Reeds Plus

In an effort for full disclosure this is not a review but an overview of an idea I had and finally I am going to give it a go. Read on and tell me what you think. If this works I will be able to use the proceeds to keep getting more albums and equipment to review.

I have long wondered why reed manufacturers didn’t offer the musician a means of trying different reeds on their setups. Then it dawned on me, greed. By not offering “variety packs” or mixed reed packs there is only two ways to experiment. The first is to go down to your local mom and pop music shop and open a few boxes, if they let you, and buy individually or the other option is to buy a box of each type of reed that you want to try. For most the option of buying a box of each type of reed that you want to experiment with is prohibitively expensive. There are over 20 reed varieties produced by more than 5 reed manufacturers excluding Chinese produced reeds. Buying a box of each could set you back hundreds of dollars.

Inspired by this I felt I could help horn players find the reeds that worked for them at an affordable price. What did I do? I created Reeds Plus Inc.. Idea is to bundle individual reeds which share a common traits and strengths and offer them to the  consumer. How does it work? For example, Rico produces many types of reeds but there are some that share a common trait but brings a different color palate. The unfiled reeds make for excellent reeds with punch so our first bundle will be: La Voz, Rico Orange Box, Select Jazz Unfiled. Each manufacturer will have it’s own bundle matched in strength.

I will start by offering reeds for tenor but will quickly move to bari and alto. With demand I hope to expand. as you can see below here is the first unit ready to go. The reeds are prepped and attached to a info card which has a description of the individual reeds.  Here is the process I use for preparation:

Reed Prep Process 
Boxes are opened in a clean lint free environment while wearing latex free gloves
A quick visual scan for nicks, chips, splits, and worm holes are done
The reeds are then slid into bags and quickly sealed
If the reed is factory packaged in individual foil packs they skip the previous step
The reeds are then cataloged and stored away from sunlight
When an order is placed the reeds are attached to their order card and prepped for shipping.

The website will be up as soon as I pick a hosting company but in the mean time check out my ebay auction.  As I add stock I will be releasing additional packs. Next up is unfiled (3.0, 3.5) Filed (2.5, 3.0, 3.5). Let me know what you think.
Reeds Plus Home Page

*** UPDATE ***
The business and site is now down but it has been a roller coaster ride. A new venture will take its place very soon.