Sadly I bought two of these reeds and both are not performing as I wished. One reed is already out of alignment and is splitting, although I have only used it three or four times. I have had problems with response despite soaking the reeds thoroughly before use. I completed the questionnaire in order to select a reed but on this occasion it has not worked for me. I am not a professional player but do play regularly with an amateur Orchestra. This is a lot of money to have spent to end up with two reeds which are not working as they should.