Morré French Cut Clarinet Reeds - Singles

Note: These are priced per reed. One of ’em. Not a box.

Feel free to buy one reed, a few reeds, or mix strengths. I don’t charge a premium for breaking up the box.

Okay, here’s something I didn’t expect to find again in this lifetime: Morré reeds.

If you were playing clarinet in the 1980s, the name Morré probably means something to you. It was a French company making some of the best (German!) reeds available at the time: thick blanks, beautifully finished vamps and a dark, stable sound. That red cardboard box meant two things: "great reeds," and "I just spent a crap-ton of money." They were expensive (well, expensive for a 16 year old.)

Then, POOF! — the company went under, and the reeds disappeared.

Pilgerstorfer now makes a modern Morré French Cut in Austria. I wouldn’t call it an exact reproduction of a reed made forty years ago, but it has many of the qualities that made the original interesting.

The blank is still substantial at approximately 3mm thick, but the reed doesn’t feel heavy. It has a dark, velvety sound, clean articulation and a surprisingly flexible response. I especially like it for orchestral playing, where you want some weight in the sound without having to force every soft entrance.

What strength should I get?

In my experience, these feel about half-a-strength softer than Vandoren V12.

• Vandoren V12 3 → Morré 3.5
• Vandoren V12 3.5 → Morré 4
• etc.

If you’re unsure, buy the two most likely strengths and compare them. That’s another reason why I sell these individually!