I just began breaking in 5 56's (not "strength" 5, but half of a box) and I am just amazed. All five of them are "players." I can already tell. I had read somewhere that they are a great pairing with my mouthpiece (BD4) and that seems to be true. Thanks for this comparison!
Thanks for doing the comparison, and especially the remarks on how the reeds felt. You have affirmed my decision to stay with V-12s, which I have been using for the past 10-12 years.
Just playing out of the box straightaway mean anything? It's a nice idea and thank you for your video. I've even used Vandoren Juno reeds! I had a stroke a couple of years ago To start with I couldn't blow at all after a lifetime of playing. But after lots of prayer medication and using soft reeds I came back to playing again using mostly the Juno reeds. It's a very scary scene when you suddenly can't play again but there is a way back and those reeds helped me. And I started to play in just a little register for some time just like a beginner. So don't give up if you ever find yourself in the position I was in. Vandoren make excellent reeds I have used them consistently for over 60 years During the 50s it was almost impossible to get VanDoren reeds due to the fields having been burned during the war. I also remember that came in boxes of 20. Yes they were like gold dust I think they have gone on improving especially since the new packaging was introduced. Thank you for what you are doing God bless you and yours - happy New Year to all - Bill - UK
Played both V12 and V21 and I agree that the V21 is darker and beefier but harder to play. Also I found the V21 is good for playing large leaps! But im still struggling to find a suitable strength for the V21
Yes - the V21's are a bit of both worlds - round in the lower range but thinner feeling up high, so it's hard to settle on a good strength. Maybe go for a slightly harder feel, and whittle away till it's right!
I was a clarinet performance major but got mega burned out. In those times, I preferred the regular purple box, 3.5's. I used to find that there was only around 3 I ended up liking in an entire box. I went through this whole rigmarole of carefully breaking each one in and then chucking out the ones I didn't like. I could never get ito the v12's or stiffer reeds. I wasn't a "dark" tone type of person. Liked things clear and resolute. All of that plus the fact that missing a day of practice and all the sudden your embouchure is weak made me so discouraged. Now I just play keyboard and guitar in my spare time but sometimes I miss the joys of clarinet, particularly playing in an orchestra and chamber groups.
I am a recorder player. I graduated from Santa Monica College in 2016. I had a little background learning the clarinet when I was living in another country back in 2002. I dedicated myself to play recorders from sopranino to tenor. I am very impressed about your degrees and education. I decided to learn the clarinet. I have been practicing it for 15 months already...
Clarinettists often choose the reed that sounds good to them behind the instrument, and what is easier to play. So this is interesting; to me, your clarinet produced abundance of overtones and signing qualities across registers with Traditional reed. Other reeds had some inertia, emphasis, or 'colouring', which may work in some genres. Perhaps choose different reeds for different styles of music, rather than choosing just one, which seems "easier to play"?
Traditional all the way !! It seems like you have more flexibility with the traditional reeds... but “where’s the beef?” The V-12 is it because I’ve noticed what you’ve noticed... however, v-21’s are too pudgy
This is what works for me. I perform on rico cause on my clarinet Rico has the best tone. It takes about 3 months for my regular vandoren to break in. Rico I. My opinion has the tome i want.
Try playing these different Vandoren reeds on a very closed tip opening mouthpiece (1.03mm and less - down to 0.96mm) across all registers, and you will be able to pick the winner instantly.
Good point! -- all our reeds will behave differently on different mouthpieces. Mine is more open - B40 Lyre. If I want to play on a more closed-tip I'd have to move up a strength!
@@queenreed373 The strength does play a role with any tip opening. I was alluding to the 4 different Vandoren reed models. I find that the closed tip mouthpieces play best on the Traditional blue box reeds.
V21s are way to bright for me. I usually play traditional. If you play on traditional 3.5 and wanna get like a 56 rue lepic, get a 3.5+ because a 3.5 is like a trad 3.
