D'Addario Organic Reserve Classic Bb Clarinet Reeds

Note: These are priced per reed. One of 'em. (Not a box. Though you're welcome to buy 10 of them, and I may just throw in the box for free)

Here's a fun bit of music industry history: In 2004, Rico was up for sale. D'Addario — who had been the North American distributor for Vandoren since 1986 — invited Vandoren to partner with them on the purchase. Vandoren said no thanks, and in 2004 Dansr was formed to become Vandoren's distributor in the US. Now they're Hatfields and McCoys. 

So D'Addario bought Rico on their own. And then they poured money into it: new equipment, digital manufacturing, tighter tolerances, sustainable farming practices on the cane plantations they acquired in France and Argentina. The orange box Rico reeds stayed orange (because tradition), but everything under the hood got a serious upgrade.

Twenty years later, here we are. The Reserve Classic is the "V12" of the D'Addario line — thicker blank, more cane to work with. Here's the weird part: D'Addario says the Classic runs a quarter to half-strength softer than the regular Reserve. And they're right — it does. Which is the opposite of Vandoren, where the V12 feels harder than the Traditional. Go figure.

Same story as the rest of the Organic line: some are a little stuffy out of the box, but a little break-in time and a polishing cloth and you're there. Consistent strength-to-strength, not too much roulette.

If you're a V12 player looking to experiment, start here.