[Ronish]

I don`t mean what strength but what make.
Every now and then I get the desire to try a new make because some one has said how great they were. So I buy a box of Vandorens but then need a hammer to bend them. Then a synthetic Legere but of course I`ve guessed the wrong strength and have to ask will they change it. Then some Platicoates and a box of Mitchell Luries. Not bad but trying new brands means guessing the strengths. And some don`t work the best with my MPC.
So I`m back to my orange boxes of Ricos and I can`t find much wrong with them. Is it you don`t get many good ones out of a box? But a touch of emery board fixes that. I have`nt found a reason to spend so much more on expensive stuff.
So what do you use and why not Ricos?

 

[LateNiteSax]

I just did a couple of gigs on alto on a mid 80's orange box Rico #5 that I sanded down. Killer reed, lasted for 2 HARD gigs, then was done. But I've got tons of vintage 1970s-80s Rico, Rico Royals, La Voz, and a ton of 1990s Marca Alto reeds, and tons of other odd stuff, in hard strengths that I bought cheap that nobody else wants. that are also amazing cane. I just sand them all down and get exactly what I want out them.

 

[bandmommy]

It depends on which horn I'm playing an how much cash I have when it's time for a new box. Usually it's;
Alto-Hemke
Tenor-Hemke
Bari-Orange box Rico
Clarinet-Mitchel Lurie
All of which I believe are made/distributed by Rico.

 

[ericdano]

Soprano - rico jazz select filed 3
Alto - Rico jazz select filed 3
Tenor - Rico plastic covered 3
Clarinet - vandoren v12 4

 

[jlima]

There's not much you can learn from what other people are using. We all have different sound concepts, different mouthpieces, in different tip openings, with different facing curves, different oral cavities, different lung capacity, different ways of blowing, different musical tastes...

 

[SHOZZA]

Hahn 2.5 on Berg Larsen s.s. To me very similar to Green box Java's, been playing one for 10 months now and good as new.

 

[nitrosax]

Nothing wrong with the orange box RICO products but they aren't as dense as say their more expensive brothers ...the Rico Reserve, Hemke's and Rico Jazz Selects...So, they can be more prone to vary with the weather and be less consistent...if you use them with the vitalizer pack and take care of them...they play--really well...

 

[rzzzzz]

Yeah, the Legere Signatures play considerably stronger than indicated, I think. I switch off between them and orange on tenor. Plasticoat on sop.

 

[Starsax A2]

Orange box Rico's, or Rico Royals. Both seem fine to me.

 

[StanVI]

Zonda on alto and tenor, every box is 5 for 5.....

 

[Dave Dolson]

jlima got it right. While I favor Vandoren ZZ on soprano (Fibracells on clarinet and alto), I use others as well. But after I finish adjusting them, it probably doesn't matter what cut or strength with which they began life out of the box.

Had to laugh at your comment about Legeres - getting the strength wrong then going through their replacement drill. Been there and done that - and still don't have the right strength. I gave up after the first round - quit while sitting on my practice chair.

What you should do is to teach yourself how to adjust reeds so each reed in a box plays equally well. DAVE

 

[adamk]

French cut Rico Royals on: bari (2.5), tenor (3), C mel (bass clar 3), and alto (2.5) and Sop (Vandoren 2). I almost never play bari and sop, maybe I'll have to reevaluate them.

 

[jd]

fibracells

 

[Ronish]

To the Plasticoat users. What do you do if they are a too hard for yourself or your MPC , you can`t sand them? I suppose you can but then they are no longer Platicoated. I got a useless box of them.

 

[Dave Dolson]

Regarding Plasticovers, I was talking to a music store manager the other day whose friend recently went to work for Rico in Sun Valley, CA. The word was that Rico has changed the Plasticovers for the better (how they did that I don't know). I'd sure hope so since in the past I found them very dull. Plus, the plastic coating soon started coming off and little flakes of black-plastic coating were everywhere where they shouldn't be. Yuk!

No, they cannot be adjusted, either, unless one trims the tips (a procedure I don't do with reeds). I'd save them for the future if I had a useless box of them. You never know what mouthpieces are in your future and the hard plasticovers may actually play on another mouthpiece. DAVE

 

[JL]

I'm trying to figure out exactly what your question really is, Ronish. Surely you don't want to have us all tell you the reed WE are using, as that would be totally useless info for you, just as jlima said in his post (#5). You'll end up with a list of almost every reed out there. What are you going to do with that? I'd say if you're happy with the Ricos you are using, stick with them. If, otoh, you are wondering if there's something better for you, or are just curious about how other brands play, then you'll have to do some of your own research:

Pick the brand you want to try and order a box in the same size as you are currently using (there are charts that will give you an idea how different brands compare size-wise). Then order a BOX of those reeds. Play through the box, allowing some time to break in the reeds. If they are all too hard or too soft, order another box in the next size up or down. Repeat. If you think you like the reeds, order another box and keep playing them until you decide whether to stick with them or not. You'll have to do this with any new brand you try. Be sure to give them a thorough test. Eventually you'll settle on one brand, maybe even returning to what you use now. There is no shortcut to this process.

 

[Buck Laughlin]

I read the initial post as asking why everyone doesn't use orange box Ricos. I don't think Ronish wants to play what others are playing; I think Ronish wants to know why we all don't play the same reeds that he or she does.

Ronish, I don't hate orange box Ricos. I just like the feel, response, tone, and flexibility that I get from RJSs a whole lot more.

 

[martinm5862]

It depends on which horn I'm playing an how much cash I have when it's time for a new box. Usually it's;
Alto-Hemke
Tenor-Hemke
Bari-Orange box Rico
Clarinet-Mitchel Lurie
All of which I believe are made/distributed by Rico.

It's strange. The only reed I could ever get to work on bari is the orange box Rico. Only horn they worded on

 

[jazzcatJr95]

I'm still in the process of finding that "right reed". Right now i'm happy with La voz but i also enjoy the rico royals and vandoren (i think) ZZ's. for classical i stick with the classic vandorens.

 

[Ronish]

Precisely Buck. I just wanted to know why players found the orange Ricos unsuitable for your use.
JL you obviously don`t live in Aus when I read:
"Then order a BOX of those reeds. Play through the box, allowing some time to break in the reeds. If they are all too hard or too soft, order another box in the next size up or down. Repeat. If you think you like the reeds, order another box and keep playing them until you decide whether to stick with them or not"
Even with the better Aus/Us dollar exchange rate that would soon clean you out.