne0Wolf7 Member Messages 564 Locality Long Island Aug 17, 2018 #2 This chart would say so, although not all charts say exactly the same thing. Hmm doesn'tseem to like my picture, here's a link Reactions: MikeM70 Ne0Wolf7 Member Messages 564 Locality Long Island Aug 17, 2018 #3 Ne0Wolf7 said: This chart would say so, although not all charts say exactly the same thing. Hmm doesn'tseem to like my picture, here's a link Click to expand... Misread- Vandoren reeds are regarded highly, all of my friends who play clarinet use them, as do I and most of the sax players I know Reactions: MikeM70 kevgermany ex Landrover Nut Café Supporter Messages 21,468 Locality Just north of Munich Aug 17, 2018 #4 Try going down to a 1.5 on the VanDoren, or scraping the reed. Reactions: MikeM70 tatooandy67 Member Messages 168 Locality Birmingham U.K. Aug 17, 2018 #5 When I first started playing I used rico royal (orange box) 2’s and 2.5’s then I switched to vandoren (blue box) traditional I found them to be a tad stiffer/harder but once I got used to them I found them to be much better, having tried several different brands vandoren traditional 2’s are my go to choice, but yes to answer your question I believe vandoren traditional are a bit stiffer than rico royal of the same numbers Reactions: MikeM70 J Justin Chune Well-Known Member Messages 2,843 Locality The Athens of The North Aug 18, 2018 #6 The Vandoren Blue Box are a Half strength harder than Rico. I'm enjoying Vandoren Juno clarinet reeds at the moment and these are numbered the same as Rico. The Juno reeds are also consistent in that they all play much the same. With Blue Box Vandoren I could never find two the same. I've had a lifetime of success with Rico Royal 2 clarinet reeds. I get my reeds from Reeds Direct and they have a catalogue that has a strength chart that compares all the reeds they sell. Useful. Reactions: MikeM70 and Alice Colin the Bear Well-Known Member Messages 15,976 Locality Burnley bb9 9dn Aug 18, 2018 #7 Juno is same cut as rico orange. Nice on a rico mouthpiece. Vandoren Blue is french cut like rico royal. And yes Vandoren feel a half strength stronger than Royal. Googling clarinet reed comparison chart and selecting images, brought up lots of charts clarinet reed comparison chart - Google Search Reactions: MikeM70 M MikeM70 Member Messages 94 Locality Aylesbury, UK Aug 18, 2018 #8 thanks Colin, those charts (well, the ones I looked at anyways) seemed to tie in with my observations. Guess I'll have to keep working it, build up my clarinet muscles till I'm big enough for grown up reeds. Tenor Viol Full of frets in North Shropshire Café Supporter Messages 6,721 Locality Whitchurch, North Shropshire UK Aug 18, 2018 #9 The great classical clarinettist Jack Brymer apparently used to use 1.5 The reason I know this is my first sax teacher was also a clarinet player and he had lessons with Jack Brymer. Reactions: MikeM70 Ne0Wolf7 Member Messages 564 Locality Long Island Aug 19, 2018 #10 Benny goodman used that strength as well, he was a jazz player Colin the Bear Well-Known Member Messages 15,976 Locality Burnley bb9 9dn Aug 19, 2018 #11 We don't adapt our embouchure to the reed. We adjust the reed to our embouchure. Nobody who could play ever said "That player was great. His reed was really hard" Having said that discovering what some of the greats played is illuminating and fascinating. Ivan Undecided Café Supporter Messages 8,019 Locality Peeblesshire Aug 20, 2018 #12 I've found Vandoren harder than a hard thing, the few times I've tried them But then I like it soft Colin the Bear Well-Known Member Messages 15,976 Locality Burnley bb9 9dn Aug 21, 2018 #13 The soft ones aren't hard Ivan Undecided Café Supporter Messages 8,019 Locality Peeblesshire Aug 24, 2018 #14 Colin the Bear said: The soft ones aren't hard Click to expand... Harder than everyone else's soft ones I know I shouldn't expect the stiffness rating to carry validity across makes... but I do MikeMorrell Netherlands Café Supporter Messages 1,721 Locality Breda Aug 24, 2018 #15 I only have experience with vandoren reeds for tenor sax. For many years, my experience was that the vandoren reeds I bought were initially stiffer than the equivalent Ricoh