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<\/a><\/p>\nThe Rigotti Gold reeds are unique in that they come in 3 sub-levels of size within each half size.\u00a0 Up until recently, most reed companies had reeds that came in one number size per strength.\u00a0 So you\u00a0 might have a size 2 1\/2, size 3. size 3 1\/2, size 4, etc……..\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rigotti started using 3 sizes within each half number size which I think is a great idea.\u00a0 They have a 2 1\/2 light, 2 1\/2 medium, 2 1\/2 strong.\u00a0 Then they have a 3 light, 3 medium, 3 strong, then a\u00a0 3 1\/2 light, and so on.\u00a0 The reason I love this idea is that years ago, I would get so frustrated when I bought a box of size 3 reeds.\u00a0 Out of a box of 10, 4 would be too hard, 4 would be too soft and 2 would be exactly what I was looking for if I was lucky.\u00a0 With Rigotti’s 3 sub-level system they have now broken down the reeds into those light, medium and stronger reeds that were all mixed in the same box before.\u00a0 I love this,\u00a0 as now I feel like I can really pinpoint the exact strength I’m looking for for each mouthpiece I review.<\/p>\n
For this post today, I’m testing out 6 Rigotti Gold reeds in the 2 1\/2 to 3 size range.\u00a0 This is by no means a wide range of reed strengths, but I thought it would be interesting to hear\u00a0 if and how some elements might change as the hardness of the reed changes.\u00a0 These were all brand new reeds that I took out of the box and I did feel like the strength increased as I went up in reed size. (although the 3 light felt softer than I thought it would be as I came from the 2 1\/2 strong……).<\/p>\n
When you listen to the clips see if you can hear any differences:<\/p>\n
-Is the tone brighter or darker?<\/p>\n
-Is the tone richer, fuller, or thinner, shallower?<\/p>\n
-Does the articulation sound different?<\/p>\n
-Do the low notes change in tone color or articulation?<\/p>\n
-Do the high notes sound brighter, thinner,thicker,etc……?<\/p>\n
-Are there difference in volume?<\/p>\n
-How does the middle D range of the instrument sound in the different clips?<\/p>\n
These are all questions I think of when I am testing out different reed strengths with a mouthpiece.\u00a0Here are some of my basic findings when comparing softer reeds to the harder reeds in general:<\/p>\n
-Softer reeds speak easier but sometime are too bright or “blatty” sounding.\u00a0 They can sound big and full but the tone might not have as much character or depth compared to the sound of a harder reed.\u00a0 If the reed is too soft it might not give you enough resistance to blow against.\u00a0 It will go from 0-100% with very little effort. Once at 100% volume it might be hard to push it any further and the reed might even close up if it is really soft.\u00a0 Because the reed is soft is can be easily manipulated. A little bit of pressure and it goes sharp, ease off on the pressure and the tone bends down. This can be great if you want and need to manipulate your intonation or be expressive but it can be bad if you don’t have a steady and solid embouchure or a solid center of intonation (you don’t know if you are sharp or flat).\u00a0 Vibrato can be expressive and easy to manipulate.\u00a0 Subtones can be gorgeous!<\/p>\n
-Harder reeds can be harder to articulate and even stuffy if too hard. The middle D range of the horn can sometimes become more muted and nasally to my ears. The tone can sound richer and have more character. You can usually get more volume out of a harder reed but it takes more effort.\u00a0 The low notes can be harder to produce and require more support.\u00a0 If the reed is much too hard you might get an “airy” tone that feels stuffy and hard to play.<\/p>\n
Obviously, what you or I want between these two descriptions is a middle ground. I’m always looking for that “happy medium” where I can get the best of both worlds.\u00a0 I consider all the reeds I am trying today to be in that “happy medium” range for me although there are subtle differences between them and I would consider some better than the others for this mouthpiece.\u00a0 If I tried this experiment with a size 1,2,3,4,5 I think you would more easily hear the extremes between the reed sizes but even with these closer sizes I think you will be able to hear some differences.<\/p>\n
Checkout the clips below for yourself and let me know what if any differences you can hear in the clips.\u00a0 I put some of my own observations below. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thanks,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Steve<\/p>\n
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