need some help to determine whether the reeds i bought are duds (Beginner)

feis

Hello,

I am an adult beginner of a few months. I got a box of D'addario Reserve 3.0 with my clarinet, however I wanted to try something lighter and bought a box of Steuer Exclusive 2.5s, which according to their comparison chart, should be the same as D'addario Reserve 2.5s, so well softer than 3.0s.

The problem I have is, these actually feel a bit stiffer than the 3.0s I have been using before, and on top of that, I didn't find a single (to me at least) properly playble reed out of the box with these. Needless to say, I am a bit disappointed with my purchase, as I hoped for an easier and not more frustrating playing experience.

Right away, I noticed, these reeds feel very rough on the outside, like completely unfinished wood. The other thing I noticed was, compared to the reeds I have been using before, these reeds have somewhat uneven tips with tiny dents right out of the box (it was originally sealed though).
For me as a beginner, I have no way to judge if that's normal and fine, or if there is something wrong, so I attached a picture.
The ones on the right are the D'addario I have been using before and on the left (which says Made in France) are the Steuer ones. If you zoom in, you can see the dents I am talking about.

Upon reading up again on these reeds, I saw they actually say they are marketed towards professional musicians. I assumed that would mean superior quality, but I am confused because to my eye they seem very poor in quality. Does professional in this case mean, while these reeds are maybe made from superior raw materials, you are expected to have the tools and experience of a professional to make them playable, and not delivered in a 100% finished state?
 

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I've been playing for 50 years and have personally never heard of them. So maybe the pro bit is just marketing hype? And yes, you've been spoiled by the smooth finish of Reserve. Vandoren also have a very nice finish. To avoid throwing them away, you can sand them down a bit, which will smooth them out and soften them in one shot. But you need to do it properly so you don't ruin them. Give Vandoren a try next time.
 
When my kids started playing clarinet and sax I bought them some inexpensive .. I believe it was LaVoz reeds (though I could be mistaken as I only bought one box and I think I threw them out).

I tried one ... those things would have given me splinters in my lips if I tried playing for a long time on them. Seems like they did an initial grind to cut them to approximate shape but not a final grind to make them nice and smooth.
I immediately updated them to more premium student type reeds. Mitchell Laurie for clarinet and Hemke for sax.

But your reeds appear to have the same cost cutting (for profitability) as the one brand I had.
I've long learned, if you find something that works well (in reeds) then stick to it.
Trying various brands etc can be a daunting task as you'll spend a lot of money as the cut has dramatic impact on it's strength. You'll find more advanced players spending a lot of money on reeds to learn if they are better, the same or worse than what they are currently playing. It will only stop when one is tired of it.

The spine or heart up to the "Center of Resistance" (the part going in the middle) can be cut short and thin giving the reed an easy playability suitable for students or a quick play, but will get water logged quickly by experienced players or longer non-stop playing stints (think 10 minutes here). Where as longer spines gives the reed more strength for durability (and better tone generally). They may both have the same strength but ultimately the thicker and longer spine actually make the reed play harder.

And even smooth reed tip should coincide with the even left to right tip curve of the mouthpiece. If there is a gap you may have playing issues because of the reed.

There's a lot more to the cut of a reed too. Here's some more info ==>
 
Hey, thanks for the helpful responses!
I don't want to start fiddling around with my reeds just yet, as I at this beginner stage I think my time is better spent practicing my instrument than researching different reed adjustment tools and practicing how to use them (correct me if I am wrong). I think I will stick to the older reeds I have for now.

On the other hand, I understand a reed needs some time to break in, and just because the Steuer reeds don't play right out of the box how I'd want them to, perhaps doesn't have to mean they won't eventually.

I am still unsure however, if it is worth investing time and effort of breaking in into a reed that has a tip that looks comparatively uneven from the start. Or would you consider what I perceive as an uneven tip still as relatively normal in the broader picture of different reed manufacturers?
 
What I see from your picture for the Steuer reed tips is various arcs/curves (both symmetrical and not symmetrical) , the edge between the tip and reed side varies too from a point to a smoother curve. But then it also is just a picture.
It appears their multiple machines in various timeframes of needing adjustment / QC.

I have never bought nor seen the Steuer brand in-hand but you may just want to put them aside and stick with D'addario Reserve which seems to work for you except try 2.5 instead of 3.0 in hardness.
 
I recommend beginners start on 2.0.

Personally, I've played La Voz on sax since the early 70s and absolutely love them in spite of the relatively rough finish. My favorite clarinet reed is Vandoren. But I mostly play Legeres since I'm usually in a doubling situation which is easier on synthetic. I also don't really break in reeds. They either play well immediately or they don't. And the tip never follows the shape of my mouthpiece perfectly.

My local music store sells single Vandoren reeds. So in order to save in the long run since you haven't settled on a brand or strength yet, I recommend you try buying singles for now, hopefully with the guidance of a teacher. And stick with known brands like D'Addario and Vandoren.

Good luck. Hope you're able to salvage those reeds someday.
 
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