Jones Double Reed Products JR101MS Oboe Reed; Medium Soft

Good product , nice seller

My daughter has only bennllaying for a year, but said this reed was great and easier for her to get the notes in tune versus the plastic one that cost four times the price…but she’s new…sooooo who knows.

Jones has apparently perfected the art of making oboe reeds using modern machine technology to product the Jones 101 and 101 A (Artist) reed models in three strengths (medium-soft, medium, and medium-hard). I have purchased 17 model 101 reeds (also known as the “red” series because of their red strings) the past year (I play a lot so wear out a lot of reeds). This was my first order of five of the medium-hard 101 reeds. I expected them to be much harder to play, but they were as easy to play as the Jones 101 medium reed. The medium-hard reeds play louder, which I like for my church work in a very large sanctuary (seats 1000), loud organ, and large choir. I have also purchased about 10 of the Jones 101A Artist series reeds (the “purple” series with purple strings), which are initially machine-made but then hand-shaved and tested with a top professional Loree oboe before shipping. The Jones 101 “red” reed is actually a bit brighter than the Jones 101A Artist reed and carries amazingly well. However, the 101A Artist reed is definitely “sweeter” and more mellow and would blend better in a chamber ensemble. Jones reeds in both series have fantastically accurate tuning in all strengths. Regarding whether to use a medium or medium-hard reed (either the 101 or 101A Artist series), when I need to play very softly, I use a medium or even a medium-soft reed. When I play outdoors or in a large space, I use the Jones 101 medium-hard reed. The Jones 101 reeds seem more repeatable reed-to-reed (basically identical to each other) than the Jones 101A Artist reeds, since the 101A Artist reeds have the human hand involved in the final shaving step. Dollar for dollar, I find the machine-made Jones reeds (hand-tuned if you like the Artist series) to be the best-playing, best-sounding oboe reeds I have ever played. I suggest buying one each of the following Jones reed types to determine which one(s) play best for you: 101 medium-soft, 101 medium, 101 medium-hard, and also one each of the 101A medium-soft and 101A medium. I tried one 101AM medium-hard, but it was NOT playable without additional shaving (i.e., too hard out of the box to play). Each of the five 101 medium-hard “red” reeds I just bought play BEAUTIFULLY out of their boxes, they make a very joyous, bright, relatively loud tone, and best of all, my church’s music director loves their sound! And I love playing my oboe using a Jones reed!

If you have a student using store bought reeds these are just like the ones that all of our local music stores have been selling us. My daughter has been playing oboe for two years, going into her third year. She’s been playing on school instruments as we haven’t had enough money to buy her one of her own, of course she’d have to pick one of the more expensive harder to come by instruments! We have been told a lot that making her own is the best way to go, that any professional would make their own. However she’s a student and a teenager, and I don’t feel that she needs to be playing with sharp tools trying to make her own if she’s only learning and doesn’t own her own instrument.

We had been buying her reeds at various local music stores but it seems like the longer she’s been playing the harder it is to find the reeds. Last time all they had were plastic marching ones, and this time they didn’t even have a single one of any type. They know we buy them regularly (and I don’t know if we are the only one or if others are buying them to?) so I can’t fathom why they wouldn’t keep them in stock, at least in min quantities if they know we come in every couple of months for them.

We got desperate and my first place to look online was Amazon, I figure you can find everything here! Not only did we find the same brand we had been buying, but they are WAYYYYY cheaper too, and with Amazon Prime as a mom I can save myself time with the two day shipping and just get them on here from now on! Usually when she tells me it takes me a week or so to buy them at the stores anyways due to their hours and my working hours.I can use the two day and get them here before I have time to go in person!

I see a lot of negative reviews on here, and just keep in mine if your a pro you probably are not going to want these. However for a student these are great, and what they would get at their local store anyways! None of my local music stores sold or even knew where to hand made reeds!

I ordered 2 of these reeds and was pretty excited. When they came in though it was weird how they had packaged them. One was in great condition and put into a little cardboard box thing to keep it safe, but I was missing a reed? Well I had something else in that same order that came in just a bubble wrap yellow envelope. The second reed was with it? The reed case was smashed to pieces and the reed was messed up. It was still playable after I scraped it a little (there were extra piece or the reed hanging off and it wasn’t lined up at the top). If the other reed was packaged correctly with the other one if would probably been fine. The good reed however plays wonderfully an has a great tone quality!!

Great quality reed and was easy to break in . I would definitely recommend and buy this reed again.😁