That's my Fobes barrel! It does a good job with that clarinet -- my vintage R13. But now I have a Prestige R13 and the stock barrel sounds a teeny bit better than the Fobes on it.
Great question - for me, they are all clean and pure in the high range, but the V21’s and the V12’s are both meatier, more substantial, and have a larger shape of sound up high for me. That goes hand in hand with the mouthpiece I use: Vandoren B40Lyre 13.
@@Brave_Aviator The BD5 is nice! I lose too much core in the sound when I use my BD5 - but I gain an evenness across the range with it. I can see what you mean about clean high notes - it is one of the reasons I don't use my BD5, there's a little gunk in the sound for me and I hear it up high.
Queen Reed I seem to get very good sound out of my bd5. Maybe because I’m used to it but my high notes are pretty good but right now I feel like the reed strength I’m using is too soft and that might be a problem with high range
It’s not possible to judge that way when every reed in the box is different from each other. How about trying all 10, finding the best one or two, then comparing. That’s the way!
You make such a good point. It would be so wonderful (for my sanity and my wallet) if all 10 in a box were essentially equal! Vandoren is making synthetic reeds now - maybe that's the ticket?!
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I just began breaking in 5 56's (not "strength" 5, but half of a box) and I am just amazed. All five of them are "players." I can already tell. I had read somewhere that they are a great pairing with my mouthpiece (BD4) and that seems to be true. Thanks for this comparison!
Brava! Beautiful sound. I wish I would had purchased a Vintage when I had the chance...
Thanks for doing the comparison, and especially the remarks on how the reeds felt. You have affirmed my decision to stay with V-12s, which I have been using for the past 10-12 years.
excellent! It's so important to go with sound and feel when we play -- it needs to be comfortable in order to sing!
Just playing out of the box straightaway mean anything? It's a nice idea and thank you for your video. I've even used Vandoren Juno reeds! I had a stroke a couple of years ago To start with I couldn't blow at all after a lifetime of playing. But after lots of prayer medication and using soft reeds I came back to playing again using mostly the Juno reeds. It's a very scary scene when you suddenly can't play again but there is a way back and those reeds helped me. And I started to play in just a little register for some time just like a beginner. So don't give up if you ever find yourself in the position I was in. Vandoren make excellent reeds I have used them consistently for over 60 years
During the 50s it was almost impossible to get VanDoren reeds due to the fields having been burned during the war. I also remember that came in boxes of 20. Yes they were like gold dust I think they have gone on improving especially since the new packaging was introduced. Thank you for what you are doing God bless you and yours - happy New Year to all - Bill - UK
Thanks for your comment - I'm so happy you are playing again!
Very helpful review.. Short and sweet 👌
The 56 sounds best to me, with purple box coming in second.
Played both V12 and V21 and I agree that the V21 is darker and beefier but harder to play. Also I found the V21 is good for playing large leaps! But im still struggling to find a suitable strength for the V21
Yes - the V21's are a bit of both worlds - round in the lower range but thinner feeling up high, so it's hard to settle on a good strength. Maybe go for a slightly harder feel, and whittle away till it's right!
I was a clarinet performance major but got mega burned out. In those times, I preferred the regular purple box, 3.5's. I used to find that there was only around 3 I ended up liking in an entire box. I went through this whole rigmarole of carefully breaking each one in and then chucking out the ones I didn't like. I could never get ito the v12's or stiffer reeds. I wasn't a "dark" tone type of person. Liked things clear and resolute. All of that plus the fact that missing a day of practice and all the sudden your embouchure is weak made me so discouraged. Now I just play keyboard and guitar in my spare time but sometimes I miss the joys of clarinet, particularly playing in an orchestra and chamber groups.
I usually use legere clarinet signature 2.5 with a pyne simfonía and Hite mouthpieces as well.
Excellent! Always great to hear what works for each person!
Are you a teacher here in California?
@@rolandoperdomo1955 yep! website: www.queenreed.com
I am a recorder player. I graduated from Santa Monica College in 2016. I had a little background learning the clarinet when I was living in another country back in 2002. I dedicated myself to play recorders from sopranino to tenor. I am very impressed about your degrees and education. I decided to learn the clarinet. I have been practicing it for 15 months already...
