Trying out 40+ Year Old Vintage Vandoren Clarinet Reeds!

[@philipmay3548]

Interesting video. I love the sound on the older Vandoren reeds. I was in high school and college in the 1980s, and I always felt that the quality of Vandoren dropped in the mid 80s, when they started putting the strength numbers on the back of the reeds. Something changed. Fortunately, my teacher was a symphony musician who had a large supply of reeds, so I was able to play the plastic boxes for many more years. Several years ago, I bought about 100 boxes of Vandoren #5 from the 70s and 80s from the widow of a symphony clarinetist. I bring them out for special occasions, or sometimes gift a box for a friend. They sound and play great. As for the sponge, they're falling apart in most of the boxes. The sponges held together quite well back in the day, but they degrade over time.

[@billducker7404]

Thank you for your videos they bring back some nostalgia for me. I started using VanDoren reeds in the 1950s that is when you could get them because it wasn't that long after the war and I believe a lot of the reed fields were destroyed. As a boy I also used Selmer reeds as they were much easier to obtain in the North of England where I grew up. Vandoren reeds when you could get them came in boxes of 20. My teacher the late James Joseph principal clarinet of the Northern Sinfonia Orchestra told me of some of the great players who used to buy Vandoren reeds and empty the cardboard boxes that they were in into cigar boxes and stored them in their attic in their house for up to 10 years for them to mature. When the plastic boxes of 10 came into being probably in the 70s? Sometimes I would find some reeds that were partially green and not golden yellow. Most reeds needed adjusting. On the weapons of choice where a one sided razor blade and perhaps some fine sandpaper! Since the flow packs came in and the reeds were individually sealed the reeds are so much better. Very rarely get a bad one. They used to be an urban legend that One good Reed was sent to Britain with nine Dud ones. When I said I travel to different countries they say the same thing about their nation and I think even the French say they send nine good ones to the other nations. Yes it's an urban legend. Have you seen any different race but I still favour VanDoren I think the work is fantastic and although I was primarily a blue box player I welcome all the other different cuts. Yes the world is getting worse but these read seem to be getting better. Personally I hope that VanDoren doesn't get into the plastic Reed and concentrate on their traditional natural cane reeds. They of course make excellent mouthpieces and ligatures. Long may they prosper! Once again thank you for your terrific videos which I have enjoyed during this lockdown or is it lock up?! - God bless you and yours - - Bill - UK

[@ParkHouseCreations]

Thank you for the kind words! I always appreciate your comments and stories Bill! I have certainly heard the “9 reeds are duds” urban legend, it always cracks me up! But I think you’re right, the reeds are good, and I’m sure they have only gotten better and more consistent over the years!

[@tuckerdogglass5383]

Thanks for the memories. I played thireed exclusively. The best reed ever..

[@ParkHouseCreations]

Thank you for watching!

[@partticle2222]

Vintage have more Robust, Defined-Focused character, in contrast to a §pred - out sOund of the modern ones Great Video on thi§!! Beautiful tone on the Vintage!!

[@ParkHouseCreations]

The sound on the vintage reeds definitely blew me away! Thank you for watching!

[@SergeUnplugged]

Great warm sound indeed

[@ParkHouseCreations]

Thanks Serge!

[@shedinjaspecter7626]

You sound SO good on the vintage reed!!!

[@ParkHouseCreations]

Thanks!! I definitely wasn’t expecting them to play as well as they did at all!

[@ericpapaclarinet]

Wonderful video! It's really interesting to listen to vintage equipment and see how it compares to modern equipment.

[@ParkHouseCreations]

Thanks! I totally agree, especially since there is, at times, so much reverie associated with older equipment. It’s nice to get to experience it for one’s self!

[@russelljazzbeck]

Looking forward to you hitting 1k!

[@ParkHouseCreations]

I’m looking forward to it as well! I want to open those reeds!!

[@aga_jeszcze_zywa515]

wow, that vintage reeds sounded so good

[@ParkHouseCreations]

Ya, I was shocked too!

[@CapnCheapo]

I also noticed the sponge had disintegrated and stained the reeds on the top. It might just be the luck of the draw, but the stained reeds don’t seem to play as welll.

[@ParkHouseCreations]

Interesting! Honestly I have no idea if the reed I picked at random had been sitting with the sponge on it, but I will definitely pay attention to that when I open the second box!

