Reeds D'Addario Select Jazz Reeds

[SaxDon]

I've just opened and played through a new box of 10 Select Jazz (filed) alto reeds and I have to say it is the best box of reeds I've played. Other than wetting I would rather not spend too much time messing with reeds so to find 10 cane reeds which play almost exactly the same (in terms of strength and response top to bottom) out of the box excites me (yes, I know I'm sad 🙂 !).

I've been playing Rico Jazz Selects that I bought from a local dealer that were years old for 50p each (along with a load of other newer reeds from Vandoren. I joked that they were 'vintage' reeds and should have been priced at a tenner each!. He said I should work in music retail!!! Anyway they have been my reed of choice (albeit with more variation reed to reed) on alto. These must have been pre 2011 before D'Addario took over, changed machinery, started using 'Reserve' cane etc. I now get the same response from the best of those reeds but now can get a box of 10 like that. I'm chuffed to bits!

With their new mouthpieces and updated reeds I'm really impressed with D'Addario.

 

[Colin the Bear]

I think you've made a big mistake. It clearly states in the top left corner of the box that they will be too stiff for you. 😉

 

[DavidUK]

So, do we know if these are identical to RJS? And do they come in soft, medium, hard, and filed or unfilled?
Maybe help us with a link Don? (no, not an Otto).

 

[Andrew Sanders]

Their guitar strings are pretty good too.

 

[SaxDon]

So, do we know if these are identical to RJS? And do they come in soft, medium, hard, and filed or unfilled?
Maybe help us with a link Don? (no, not an Otto).

http://www.woodwinds.daddario.com/w...ductid=95&productname=Select_Jazz_Filed_Reeds

They play very much like the best RJS I've played in the past (I used them heavily between 1999-2005) but even more consistent in cane quality if this box is anything to go by (and they weren't that bad to start with). They come in third strengths and filed/unfiled as before.

 

[SaxDon]

I find the long vamps combined with the filed variant on these make the bottom end really easy to blow/subtone without sacrificing top end.

BTW this is the new rebranded box/reeds which are trickling through to the UK at the moment.

 

[SaxDon]

Here's a good comparison of the consistency of the old vs new cane.

 

[Colin the Bear]

I can't find anywhere selling them yet. Got some Vandoren blue and rico royals to be going on with. £32 for 5 baritone reeds. Well... they don't grow on trees do they... oh ...wait a minute.

 

[trimmy]

A trip to Curly is on the cards tomorrow, i presume they sell them as they sell the mpc

 

[DavidUK]

Here's a good comparison of the consistency of the old vs new cane.

View attachment 3788

But the lower ones are just RJS, not D'Addario Select Jazz.

 

[SaxDon]

A trip to Curly is on the cards tomorrow, i presume they sell them as they sell the mpc

Even if they haven't got the rebranded D'Addario box/reed the more recent Rico Jazz Selects use the same Reserve cane as above. I was lucky enough to get the new box through a source as I couldn't find it at any retailer in the UK!

 

[SaxDon]

But the lower ones are just RJS, not D'Addario Select Jazz.

Same cane David, just rebranded and repackaged recently, so will play the same.

 

[DavidUK]

I buy 5 RJS Alto reeds for £9.96 posted. That's pretty good I think. Will watch out for the new box.

 

[kevgermany]

So is it just rebranding? Rico has been owned by D'Addario for many years

 

[DavidUK]

This from Tom Bacon at D'Addario via email this morning:

"Hi David,
Thanks for getting in touch. The reeds are identical. The only thing that has changed is the packaging.
I have about 20 boxes of the old packaging in the warehouse, and the rest are all new. So I would imagine that Sheehans will probably get the new packaging by the time they place their next order.
Thanks, and best wishes,
Tom"

Sheehans are the retailer I referred to. They don't keep them in stock so it may take a week or so to ship them, but £9.96 posted is pretty good. That's 20% discount and free shipping for 5 or more reeds. NB, some of their alto reeds are wrongly priced at £3.99 (tenor price). Should be £2.69 (less discount for 5). I've told them and they're sorting it.

 

[SaxDon]

So is it just rebranding? Rico has been owned by D'Addario for many years

I think it's an effort to realign the brand. Rico Jazz Selects have been one of the best selling reeds for a long time so D'Addario were probably reticent to change the name when they took over from Rico.

 

[kevgermany]

Thanks for the updates. I'll never understand marketing/branding, and have no wish to. Just confuses me.

 

[Pauline]

Ordered alto Rico Jazz Select reeds from Reeds Direct and they sent me D'Addario reeds. Suspected they might be the same so was glad to find this thread.
Thanks guys!
( not tried them yet)

 

[DavidUK]

Ordered alto Rico Jazz Select reeds from Reeds Direct and they sent me D'Addario reeds. Suspected they might be the same so was glad to find this thread.
Thanks guys!
( not tried them yet)

Which did you choose? I'm favouring 2M filed, for alto, on the PPT 7.

 

[Pauline]

2M filed for my Alto PPT5
On tenor I use 2S filed for my PPT 7

I don't really know the difference between filed and un filed, I just stick with what I tried first.