About a month ago, I received a Rico Reed Vitalizer Case in the mail. I had given the folks at Rico Reeds some feedback about one of their products and they sent the case as a thank you gift for my input.
For a long time now, I have been a throw-the-reed-on-the-mouthpiece-and-leave-it-there-kind-of-guy. I decided to give this reed case a try to see what would happen.
Based on my experiences over the last month, here’s a description of some pros and cons.
Pros:
- The case can hold up to 8 reeds and there are numbered slots to help keep track of them.
- The case can hold any size reed from Eb clarinet to baritone saxophone.
- The design is compact and would easily fit in just about any case.
- The humidity pack that goes in the case has kept my reeds in good playable condition. I just wet them a little bit and I’m ready to go.
- None of the reeds I’ve kept in the case have warped at all.
- The case comes with stickers to help keep up with which reed case goes with which instrument.
Cons:
- The numbers for each slot are the same color (black) as the rest of the case and can be hard to see especially in low light (backstage/onstage) situations. I will probably use my label maker to make some stickers that have some contrast.
- The spot on the case for the instrument sticker is on the bottom. I would prefer it to be on the top, but that’s not a big deal. If you only play one instrument, it wouldn’t be a problem at all.
- Having this case means that you’ll have to regularly purchase the humidity packets (Reed Vitalizer Packs). They recommend changing them every 45-60 days. It would be a yearly expense of probably $35-$45 depending on where you buy the packs.
Having put that all out there, I can tell you that I would definitely recommend the Rico Reed Vitalizer Case to anyone looking for a reed storage solution. My reeds have been in better condition and have all lasted much longer than they previously did. I was a little put off at first with the idea of having to buy humidity packs on a regular basis, but it looks like keeping my reeds in this case will actually save me money in the long term.
I am using one case now for my tenor reeds and I just bought another one to use for bari and bass clarinet reeds. Thanks for putting out a great product Rico!
DISCLAIMER: I am not a Rico Reeds Artist and do not have any affiliation with them.