CARBEC Blue Line Organic 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)

CARBEC is an Italian company, working with French cane. I saw these guys on Instagram or something, and I thought, "sure, I'll bite." 

I've regretted many things I bought off Instagram, but this is not one of those things. 

These. Reeds. Rocked. My. World.

They were SUPER consistent — once I found my strength, I was finding 90% of the box exactly the same. And I loved the sound: definitely fuller/deeper, and less "reedy" than my usual V12. I could get a sound that I loved that was different from the sound that I've grown to love with my V12s. 

It's SO cool to discover that I could do this simply by changing my reed. (Yeah, I know: I'm late to the party. But most people I know who switch reeds are doing so because they don't like their current reed. Here, I like them differently but equally.)

What's with the blue strip on the vamp?

Yeah, I love these reeds, but I think the blue strip is dumb. What CARBEC says (on their packaging), is that it "reduces bad vibrations and improves the roundness of the sound". Bad vibrations??

I took the tape off, I guess I have more bad vibrations now. 

That silliness aside, YOU HAVE GOT TO TRY THESE. What will it hurt? You might just find another sound in that clarinet to fall in love with. 

Get one. Or two. Nothing to lose except a few bucks.

NOTE: These run about 1/4-strength harder than the Vandoren V12/V21/56 Rue — so in other words if you play a 3.5 Vandoren, the 3.5- CARBEC is probably what you want, etc. Also, there is no 3.0- or 2.5+, just in case you're wondering.