Fibracell: comments ?

Hi All, I'm reading and hearing a lot about Fibracell reeds. What cane brand do they best compare to, and how does the grade scale compare to cane. Thanks db

For a given number, the tenor Fibracells seem a little stiffer than the corresponding Vandoren Java or Rico Jazz.

D, They have a strength comparison chart at http://www.fibracell.com/ Tom J.

Hi All, I'm reading and hearing a lot about Fibracell reeds. What cane brand do they best compare to, and how does the grade scale compare to cane. Thanks db

Fibracells are great. They were my pride and joy for a while. Especially since i was doing marching band and had no time anyway for reeds. There great reeds and are the best synthetic reeds i've known. I still use them for backup. But i switched back to java's and even more recently switched to v16's. I can really lean on the v16. Plus they have the brightness of the javas, which is why i liked the javas, but seem to be more rich in sound than anything i've tried.But the difference in sound between a great fibracell and a great v16 can probably not be heard to an untrained ear. The player notices the playability more than the sound difference, but the sound difference is still there i think. They tend to be a little harder than the regular streangth. I'm usin v16 on the alto, fibracell on the tenor (goin on 6 months now) and i'm a happy guy. They're both great reeds. Use what makes YOU work.

-Brian