[@liehan3932]

wow!!it sounds really good

[@ParkHouseCreations]

Thank you!!

[@junnansun9653]

My goodness, strength 5!!!!!! Eggs shaker percussion box and no plastics, can we please have this packaging back?! The cane looks well seasoned 🤣

[@junnansun9653]

Btw you sound incredible on these!

[@ParkHouseCreations]

Haha thanks Junnan! It’s incredible that the reeds even survived this long in that packaging. And I was definitely surprised by the sound!

[@johnhodgson5313]

I was looking at some 20 year old reeds today and wondering if reeds go rotten or spoil some how. It seems they outlast plastic foam! Thanks for doing the viedeo

[@ParkHouseCreations]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jimis3167]

So, If someone plays number 3 modern blue box, should go for 3.5 vintage. Do V12s exist in vintage boxes?

[@ParkHouseCreations]

I’m not sure if there is a direct comparison to other strengths. Maybe vintage 4s would be closer to modern 3s. But there are a lot of variables so I honestly do not know. V12s were released sometime in the 90s. So while you can find vintage boxes, they aren’t as old as some vintage blue box reeds!

[@jimis3167]

@@ParkHouseCreations So, probably old boxes V12s also won't have much difference in playing to the modern V12s? I didn't expect that much difference in old vs new blue box!! Really number 4 vintage equals modern number 3? Interesting!

[@jimis3167]

By the way, your playing with the vintage reed seems more ideal than with the new one. How long did they last?

[@ParkHouseCreations]

I do not know if 4 old equals 3 new. I could be entirely wrong! It is just my guess since 5 strength old seems about equivalent to 3.5 new. I do not think the difference between old V12s and modern ones would be nearly as big in regards to potential strength differences. I did not play on these reeds much past this video, so I unfortunately can’t tell you how long they would last.

[@jimis3167]

@@ParkHouseCreations Why you didn't keep playing them? It's because you prefer V12? In case you prefer traditionals, vintage sounded so much better than moderns!! Very effortless and colorful sound!

[@robwom2822]

What was that song

[@davideichler5105]

You only played one vintage reed in the video. Are telling us that that reed was pretty representative of many of the reeds in that same box that you tried?

[@DocCSE]

I have 4 or 5 boxes from the late 60's and early 70's that I had opened and played the ones that worked . These were the duds that I did not have time to adjust. I also have 10 boxes of original Morre's that I purchased from my teacher, Joe Allard, for $5 per box (late 60's early 70's). In the 1980's I was driving through Farrell, PA. where Marks Music was located (they were the importers of Morre reeds in the US, and where Marcellus purchased his reeds), by that time the original owner Karl Marks had died and his son was running the business. I went in to see if they had any more of the Morre reeds. He had a small cache in a vault and I paid $45 for one box! They are beautiful reeds made in Austria, but quite hard. Almost all require adjustments. The NY Philharmonic is currently running a series on KZbin entitled "What's in my case". The oboist has made the most recent. In it she stated that her favorite reed making cane is from 1984. A friend who was a student of Ronald Roseman in NYC, was told to purchase cane when there were particularly good wine vintages since the growing conditions are similar. He would do that and put away the cane for future use. I enjoy listening to your tone and your fluid technique. I have subscribed to your channel.

[@ParkHouseCreations]

Hey DocCSE, thank you for subscribing and the kind words! I enjoyed your story, I never had a chance to try the old Morre reeds, but they are certainly legendary! (As is Joe Allard!) I have a mix of vintage tube cane from around that time as well! At some point I need to do a reed making video!

[@Jeb251]

death by reed

[@ParkHouseCreations]

Hah!

[@businessemail9250]

Cons of this video: Says the word "Vintage" way too much after stating these are Vintage Reeds at the beginning. States plastic are harmful from said "vintage" box of reeds. Makes bad joke about reeds smelling of shag carpet (that is not shag carpet shown btw) and bellbottom jeans. Pros of this video: Hides his lisp very well. His parents must be proud of his speech therapist. Knows is reeds. Keep up the dumb jokes and great channel. Very informative.

[@ParkHouseCreations]

Thanks for watching! I just opened the box from 1966, I think I say “vintage” less in that video lol (no promises though!)