Saxplayer67 said:
So a 2 1/2 Rico is okay but a 2 1/2 Flying Goose is a kazoo. The answer is obvious - a 3 in Goose will be the same in Rico. You KNOW different brands' strengths are not the same your argument is just an excuse to nail the Chinese. I sounded like a kazoo last night when teaching a student - why? Because my Vandoren Java 2 1/2 was one I had played to death, i.e. now too soft. So that's why the Goose sounded like a kazoo, it was too soft for your setup, not that it's necessarily crap.
Excuse me, Saxplayer I have been playing sax and clarinet for fifty years and teaching for over thirty. I think I know something about reed strengths and matching reeds to mouthpieces. I'm sorry I said Kazoo, that was pretty mean spirited. What I meant to say was comb and tissue.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but I tried out Goose reeds in 2, 2 1/2, 3, 3 1/2 all the sizes our store ordered. They all played poorly regardless of the strength. I even tried clipping some with reed clippers. The demonstration that I did for the store manager was to compare the Rico 2 1/2 that we normally supply with the student rentals with the equivalent reed in the Goose. If you put the Flying Goose and a Rico side by side and take measurements, you will find that the Chinese reed's vamp area is cut too long, but most importantly there is very little arc in the center of the reed where the heart should be. It is this lack of thickness in the center of the reed that causes the poor tone, not the fact that the reed is soft or hard. I stand by my statement that they are crap---goose crap to be more specific.
On the other hand if you like the way you sound when you play on them, then by all means buy and use them.

There are a whole bunch for sale right now on E-Bay 10 for $4.99. If they don't play the way you want, they are great for starting campfires or making your own toothpicks.
John