| Location: Chandler, AZ (?) |
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| Web Site: cooperwrightreeds.com |
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Variant Reeds Sold: Unknown |
Site includes audio demos by the reedmaker
| Will not use again | Not so hot | OK | Pretty good | Great! | |
| TOTALS | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 30 |
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EH OD EH EH OD EH EH BO 
cokomo January 31, 2012: Lyn Davies I don’t know if the reed stock is different or what, but I have just purchased three reeds from Rush’s and the next day two of them were cracked.
geekygeek January 28, 2012: Jones Double Reed Products Good for beginners, and the medium soft is quite easily to blow on. Pretty durable and consistent. They’re good beginner reeds but the sound quality isn’t so fantastic. I use just a regular knife (even though you should buy a...
Billerbeck January 21, 2012: Billerbeck Oboe Reeds Thank you to many for your valuable feedback. It is much appreciated.
Anonymous January 14, 2012: SUGGESTION BOX Thank you so much for this site. I have a limited # of manufacturers where I lived, and they all sound bad( Jones, Emerald, Richards). Anyway, you could improve the collected ratings page by sepeating them by area(USA, Asia, Australia, Canada,... Anonymous January 14, 2012: The Reedmaker For me, these reeds are the best. I ordered three reeds from him and two of them were too hard, so I sent them back, and he scraped more and threw another one in! Every one of them were the best sounding reeds I have played so far, not that I have...
Peter VandeBurgt January 14, 2012: SUGGESTION BOX The link to my eBay site has changed; here’s the new link. Thanks for good work! http://www.ebay.ca/itm/2807606 26694?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:I T&_trksid=p3984.m1586.l264 9 Peter VandeBurgt January 14, 2012: SUGGESTION BOX http://www.ebay.ca/itm/2807606 26694?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:I T&_trksid=p3984.m1586.l264 9
Klezmer January 4, 2012: Reed Expression Normall have made my own for years, but do not have the time. I purchased 5 medium-soft German scrape reeds. I just adjusted them to my own chops and all five play very well. They respond easy and have very good intonation. I am trying a couple EH...Support open education with the Neoclassical Theme.
47 comments
Consistent, beautiful dark tone.
Summer months slow down, and since I am not taking DMA classes during the summer, I can open up non-subscription reeds to people who are curious. If you like them, great, you can order more before the school year starts, or add your name to the waiting list. Visit my site and send me a message if you would like to order for this limited time only.
I really liked Cooper’s reeds and he went out of his way to make sure I got what I needed. Sadly he is no longer accepting new clients.
4 out of 4 reeds I ordered and received were easy to play right out of the box and all 4 have excellent intonation high and low. I was very satisfied the first time ordereing from Cooper W: This second time I am even more satisfied! excellent reed quality A+
These are the only oboe reeds that I use! Cooper really can make a great reed. I usually get three at a time and they are so consistent that I can hardly tell the difference between them. Like others have said, they sound great right out of the box. I can always count on them for a great tone and accurate pitch. I definitely recommend these!
Cooper Wright reeds have excellent intonation right out of the shipping case, and, as I had requested a pretty light resistance reed, was very happy the reed was easy to blow. These reeds last a good long time before they start their meltdown. Having depleted my stash of good reeds and desparate to practice, I took out an old Cooper reed and it was still play-worthy- was just a bit more sensitive to my embouchure pressure. I just went ahead and ordered 4 reeds from him and am awaiting their arrival. Cooper is excellent to work with. He has been so successful w/ his reed making he has started a minimum of 4 reeds per order status. His reeds are such good quality I am more than willing to get 4 at one time. They will last a long time, as well.
Cooper is a great reedmaker. I made reeds daily for many years, and I don’t think I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing such good, trouble-free reeds.
I was in a real reed pinch about a month ago. Cooper came to the rescue with two beautiful reeds that played in tune and stayed in tune. I was able to perform without being worried about my reeds! Above all, he is easy to work with and takes the customer’s opinions seriously and respectfully. Give him a try!
I just received 3 reeds from Cooper, All 3 reeds are the best I have ever played on. All 3 have the same tone color and resistance. Way to go Cooper, glad I found you.
One more thing on Cooper. His customer service has been impeccable and he’s willing to go the extra mile to communicate with you about your specific reed needs. Visit his blog for “inside oboe” information and insights.
Cooper’s reeds are among the best I’ve purchased–one of them played well enough for a performance the day after I received it. I made my own reeds for more than 20 years, so it was tough to break down and admit I needed to buy them. The only constructive comment I’ll say it that the openings are a little closed. But with very minor adjustments, they play well. The smaller opening works really well with music I’m playing with lots of upper register sections. Some of it might be due to the fact that I tend to not open my embouchre up enough, or the fact that I only play once or twice a week. But overall, very pleased.