reeds. Compared to equivalent Ricoh reeds they took longer to 'break in', sometimes needed more adjustment to make them more easily playable but lasted longer (with a better tone). With sax reeds, my experience is that Ricoh reeds are relatively soft and are pretty much playable 'out of the box'. Vandoren reeds aren't. It takes time to break them in and perhaps adjust them. I only recently discovered that I'd always bought the stiffest jazz reed for sax (because that''s what the local shop stocked). It turned out that there were many more Java reed types (each in different strengths) which were easier to play! I've never played clarinet but just based on my sax experience, the vandoren video on ""which clarinet reed is right for you?" may be helpful. From what I've seen, the vandoren "classic" clarinet reed is the stiffest in the range (at whatever strength). I guess (like for sax), it's a question of - in time - finding the best combination of reed type and strength. The Reactions: MikeM70 M MikeM70 Member Messages 94 Locality Aylesbury, UK Aug 24, 2018 #16 yeah, that would make sense, initially harder to play, but then last longer. I've put them away in a drawer for the moment, as I'm still too puny to blow them, but I'll go back to them when I've toughened up a tad. kevgermany ex Landrover Nut Café Supporter Messages 21,468 Locality Just north of Munich Aug 25, 2018 #17 Reed strength is not about macho, it's about what works for you. Unless you're playing classical, the tendency is soft reeds, wider tips. Colin the Bear Well-Known Member Messages 15,976 Locality Burnley bb9 9dn Aug 26, 2018 #18 Every body knows that the harder the reed, the better the player... Not You must log in or register to reply here. Share: Facebook Twitter Reddit Pinterest WhatsApp Email Share Link Similar threads (maybe) C Reeds Vandoren Reeds Started by colindbelfast Mar 8, 2010 Replies: 2 Saxophones & Accessories Discussion Reeds Soprano sax reeds why do strengths vary so much for differnt makes? Started by BeBopSop Jul 16, 2011 Replies: 9 Saxophones & Accessories Discussion Reeds Vandoren V12 reeds Started by Basil Nov 12, 2009 Replies: 1 Saxophones & Accessories Discussion A Reeds Care to share your reed break-in rituals? Started by AndyB Aug 31, 2009 Replies: 12 Saxophones & Accessories Discussion F Beginner Changing to harder reed Started by Fortyniner Jan 14, 2019 Replies: 61 Playing / Practicing Popular Discussions Improvised vs Rehearsed Solos Started by Veggie Dave Feb 6, 2020 Replies: 84 Playing / Practicing M What, how and why are you transcribing? Started by Micheal Murray Jun 6, 2014 Replies: 131 Playing / Practicing Jazz Music for Night Owls Started by saxplorer Mar 5, 2015 Replies: 432 Favourite Videos Saxophones My new one-of-a-kind tenor Started by rhysonsax Mar 17, 2012 Replies: 73 Saxophones & Accessories Discussion Jazz Left Alone - A Tune a Day from Rhys for Saxophonists in Isolation Started by rhysonsax Mar 20, 2020 Replies: 173 Favourite Videos First attempt on soprano Started by Mark Hancock Apr 25, 2020 Replies: 53 Your sound clips Saxophones I Pulled The Trigger. New Vintage Sax Coming To Me For My Birthday. Started by Jazz Is All Nov 24, 2020 Replies: 167 Saxophones & Accessories Discussion Saxophones Christmas pressie Started by jonf Dec 14, 2021 Replies: 52 Saxophones & Accessories Discussion Sax playing after heart attack Started by Janosax Jul 25, 2020 Replies: 71 Playing / Practicing The evolution of the saxophone sound Started by jbtsax Dec 13, 2020 Replies: 76 Great Players Share this page Facebook Twitter Reddit Pinterest WhatsApp Email Share Link Home Forums Saxophone Saxophones & Accessories Discussion Contact us Advertise Cafe Rules Privacy Help & Contact RSS Community platform by XenForo® © 2010-2022 XenForo Ltd. Paid Registrations by AddonFlare - Premium XF2 Addons | | © 2007 - 2022 Cafe Saxophone Ltd | | Xenforo Add-ons © by ©XenTR CafeSaxophone is a non profit site. Moderators donate their time free. Advertising goes towards actual costs. All other income is donated to various charities Support the Cafe: donate or upgrade: Yardsale (classified) payments only: This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies. Accept Learn more… Top Bottom