What brand of reeds do you guys use, and what size?? I prefer vandoren premium and vintage. I use a 3 1/2 and sometimes a 4.

Gonzalez....

go to www.daviecane.com for info

After you play them for a week and fully break them in, I bet they`ll be the best reeds you`ve ever had.

Bradley

i use size 3 vandoren V12. everyone else i know (no matter what brand of reed) uses a 3 1/2, but i have never been able to get a clear tone out of one

Vandoren V12`s have always worked best for me.
I use a 4 1/2 to a 5 and comments roll in from other clarinetists and alot of judges too about how beautiful my tone and intonation is. I think its all about finding the exact reed (and mouthpiece too!) for you. Everyone is different. You should also keep in mind that reeds sound different on different mouthpieces. So try them all out - find the best sound for you!

I would have to second on Davie cane reeds. I got some For Our Friends reeds about a year and a half ago and they certainly play better with age. When I am not playing FoF, I play on Vandoren V12s strength 3. Tonight I bought a 2.5 just to see if I should move down. I tried the new Vandoren reeds the 56 Rue Lepic. I think they are ok, but they are very inconsistant.

i have to disagree with you on the 56 rue lepics. i find them more consistant than the other vandoren brands, about the same consistency as mitchell lurie premiums. i personally use v12 4.5`s and am getting a great tone. the reed choice IS affected by mouthpiece, though, so if you are unable to get a clear sound out of a harder reed no matter how hard you try (sometimes it just takes time to get used to the new reed strenght) you might want to consider a mouthpiece with a more closed tip.

westlake, I must still stick by my original evaluation of the 56s. I know many people who have tried these reeds, and not many people I have spoken to care for these reeds. Albeit, each person will have their own opinions. For general playing, I would not even consider a reed that is that stiff. First and foremost, you will loose the flexibility that is needed in many passages. If you are using that hard of a reed and at the same time getting a warm, dark sound I would almost have to guess that you might instead be getting a dull sound, not a dark sound. What is the difference between the two? Dark sounds are what you would associate with the German style of playing. The resistance in this style of playing rests in the instrument and mouthpiece, rather than in the reed. Many American players will attempt to emulate this sound by going for a harder reed. The resistance should not rest in the reed. German players will typically play with a 2 or 2.5 strength reed. For American players, the same should be true, albeit most will prefer a brilliant sound. A dull sould does not project, neither does a bright sound. A brilliant sound will project, as well as a dark sound. With your setup containing the resistance in the reed, I would suspect you are playing with a dull sound. Yes, as stated in another post, you may have a very nice sound. But you may not be projecting as much as you could be by using a slightly more open mpc with softer reeds.

I agree with your analysis of dull vs. dark tone, but my personal experience has been that i get a very projecting (and hence, dark, not dull) sound with my new vandoren m15. My previous mpc was a selmer goldentone 3 and i was getting a rather dull and muffled sound with v12 #4`s, but since i began to use the m15 i have been able to play the harder reeds with clarity and projection. that`s just my $.02, though, feel free to disagree.

I am playing on Vandoren traditional size 4 reeds. I am going to switch to Vandoren V12 reeds, do I still get the same size as the traditional or not? And are there better and more usable reeds in the V12 box vs the traditional. Thanks.