LAST CHANCE TO ORDER REEDS FOR IDRS 2010. If you wish to order reeds to pick up at Oklahoma, Please order immediately before my list fills up. Also, I will be closing shop to non-subscription orders in mid-August so if you’ve always wondered about my reeds, now is the last chance to try them without committing to a subscription.
Directed to Sandy and Alex Lopov: I’d be happy to discuss any issues you had with my reeds. Furthermore, if they are barely practiceable, I would have expected to receive an email stating this so that we could arrange replacements, as I offered Mr. Cushman below. If you would like to discuss any issues regarding the reeds, please feel free to email me. Meanwhile, I have no record in any of sales to anyone named Sandy or Sandra, nor Alex Lopov, so perhaps you might need to tell me the name you ordered under?
I order 4 reeds from Cooper a while ago and was surpirsed in that they were not of the quality I would have expected – certainly not concert worthy and barely satisfactory in regard to practice. However, I do enjoy reading Cooper’s blog and see that he is evolving his reed making techniques. I may try his reeds again in the future.
It is a shame that I have to write this. Cooper Wright is a swell guy who sells great reeds (other than the fact that their dynamic range is not too good) and who really, really tries for his clients. I have purchased several and was impressed by his reeds.
HOWEVER
His reeds do not last. They get tired and old very, very quickly. This has happened to all of the reeds I have purchased from him. For that reason, I have stopped purchasing his reeds for a while. I will try again later but for now, I have to look elsewhere. Alas.
Cooper noticed my review, and offered to send me some replacement reeds. (Talk about going the extra mile!) He mentioned that his reeds had changed a lot since the ones I had received and reviewed. The changes he credited to tips from Martin Schuring at Arizona State. Well I must say I like the new reeds much better. Cooper sent me four reeds of two widths, RDG 2 and Bloom X, and I prefer the wider RGD 2. But I find both widths, but particularly the RGD 2, more responsive than my first reed order, with a wider dynamic range and more pleasing tone. I’d give 4 stars now, but the server won’t let me give a star rating twice.
Cooper is one of 7 reed makers I’ve tried recently. With Cooper, I had the same excellent customer service that others have reported. Of course, I started by filling out his online questionnaire, but the remarkable thing was that he soon phoned me to further discuss my needs. However, I am sorry to say that the batch of 3 I got didn’t work for me. In 2 cases, I found the tone a bit thin and the dynamic range limited, and those 2 reeds also gave the sense of closing up with corresponding response problems. In contrast, the remaining reed was a bit wild pitchwise and ducky in tone. It is nevertheless clear that Coopers’ reeds do work for many, which demonstrates, I think, how individualistic reed tastes are. No reedmaker can appeal to all. I may also have failed to adequately communicate my wishes to Cooper. At any rate, I’m giving Cooper 3 stars as a compromise between my experience with his reeds and his excellent service.
Recently played some Nutcrackers on Cooper’s reeds. Made for a very statisfying and easy experience, unlike some other Nutcrackers I remember. I’ll probably be in touch to get some more of your fine reeds, Cooper–although I did make a really good reed myself recently, even on less than desirable cane. Perhaps you inspired me! Happy Holidays everyone and keep your Nutcrackers light.
So happy with my reeds. I do not make reeds at all and have bought from probably five different suppliers. Usually I’ll buy three at a time and one will be good. The other two will be OK. Playable in a pinch. I just tried Cooper Wright reeds for the first time and was amazed. All three reeds were great. Couldn’t believe it. I like how he has a questionnaire for you to fill out before your purchase so he knows what you’re looking for. I had a hard time articulating what I wanted but he really nailed it.
Gone are my days of trying reedmaker after reedmaker. I’ll be going to Cooper Wright from now on!
Cooper as a very unique approach to his reed business. He custom makes reeds just for you, based on information you give him. He has a talent for reedmaking. I urge everybody who buys reeds to try Cooper’s reeds. I will definitely refer other oboist in my university’s studio to Cooper Wright Reeds.
Excellent reeds made the way requested. Very attentive to needs of individual players. In fact, with the last 4 reeds that I received, I did not need to touch up at all.
The reeds were made to the specification I asked and are exactly as I required. Highly recommended
First off, Cooper is great to deal with and really listens to your needs. I found his reeds to be very consistent, centered and even in the handful that I ordered. Personally, I prefer a little more resistance in a reed to help in achieving a darker tone. However, being my first time ordering, I’m extremely pleased.
Cooper us an excellent reedmaker and very easy to work with. The reed I purchased came ready to play without any adjustments which wad wonderful considering the challenge he had of meeting my specific needs. It played the higher register beautifully with near perfect pitch and I was able to hit the low C effortlessly. Cooper corresponded with me several times to make sure that I was satisfied with the finished product. Great customer service! I will definitely be ordering again.