@@rolandoperdomo1955 Right ON! Keep at it!
Clarinettists often choose the reed that sounds good to them behind the instrument, and what is easier to play. So this is interesting; to me, your clarinet produced abundance of overtones and signing qualities across registers with Traditional reed. Other reeds had some inertia, emphasis, or 'colouring', which may work in some genres. Perhaps choose different reeds for different styles of music, rather than choosing just one, which seems "easier to play"?
Definitely! We want nuance for chamber settings and a little more projection and punch for big halls. And genre is an entirely separate conversation!
Traditional all the way !! It seems like you have more flexibility with the traditional reeds... but “where’s the beef?” The V-12 is it because I’ve noticed what you’ve noticed... however, v-21’s are too pudgy
Ha! Love the word pudgy to describe the V21s! :)
V12 has the most even sound from top to bottom.
yes, evenness is such a hard thing to accomplish, and any reed that helps us toward that end is a good reed!
The random V12 was the better, among the others
V12 super
This is what works for me. I perform on rico cause on my clarinet Rico has the best tone. It takes about 3 months for my regular vandoren to break in. Rico I. My opinion has the tome i want.
Neat!-- it's so important to go for the sound YOU want and YOU like!
Try playing these different Vandoren reeds on a very closed tip opening mouthpiece (1.03mm and less - down to 0.96mm) across all registers, and you will be able to pick the winner instantly.
Good point! -- all our reeds will behave differently on different mouthpieces. Mine is more open - B40 Lyre. If I want to play on a more closed-tip I'd have to move up a strength!
@@queenreed373 The strength does play a role with any tip opening. I was alluding to the 4 different Vandoren reed models. I find that the closed tip mouthpieces play best on the Traditional blue box reeds.
@@is02ub nice!!
V21s are way to bright for me. I usually play traditional. If you play on traditional 3.5 and wanna get like a 56 rue lepic, get a 3.5+ because a 3.5 is like a trad 3.
Blue box is harder than the V12; all 10 V12a were good, but only 6 of the blue box..
Bit off topic, but what kind of barrel is that that you're using?
That's my Fobes barrel! It does a good job with that clarinet -- my vintage R13. But now I have a Prestige R13 and the stock barrel sounds a teeny bit better than the Fobes on it.
This is the Luyben ligature you use here?
Yes! I rotate back and forth between that Luyben and a Rovner most of the time!
Can you recall what strength were the reeds?
Pretty sure I was using 3's across the board. It's possible I had 3.5's but more likely 3s. Hope this helps!
@@queenreed373 Seem right strength numbers for the B40 lyre, that's what I wanted to check.
Which is reed is cleaner in the high range?
Great question - for me, they are all clean and pure in the high range, but the V21’s and the V12’s are both meatier, more substantial, and have a larger shape of sound up high for me. That goes hand in hand with the mouthpiece I use: Vandoren B40Lyre 13.
@@queenreed373 the problem is that i use a vandoren bd5 mouthpiece so our outcomes might be different lol
@@Brave_Aviator The BD5 is nice! I lose too much core in the sound when I use my BD5 - but I gain an evenness across the range with it. I can see what you mean about clean high notes - it is one of the reasons I don't use my BD5, there's a little gunk in the sound for me and I hear it up high.
Queen Reed I seem to get very good sound out of my bd5. Maybe because I’m used to it but my high notes are pretty good but right now I feel like the reed strength I’m using is too soft and that might be a problem with high range
@@Brave_Aviator yaaaasss! soft-ish reeds just won't do high notes well.
It’s not possible to judge that way when every reed in the box is different from each other. How about trying all 10, finding the best one or two, then comparing. That’s the way!
You make such a good point. It would be so wonderful (for my sanity and my wallet) if all 10 in a box were essentially equal! Vandoren is making synthetic reeds now - maybe that's the ticket?!