New Vandoren Reed Packaging - What are they thinking?

I switched from Vandoren Traditional to Rico Jazz Select about two months ago. I tried them because at the time, they were $3 a box cheaper than Vandoren (everybody say "Amen"), and they were recommended by Phil Barone.

The Rico's are very conveniently packaged, and I noticed that I get more useable Ricos per box than with Vandoren. Each Rico comes in a lightweight, easy to use, individual case. I number the reed cases with a permanent marker when I take them out of the box, and just use the box and individual cases to hold the reeds. It may turn out that the reeds warp more easily, but I haven't noticed that.

With the Vandoren, I would typically get 1 great reed, two decent reeds, and 2 poor reeds in a box. With the Rico's, I'm getting 2+ great reeds, 2- okay reeds, and 1 poor reed. I'm guessing that the Rico people, who have a finer gradation of hardness for the Jazz Selects, may have a better quality control process now (both for hardness and for shape). Mind you, the Vandorens still sound as great as anybody's reed, but it's nice to spend less time testing mediocre reeds. (I don't file or fiddle with them either, although those that do may have higher success rates.)

Maybe you should try a box of Jazz Selects. BTW, I've seen LaVoz in the new packaging too, so it may be that all the Ricos now use this packaging.

AltoRuth said:

Lamplight, Where do you buy your RJS reeds, and have you been able to buy in quantities of fewer than 10? . . .
Ruth

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Ruth,

I'm sorry the RJS have been difficult for you to find. I generally buy reeds online, a few boxes at a time to cut down on S&H, but you can buy only one box. The Jazz Selects come in boxes of five (5) for tenor and baritone, or 10 for soprano and alto. I checked for tenor a moment ago, and WWBW has the filed in stock @ $10.89 and at least some strengths of the unfiled in stock @ $11.95. Saxquest recently carried the RJS, but I only see Ricos listed today. BTW, I know there's talk about the solvency of WWBW, but they ship me the correct boxes promptly. Even if WWBW does go belly up (that's "if"), it's not like your stuck for the price of a horn.

Incidentally, I use the filed, and I don't know how big a difference there is between un-filed and filed. Some time ago, I downloaded the following from the Rico help section. I'm printing excerpts here because I couldn't find it again today. Note the difference between "French File" and French Cut".

French & American Cuts
There are two style of reeds: French cut and American cut. French cut reeds, mainly used by classical saxophonists, have a thinner tip and are a bit thicker in the heart area. Reeds with an American cut usually feature a slightly thicker tip and less heart, producing a fuller, focused sound.

French Filed Cut
Reeds with a file cut or "double cut" have an extra strip of the bark removed in a straight line, just below the vamp area. This allows for extra flexibility and a fast response.

American Un-filed Cut
A 'regular' or unfiled cut, sometimes referred to as "single cut," helps produce a powerful tone.

One other thing: If you navigate to the Rico product page, there is a useful strength comparison chart.
Good luck