Classical Instrument Accessories > Lee Oskar Classical Instrument Accessories

Advantages: Exceptional tone quality.
Disadvantages: Can be hard to blow initially.

I have been using Vandoren reeds for the past seven years, since I changed clarinet teachers. My first teacher had started me on Rico reeds, and having no experience of clarinet playing did not know that better reeds were available. Since using Vandorens I have managed to improve my tone quality tremendously. I am sitting my grade 8 exam in a few months, most definitely using a Vandoren V12 reed (strenght 3). As with all reed brands, Vandorens ...
...have found that, even increasing strength by only half a unit at a time, changing strength can be a challenging time leading to sore lips and throats. I have also found that the strength and quality of individual reeds vary greatly. One reed may be easy to blow, or even over blow easily, while the next reed in the pack will take a week or too to wear in. I personally use the V12 variety of reeds offered by Vandoren and have started to use the Vandoren ... Read review

Advantages: Cheap
Disadvantages: Don't produce the Best tone in the World

...Rico. This review is about Rico Reeds, but it's hard to talk about them without giving some comparison with the main competitor, since your basic purchasing decision will be between these two brands. Here's what Vandoren say about their standard B flat Clarinet Reeds: "The most widely played Reeds in the professional world." And here's what Rico claim about their most similar product: "The world's most popular Reed." One thing you may be able ...
...in a box). From www.myatt.co.uk Rico Reeds cost £8.50 and Vandoren cost £11.00 From www.dawkes.co.uk Rico cost £6.25 and Vandoren cost £10.25 Rico are well ahead in the tasty price league, so why is it that all these professionals are choosing Vandoren? It really boils down to the sound that comes out when you blow, which to the professional is the only major issue. For us mere mortals though, there are another couple of points to consider- how ... Read review

Advantages: Very smooth sound
Disadvantages: None

After losing my previous mouthpiece in an accident, i can only comment well on the smooth sound i get with this mouthpiece. It has been very useful for getting to the high notes and allows a wide range of expressions i was not able to play before, this may have been down to me getting better at the instrument. It was very easy to break in and it is now moulded to my mouth perfectly, im sure the clarinet players out there will know of the common ...
...is very high quality and was expensive but well worth the money. Reeds fit beautifully with it and a high quality cork was used. I can only say that occasionally when my mouth is tired after playing for extended periods, it sometimes lets out a squeak, but this is a combination of reed, mouthpiece, and facial muscle tiredness. ... Read review

Advantages: extremely playable and very cheap
Disadvantages: horribly underrated

...you can get two rico reeds cheaper than two van doren reeds, and each rico will last as long as any other high-quality reed out there. the name does not hold the prestige of van doren's, in fact it invokes an opposite response when asked what type of reed you play on, but i would never switch from my ricos. when you play a lot, you're more likely to break your reed, and when that happens you don't want it to be an expensive reed that only just got ...
...potential to last as long as that same expensive product. i know over here for marching band the potential for a broken reed is high at every practice and every game, and almost all of us use ricos; same quality, not a big loss when you chip it during the run-on. ... Read review

Advantages: Good quality and reliable brand
Disadvantages: Can be more pricey

Play around with it in your hands. Is it a good weight? Is it symetrical with a good curvature? Give it a good blow. Put it right in your mouth. Does it feel good? As your lips curl around do you contact in the right places? Now for the cap. .......wondering what I am on about? Why, clarinet mouthpieces of course! If you are a beginner then unless you are in the extremely rare position of owning an instrument without a mouthpiece stick with the ...
...progress, as with reeds, and instruments, it is quality that counts. I have found vandoren reeds and mouthpieces to be about the best around for a good, but amateur player. I use a B45 mouthpiece and it took me right up to performance diploma level with my pair of Buffet R13s. However, there really is no hard and fast rule as to which mouthpiece you should go for and, in the absence of specific advice from a teacher I would go for a trusted name ... Read review