I would call myself an advanced amateur oboist – I play in a number of community orchestras and chamber groups. I usually make my own reeds and had never had a really good experience with purchased reeds. They were either substandard or required too much adjustment. I have been a regular reader of Cooper’s blog for some time, and when Cooper recently adopted a reed shape very similar to my own, I decided to purchase a few reeds from Cooper. The reeds are very textbook (a good thing, because it means Cooper is methodical and consistent) – in my case Cooper used a textbook Philly scrape – they are extremely well balanced and offer just the right amount of resistance (immediately playable, but not too scraped-in), and they are concert-ready. Cooper also offers a very high level of interactive service and stands behind his product. In short, I can’t imagine that better reeds are available on the market. I will continue to make my own reeds, but knowing that Cooper is out there as an additional source of reeds for those times when I’m in a reed slump or just don’t have the time (alas, oboeing is not my day job) will be a huge plus going forward.
Cooper makes reeds that have a dark, mellow tone for the entire range. I’ve never been able to play low B,C so easily but without any compromise in tone in higher notes. He has a good understanding of the needs of advanced amateurs. As an aside, Cooper happened to be in town visiting friends and made a “house call” for a minor adjustment on the first reed I purchased. What great service from a very nice guy!
Cooper’s reeds are fantastic. Iam a serious adult amateur player still actively taking lessons, playing in a number of different community venues and presently studying with Cooper. I continue to work on making my own reeds and am fortunate to have Cooper to help me with this. I have tried a number of different reed makers in the past and have found Cooper’s reeds to be the most consistently reliable for me . They are easy to play, stable and responsive with a beautiful sound. He is compulsive about each reed he produces being at its optimum before he is finished with it. In our conversations it is clear that he is committed to excellence, serious about his reputation as a reedmaker and very interested in customer satisfaction. You won’t be disappointed ordering reeds from Cooper.
I have ordered 3 Cooper Wright reeds and am very satisfied with them. They are easy to play, required little to no adjustment and sounded very nice. I have heard better forked F’s but such are the breaks. He is one of the two best reed makers I have tried. The other one has reliability issues, so that leaves me with Cooper Wright.
I am a band teacher- not an oboe player-I did take oboe lessons while in college. I have ordered reeds for my students from fox, La Voz, Emerald, etc. and also from 3 different individuals who hand make reeds. Cooper Wright’s are the best. The young lady that I ordered for is a freshmen in high school and was having problems with a very thin sound from high A on up. The notes above high C were extremely sharp.
I filled out the form that appears on his web sight telling him about the horn, the problems, and the girl. The reeds that he sent solved most of the problems, played right out of the box, pitch was right on, and sounded great.
I am going to reorder several more.
Thanks Cooper Wright .
Although this blog says “Real oboe players make their own,” I certainly consider myself a “real oboe player.” But I also have a “real job” in addition to freelancing, so sometime.. GASP… I just don’t have time.
Cooper’s reeds are great – he uses the same staple and shape as I do, so his reeds are a great addition to my case. They’re very well balanced, and scraped. Don’t be ashamed to try them, “real oboists!”
Cooper and I had several email conversations prior to my ordering reeds from him. He asked very good questions and I also told him about my playing quirks. I also filled out his very comprehensive questionnaire on his website. The reeds arrived and were wonderful. They were everything he said they would be – easy to play, responsive, great tone, etc. He also did a follow-up email with me to check on my satisfaction. The only change that I will request with my next order will be that the reeds be stiffer. Overall an excellent experience.
I just got two reeds from Cooper and am very pleased; will probably go a bit harder next time but that was my error; having had much harder “medium soft” reeds from another maker I again requested medium soft and that was what I got! Well made with good response into the higher register even for a soft reed; I will definitely use again
Cooper sent my comic partner and me several reeds last summer in exchange for making him posters for various recitals. All four of the reeds I received played as soon as I got them, 3 were responsive and easy to play, and 2 were fantastic without any alteration at all. The other two smartened up with some minor scraping. I played on them all summer (I was working too much to make my own, or even need more than those four for the amount of time I played) and they held up very well!
I found the sound was pleasant and quite dark, and they played easily, although they didn’t take quite the amount of air I am used to putting through my reeds. Overall, though, very good reeds!
Cooper has also given me fantastic advice on how to solve my own reed problems.
really fantastic reeds. i sually make my own, but i got inot a bind with our constantly changing weather in texas, and i ended up using a cooper wright reed in a solo contest. it only tookabout 5 minutes for me to adjust it to my liking(scrape heart and clip a little bit). great product for anyone in need of a reed!
