Reed Banter

After 10 years of playing the clarinet with Vandoren V12 reeds I have finally given up on the reeds for two main reasons:

1) Vandoren’s reed craftmanship and consistency has been dercreasing for years but it has reached an unacceptable level. It will take three or four boxes of reeds to find just a handful of quality reeds to use. To add to this problem they have recently decided to give every single reed they make a “factory fresh” seal. Basically, this keeps the reed at Parisian humidity until it is opened instead of gradually adjusting to its new humidity in transit. After opening a new reed, it takes weeks if not months of endless hell before a reed is usable to my liking, let alone ready for a performance.

2) This packaging not only has a negative affect on the usability of the reeds, but also the environment. In an age where most companies are trying to decrease package size to reduce on waste and transit costs (larger packages weigh more and require more space, which wastes fuel), Vandoren has increased the size of their packages by at least 30 percent, and has started wrapping each reed, which already came in its own plastic case, in a foil wrapping. What a waste!

Picture: Vandoren’s excessive packaging.

The solution? I’m not entirely sure yet, but I am currently auditioning new reeds and will keep you posted on the results! Let me know if you have any ideas. It’s sad in a way because I love Vandoren’s products and now swear by their ligatures and mouthpieces. Although it is arguably true that they have never made the “best” product available, theirs is by far the most consistent. It’s a shame that their reeds no longer fit into this criterion.

-Sean.

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