I have been waiting for a good synthetic reed for bass clarinet, and it is finally here. I read a review of the French Cut reeds for Tenor Sax and decided to try one on my bass clarinet. It sounds great! I have used it in performances with my band and it has worked out very well for me. I am very happy with it and have ordered more.
Great reed, a tad brighter than my Vandoren Blue Box 2.5s (I bought the 2.75 French Cut) so I might recommend moving up a half strength. Overall great!
I decided to try the French cut tenor reeds on my bass clarinet and I’m completely happy with the result. The altissimo is much easier to play and the intonation is much improved. I’m also getting a darker more centered tone quality all around.
First try with the new French Cut Tenor Reed. It will now be my primary tenor reed. So smooth and warm playing. Easily handles large jumps and plays the entire range so consistent.
This is my first ever non-cane reed. The ease of play surprised me. This reed opened up some really stuffy notes on a hundred year old instrument and allowed for a greater dynamic range. Looking forward to trying other cuts and strengths.