Hands down, best reed i have ever ordered online. i was in a jam for my solo inwhich i was playing a very hard concerto, and withing 5 minutes of adjusting the reed, i was able to play everything i needed to with a great sound. great for any type of player. i am a senior in high school, and i usually make my own reedsw, but that week was not good here in texas…
Hands down, best reed i have ever ordered online. i was in a jam for my solo inwhich i was playing a very hard concerto, and withing 5 minutes of adjusting the reed, i was able to play everything i needed to with a great sound. great for any type of player. i am a senior in high school, and i usually make my own reedsw, but that week was not good here in texas…great stuff!
I bought three reeds from Cooper last fall, one of each strength. I found that the hardest one suited my needs perfectly. The first time I played it, I felt an immediate happiness. It is probably the best reed I’ve ever played, and it cost about half the price of similar reeds I’ve bought from other suppliers.
Mr Wright was very nice about having me return the reeds that I was not satisfied with. he asked me questions about how i played and my embochure, and sent new reeds to me that worked, pretty fast. kudos to Mr. Wright
I ordered three reeds and they were all barely playable, very soft, not a lot of response.
Dear me!
If you sent in your check 4 months ago and have not received them, by all means please contact me and I will be happy to send out reeds immediately and DOUBLE your order for free.
Sometimes folks send me emails about reed inquiries, and when I respond to them about sending payment first (either via paypal or check), I never hear from them again. Perhaps there was a breakdown in communication.
Best of wishes.
Cooper
I ordered a reed for my daughter and she and her teacher were thrilled with it. It was the first reed she’s tried that needed no adjustments. Very stable.
I ordered some reeds 4 months ago, and I still haven’t recieved them
. I haven;t even got an email or anything that said that they would be coming.
I found out about Cooper’s reeds from a student of mine who had been searching for a reed that would have a little more resistance to blow against and last a bit longer than the reeds that she was used to playing on. She tried some of Cooper’s reeds and really liked them and suggested that I try them to see what I thought. I ordered three and found them to be well made and played in tune at A=440. Like all other oboe reeds, each reed played differently. Two of them I innitially felt needed to be adjusted as they felt a little more open and a little more resistant than what I normally play, but one reed was just what I needed to play on for Beethoven’s 9th on an upcoming concert. I put the other two away for a time and at a later time pulled them out, soaked them up and got ready to adjust them. Surprisingly, I found them both to play wonderfully and didn’t need any adjustment. I had other students try these reeds and some have begun playing on them in addition to the reeds they normally use. I had told Cooper that I felt that some of his reeds feel slightly more open that I prefer. He suggested that I squeeze them down at the throat and if they still needed adjustment suggested where I scrape to achieve the desired effect. I found that by squeezing the reeds at the throat as he suggested fixed the problem and am finding them to play well now. They needed no other adjustment. They are reasonably priced which make them affordable. I’ve found Cooper’s reeds to be resonant but to have enough low overtones to give a dark and pleasant tone. I would recommend his reeds to others.
Cooper sent me an oboe reed last month which stands up wonderfully well to the paces I put it through. The first thing I did was play the opening part of La sandunga – son istmeno (from Oaxaca) & then the solos in Schubert’s Great Symphony in C. Couldn’t ask for more. The reed passed with flying colors. Highly recommended. Cooper is definitely a master of this difficult, painstaking & very labor-intensive art. A craftsman of the first water. Most commendable. I believe any oboist would be delighted with his reeds.
Hi Folks, I am a professional player who doesn’t have enough time to make all the reeds I use. (Full time job and two babies!!!) Cooper’s reeds are very high quality, professional Ameican style reeds. Cooper’s reeds enable me to play and practice, and free me up from a good deal of my reedmaking. They are well suited to my oboe and playing style, and are easy to adjust. I have spent some time with Cooper explaining what I want from a reed, and he has been very responsive in meeting my requests. Excellent!
I tried some of Cooper’s reeds a few months ago and found them to be average. They were well made, had dimensions that I thought were in the ballpark, but they lacked vibrancy and depth. This is my initial reaction and I have not tried them again. When I buy reeds I usually am on the look-out for how other players are “building” their reeds. Cooper sounds great at his site and this is one of the reasons I wanted to try them. But, as many of you know, it’s not always about the reed; rather how one is putting air into the reed and embouchure set-up are in some ways more critical to tone, etc.
I have had three batches of reeds from Coop in the last year, and all three have been very nice–but fair warning, each batch has been different from the others, since he is still in the process of refining his approach to reedmaking, which means that the reeds you order this time may be different from the ones you got last time. Regardless, they have all been very nice reeds, he takes the time to make sure they play well for *him* before he sends them along, I like them a lot, and they work well for me, an amateur adult.