I am a bassoonist that has been making bassoon reeds for 17 yrs now, and I am shocked that Jones still manages to stay in business. Sure, it may be a cheap reed, but remember, you get what you pay for. The reeds are often unbalanced, the wires are loose, the blades of the reed shift very easily. If you're a beginning bassoonist and you're looking for a good reed, look elsewhere -- a bassoonist will only play as well as their reed allows them to, and Jones reeds will only hold you back.If you have no other alternatives locally, then I'd suggest finding a quality, reputable reedmaker online, because these reeds are simply poorly constructed.