Reeds Gonzalez Tenor Reeds - bad experience.

[TomMapfumo]

Hi there!

Having done a bit of research I decided to give the Gonzalez reeds a go. They are promoted on their website with high levels of playability
('10/10') and the high quality of manufacture.

A box of Tenor reeds (5) duly arrived - 2 strength - and were all prepared in the same manner and played on the same set-up. What a disappointment!! 2 were very hard and quite unplayable, 1 was quite hard and just about manageable, the final 2 were pretty good and softer still. In my experience, if the last 2 were equivalent to RJS 2M's, then 1 was RJS 2H's, and the other 2 were nearer to RJS 3S's.

If all the reeds were of roughly similar strength, or the odd one seemed poor I can understand it, but it felt like I'd been given a selection box of
different strength reeds - NOT 10/10 quality. I have emailed the company to say that I am not impressed. I think that 60% playability is very poor (my worst ever experience - so far!)

Has anybody any experience of Gonzalez reeds to compare?
Given they promote their high standards it seems that they are taking the P@%S.

Kind regards
Tom

 

[Smiffy]

Sorry to hear that Tom, Try the Hemke' s you will love them 😉

Not good to have only half a box and find them the same as RJS

 

[mfox]

try superials..work straight out of the tin..i've played for 25 years and they are the best around at the moment.. not cheap though

 

[TomMapfumo]

Hi there!

Don't get me wrong - my favourite reed on Tenor at the moment is the RJS 2M. I have some LaVoz MS's which are pretty good (some poor quality). I often use Superial DC's on Alto, as well as RJS 2M's and 2H's.

I fancied trying the Gonzalez as they seem well thought of and I was happy to support a firm from Argentina. It's just I was unimpressed by the failure to live up to the 10/10 claim as advertised on their website.

However thanks for trying to resolve my situation, even if there isn't one to resolve. I'll just stock up on RJS 2M's

Kind Regards as always
Tom 8)

 

[Jules]

TomMapfumo wrote:


I think that 60% playability is very poor (my worst ever experience - so far!

You've got off lightly!!!!

 

[TomMapfumo]

Hi nachoman!

Just to clarify - was that a specific comment on Gonzalez reeds, or just reeds in general? It was certainly the high playability claim that led me to try Gzz's in the first place. My experience with RJS's has been very good so far, better than Vandoren, say. Marca has been fine and Superials also.

I'll just stick to RJS's and get on with it. Tenor search now officially ended - V16 metal T77/Optimum lig/RJS 2M's as top set up (for a while, at least!).

Kind regards
Tom 8)

 

[Jules]

reeds in general.... I once hit a100% reject rate on a box of reeds (in the middle of a festival site.. Argh!!

 

[littleplum]

I have just had a similar problem with Gonzales. I have been using Gonzales 2.75 on Alto for about a year, but I had difficulty in getting that strength. So I placed an order and joined the waiting list. My order of 5 boxes eventually arrived and every one is like playing a surfboard!! I have soaked,scraped and sanded and they are not getting any better.

Is it a duff crop? I am using V16's now.

 

[TomMapfumo]

Hi Littleplum!

Playing like surfboards is an apt description indeed. It may well be a duff crop, given that. Mine were dated 2003 from what I recall. V16's are my back up, but prefer the RJS's sound. I should try V16's with a V16 mouthpiece, though.

Kind regards
Tom

 

[Jules]

I've recently rediscovered V16s after about two years on various LaVoz and plasticovers... stuck a V16 on my berg larsen and it felt like being reacquainted with an old friend.... great reeds!

 

[mfox]

quality of reeds in my opinion (and my grandfathers, who was a bit of a star in his day) is just about the most inportant part about playing sax, it's the interface between you and the instument. there are stories abound about players like stan getz who could play on any reed even damaged, may be may be not, but for average joe shmo reed choice is paramount.

 

[Pjonah]

For what its worth I found La Voz to be the most inconsistant, Ricos generally pretty good and Vandorens to be near perfect.

 

[TomMapfumo]

Hi there!

Funny you should mention La Voz. I bought a box of 10 MS Tenor reeds, and of the four I've so far tried, only one plays very well, and two are poor.

Given that they are rated, by Rico's website, as the same as RJS 2M's only one plays similarly and they all feel roughly made - I'm at risk of getting splinters!

I'll have to try the remaining 6 to see whether they come good.

My top 3 currently is:

Rico Jazz Selects
Alexander DC's
Vandoren V16's

I have also a Bari* Soft synthetic reed for both Alto and Tenor, which are pretty good, and play straight from the box! I like the consistency
and they produce a dynamic buzzy sound. Still prefer cane, but at times there's not much in it.

Tom

 

[Rogerb]

TomMapfumo wrote:
Hi there!

Don't get me wrong - my favourite reed on Tenor at the moment is the RJS 2M. I have some LaVoz MS's which are pretty good (some poor quality). I often use Superial DC's on Alto, as well as RJS 2M's and 2H's.

I fancied trying the Gonzalez as they seem well thought of and I was happy to support a firm from Argentina. It's just I was unimpressed by the failure to live up to the 10/10 claim as advertised on their website.

However thanks for trying to resolve my situation, even if there isn't one to resolve. I'll just stock up on RJS 2M's

Kind Regards as always
Tom 8)

What Superial DC strength do you found about the same as 2M on RJS, Tom?

I use 2Ms and would like to experiment with DCs, but, at that price, don't wanna get the wrong strength!!

Thanks

 

[TomMapfumo]

Hi Roger!

I bought the DC 2.5 when I was playing RJS 2H's and V16 2.5's on my Super Session E Alto, for an experiment. My initial impressions were that they sounded good, but were too soft on the tip and left them. Post transplant in May 2008 I found I did not have enough puff to drive the others so got the DC's back out. I prepared them according to the Alexander website guidelines and they are now without the soft tip problem and blew comfortably. They are my current reed of choice, alternating with 2M's which I also bought. I would say that they are very close in strength (2M = DC 2.5) at least on Alto.

It does seem virtually impossible to find a reed strength comparison chart that features the Alexander Superials, but given my very limited experience I would say that the DC's are slightly softer than Java's if you are looking at such charts.
So try a 2.5 IMHO, and you'll be close enough, and prepare them in the Alexander way.

Kind regards
Tom

 

[Rogerb]

Thanks, Tom....it would be an expensive mistake to get the strength wrong, although one can never be sure they will suit you anyway.