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Rigotti strenth and prices EU

2K views 13 replies 5 participants last post by  Atratr 
#1 ·
Hello,
i was just running out of vandoren java greens and i looked at my reed storage big box, i have a lot of boxes of different brand reeds there. I found these boxes of Rigotti, strength 3, 3 1/2, and then like 3 or 4 boxes of 4l, 4m, and 4s(light, medium, strong). So i am playing a tip like 078. on alto. I quick tested some of them and everything felt so soft that i have ended playing the 4 medium box reeds. And every reed plays from the first blow, just found only one that was a little muddy.
So is their strength really that soft that you have to go to a 4 medium or even strong reed to substitute for a vandoren java green 3.5?
I ask because these reeds are with me since 3 or 4 years ago. Could be that they have gone soft somehow?

And by the way, if i had to buy rigotti's in Europe, where would be the cheapest place? Buying from them is very expensive, like 4 euro a reed(after adding shipping costs), that's too much!
 
#2 ·
I'd be interested in responses to this. I had been using Rigotti 3 light reeds on a 7* Meyer. After moving down to a 6 and playing firmer, I have been alternating Java Green 3 and D'Addario Select Jazz 3 Soft. I have tried some harder Rigotti reeds but they either seem too soft and wimpy except for the hardest ones that are very stuffy. I can't seem to find a strength that has a good resistance. When I find I good Java 3 it will last a while. I like the resistance and control of the Select Jazz 3S a bit better but they soften quicker. Select Jazz 3M was too hard to blow.

I had a sample of Rigotti Classic Strength 2.5 medium which felt pretty good but it was only 1 reed. I may gamble on a box or two.
 
#3 ·
I agree with what you say about select jazz going soft quicker. In that aspect Java Greens has better duration an stability. I have some boxes of ricos here and there, from select to royal and orange too.
I am going to check Rigotti reed stability and duration, cause maybe the fact that they play as easy out of the box could mean that they die sooner too. Maybe i'll try the 4 strong ones too.
 
#4 ·
I just put a 4 strong, and still can play it, responsively enough, although this time is harder to move. With some preparation seems that it would work for me too. I am a bit socked.
I am just checking that i am not biting, and the 4 medium gives me a fat and responsive sound. I am a bit shocked after all this years having them there.
Now i am going to put them in rotation to see how it goes.
 
#6 ·
A box of reeds from several years ago will be different than a new box in any brand because they are from different batches of cane and batches are graded using the available stock of cane, not based on last year's crop. If I bought two boxes of new stock I'd expect them to be consistent box to box, but I wouldn't expect the same level of box to box consistency if I had a 3-year old box and compared it to new stock. Just play what feels and sounds good to you. FWIW, I find java green and rigotti gold/ jazz to be similar in terms of strength grading and cut, but I prefer rigotti because they work better for me. I've had to buy a reed or two in a pinch and it's good to know that (for me) a green java 3.5 is going to be very close to a the Rigotti 3.5 L or M that's my preferred go to reed on tenor, but stores in the US don't typically stock rigotti, and almost never by the individual reed. On alto I find rigotti reeds to be softer than you might expect and a bit lacking in heart.
 
#8 ·
For what it's worth, just tried some Rigotti Gold Jazz reeds on tenor recently, and was surprised by the softness too. According to Rigotti, 2M should be about the same strength than Select Jazz 2H.

I play Select Jazz reeds every day with the Ponzol M2 SS 110, mostly strength 2S but often 2M, sometimes 2H. Pretty sure the Rigotti 2M was even softer than the 2S, nowhere near SJ 2H. Played very good though. Closest in feel to the Select Jazz of the many reeds I have tried, easier to play and nice sound. Still prefer the Select Jazz though, Rigotti sounded somehow "tame" in comparison.
 
#9 ·
For what it's worth, just tried some Rigotti Gold Jazz reeds on tenor recently, and was surprised by the softness too. According to Rigotti, 2M should be about the same strength than Select Jazz 2H.

I play Select Jazz reeds every day with the Ponzol M2 SS 110, mostly strength 2S but often 2M, sometimes 2H. Pretty sure the Rigotti 2M was even softer than the 2S, nowhere near SJ 2H. Played very good though. Closest in feel to the Select Jazz of the many reeds I have tried, easier to play and nice sound. Still prefer the Select Jazz though, Rigotti sounded somehow "tame" in comparison.
Rigotti is much more comparable to Vandoren than D'addario in terms of the java green and select jazz cuts specifically. I can't get on with the filed or unfiled DJS reeds at all. LaVoz is much closer to java green and rigotti gold/ jazz than the DJS.
 
#10 ·
Don't know about the alto reeds. They could be very different. However, the Rigotti Gold tenor reeds, in terms of strength numbering, don't seem noticeably harder or softer than other brands. In my experience, having played them for several years now, the 3 light are roughly equivalent in strength to V16 2.5 (which are harder than most other brands labeled 2.5). I've tried Rigotti 2.5 medium and found them a bit too soft and 3 med which seem pretty hard. So the 'sweet spot' for me, on mpcs with tip sizes .105 to .125, is 2.5 strong - 3 light. I would call those 'medium strength' reeds. Not at all unusual compared to other brand's numbering system.
 
#11 ·
Side note: there's Rigotti Gold Jazz and Rigotti Gold Classic, with very different numbering vs strength according to this chart: https://www.rigotti.fr/en/article-rigotti-41-33-7.php (from my limited testing, I don't agree with the chart anyway, as the Rigotti Gold Jazz 2M reeds felt more like Select Jazz 2S - unless the Select Jazz ratings changed considerably from the Rico -> D'Addario switch)
 
#13 ·
I am talking about gold jazz reeds.
Yes, I am also talking about the jazz reeds (haven't tried the classics). But, just to be clear, I was also referring to tenor reeds. I haven't found anything unusual regarding the Rigotti Gold Jazz tenor strength numbering system. It's great to have the light, med, & strong sizes to 'fine tune' each numbered strength (2, 2.5, 3, etc). But those numbers correspond pretty well to other brands with similar numbers. Taking into account that the numbers are somewhat inconsistent from one brand to another. Bottom line, you have to try different sizes and find out which works best for you, no matter the brand.
 
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