[WinnSie]

Three days ago I went to buy a box of new reeds. I bought a box of Vandorens Blue Box #2. For the next three days I've tried to 'break them in' by playing each one about 5 minutes. I don't understand what's going on but I just cannot play them at all!
After three days they feel as stiff and dull as the first day. I can hardly blow through them. At first I though that as a beginner I again missed something.

I've got two old reeds left from my three month's practice and tried them as they always worked well for me. Everything was fine and both old reeds, the Vandoren BlueBox #2 and Vandoren Java #2 were usable as before. The Java #2 is such a contrast to the new Blue Box #2's that if I hadn't the Java which just sings I would think that I've wasted three months of practice and have to start all over again.
Can it be that all 10 reeds in the box are duds?

 

[Canadiain]

First the blue boxes and the Javas will not be the same hardness for the same number. Traditionals are harder, a blue box 2 is like a Java 2.5
http://www.aleksandartasic.com/downloads/engl/reedcomparisonchart.pdf

Second, if you were playing the same two reeds for 3 months, they have probably softened considerably over time, and now your embouchoure will have to harden up to cope with the shock of fresh new reeds.

Stick with the new ones, and try some of the many tips on the site for breaking them in and working on them if necessary. I dont think you got a bad box, you have just got used to the old reeds which have got softer and softer over time. 3 months is a long time to use any pair of reeds if you play at all often.

Alternatively buy a couple of cheapo orange Ricos and see if you have the same problem. If you dont, it could be you got a counterfeit box...but if they came from your local store its unlikely.

 

[milandro]

There are fake Vandorens out there! This is also acknowledged on the vandoren site (there's a flashing warning sign somewhere and says that they have found , lately, some fake Chinese Vandoren on the market...)

 

[WinnSie]

I understand the difference between the #2 Java and #2 blue Box reeds. I've actually used more than a pair of two reeds over the three months, there were about 6 of them. These two are simply those that survived and I used them for about 1 month only. I don't remember that I had much difficulty to start playing them 1 month ago. The new box reeds are totally different: I just cannot start them producing the tone, they are so stuffy I cannot make any comparison with the 'old' two reeds. By the way I don't notice much difference in playbility between my 'old' #2 Java and #2 Blue Box one.

 

[martysax]

Probably.

I've had boxes of 5 tenor reeds with only one to be considered playable.

I keep going back to bad reeds to see if they came back to life. Maybe that says something about me.

Damn, it's almost 10.

 

[Canadiain]

I understand the difference between the #2 Java and #2 blue Box reeds. I've actually used more than a pair of two reeds over the three months, there were about 6 of them. These two are simply those that survived and I used them for about 1 month only. I don't remember that I had much difficulty to start playing them 1 month ago. The new box reeds are totally different: I just cannot start them producing the tone, they are so stuffy I cannot make any comparison with the 'old' two reeds. By the way I don't notice much difference in playbility between my 'old' #2 Java and #2 Blue Box one.

Sorry, I guess I misinterpreted your first post.

So maybe it is a fake box then?. Ten bad ones would be extremely unusual for real Vandorens.

 

[WinnSie]

A fake box of reeds? It's interesting. This summer when I went to that shop where I bought 'bad' box they ran out of reeds. These reeds must be from the new supplies then. The interesting thing is that the box is old style - with no individual packaging of reeds and small size. Today I went to a differnet larger music store and found they had Vandoren reeds only in new box style: large box and individual reed packaging.
It may be me nonetheless...
The only way I see how I can find out the truth is to get a blue box #2 in new style and test them against the first suspicious box.

 

[dstack79]

Can it be that all 10 reeds in the box are duds?

That's a real possibility. Doesn't happen often, but it certainly can.

-Dan

 

[saxplaya81]

thats why i got into reed adjusting, reeds are too unpredictable these days also the demand for the reeds is so high that in order for companies like vandoren to keep up with demands they only let the cane age for about 6 months. I actually buy 2 boxes of reeds , one that I use to play on in the immediate future and then I take the other box and mark the date I bought them and store them away for at least a year or two. One of the other professors at my school said he opened a box of reeds he bought in 1989 the other day lol.

 

[themacintrasher]

try cutting it down with a razor blade

 

[Dave Dolson]

I think a razorblade may be too thin and weak for reed-adjusting purposes. I use a sharp pocket knife (sturdy blade) and scrape it perpendicular to the reed's vamp, scraping off a little wood residue. Then I rinse it and test and repeat until the reed plays. DAVE

 

[CiaranAudio]

Simple suggestion when breaking in new reeds as a beginner.

Tighten the holy **** out of the lig and friggin BLOW the thing. Make some god awful racket until its loud and freeblowing and full.

Then break for 10 mins, have a beer, and get back at it. Usually works for me when I'm testing reeds. Abuse the **** out of it for about 10 mins, take a 10 min break, and then do your normal thing.

but I AM insane and so take this with a grain of salt.

 

[martinm5862]

Three days ago I went to buy a box of new reeds. I bought a box of Vandorens Blue Box #2. For the next three days I've tried to 'break them in' by playing each one about 5 minutes. I don't understand what's going on but I just cannot play them at all!
After three days they feel as stiff and dull as the first day. I can hardly blow through them. At first I though that as a beginner I again missed something.

I've got two old reeds left from my three month's practice and tried them as they always worked well for me. Everything was fine and both old reeds, the Vandoren BlueBox #2 and Vandoren Java #2 were usable as before. The Java #2 is such a contrast to the new Blue Box #2's that if I hadn't the Java which just sings I would think that I've wasted three months of practice and have to start all over again.
Can it be that all 10 reeds in the box are duds?

Yes!

 

[LateNiteSax]

You might just need to adjust the reeds yourself. Dont be like the rest of the sheeple believing that a reed will give you all the sound and flexibility right out of the box. That happens to me VERY VERY rarely. Usually, I use 220 wet or dry sandpaper and reed clippers to adjust my reeds. As a rule I buy 4s or 5s, cause I can get them cheap, and they have been sittling around for 20 years or so, and sand them down. This way I get reeds that EXACTLY suit my needs, since I sort of finish them my self. But all this is utterly meaningless unsess I'm starting with really good cane. A good piece of cane trumps every other variable, and arduous reed prep is a big waste of time when you have serious quality cane.