Reeds…

[art dubois]

Are synthetic reeds worthwhile?? I cannot imagine that no one has yet come up with a better reed than the bamboo one….since I'm still getting that "nick" in every reed, every time I play (and then toss it away) I thought I might try the synthetic one…..suggestions/comments??

[john]

I used to use them many years ago but they never were better than a good cane reed. They have plastic cover and now several synthetic ones that won't nick on you, at least not as easily as a cane reed.
Some guys like them and use them and I get asked about it quite a bit and so wrote a little something on one of the most popular ones out there;
https://howtoplaysaxophone.org/legere-reeds

[art dubois]

Thanks, Johnny..I did follow the link and saw the vid on Legere – I probably did see it before, but at 65 years, sometimes one forgets!! LOL!
I will try the plastic-covered one – ordered thru Amazon.com today….
Art

[john]

You did the right thing Art, no matter what anyone says, the bottom line is you never really know until you try em out for yourself. I found the plastic covered ones respond better than the synthetic, they are after all cane under that thin coat of plastic. So with these you should get better response than pure plastic ones and they should last a lot longer than pure cane ones… hopefully you get the best of both worlds. Well, that was the intent with these anyway. Let us know how they work out for you.
cheers
Johnny

[art dubois]

Hehe – well, I’ve recd my Rico plastic-coated reeds – for the first few minutes I liked them…but soon found that I still nicked the same edge/corner as with the canes reeds, but quicker!! LOL!
Maybe I need to file down my teeth….;>))

[Tim56]

More reed info: I got Vandoren ZZ reeds today. I play, oh my gosh, synthetic reeds all the time. Fibracells and Legeres. They work well for me. The ZZ reeds were recommended by Johnny. They are of outstanding quality. I have not bought cane for over 2 years. The one I played worked very well. I played very softly because my wife had guests in the house and it did well. So, now I have some cane to play. Oh, I live at 6 thou feet altitude. Very dry and this is one reason I play syns.

[Tim56]

More info on the Vandoren ZZ reeds. Along with the cane that I have not played for over 2 years. I got a Saxxas Ligature. The one like Johnny uses. My teacher could not believe the sound difference. It costs, but it is well worth it! I still will play my Legeres and Fibracells. I live at 6 thousand feet. It’s dry. Cane is a problem here. I had a pro tell me that many guys he knows play syns a high altitudes. Dryness is a big factor. Hope this helps. Tim

[Naomi Tiscione]

No one ever told me to remove the reed before. I’ll try that.

And speaking of dryness, I think I know the answer to this, but I’ll save money if I am wrong, so I will ask. My Rico reeds are literally older than 20 years. I’ve been soaking them like crazy, and they seem okay, but maybe a little stiff. Although it has been so long since I picked up the saxophone, maybe I have forgotten, and they aren’t a little stiff.

I’ll order new ones if my old reeds are dead, but just in case, since I have 7 intact reeds, I thought I better ask.

[Anonymous]

i read somewhere, some people actually go round buying very very old reeds and prefer to play them!

[Dazza]

I went into town today and purchased a box of Vandoran java red 2 and and box of Rico jazz 21/2 just to try something different. I got them home and soaked them and started sampling. My new Meyer 5 m mp arrived as well and as soon as I tried a few of the Rico jazz I knew they weren’t going to work for me. Very stuffy and lacked sound. Tried it on my Yam 5c and the same. Great endorsement from the sales pro but no good for me ( at the moment).

The java red did give me the projection I was after. Pretty good tone and surprisingly when I whacked it on the STM OTTO LINK I was able to play it for the first time! I also have a Berg Larsen HR that I could only get squeaks out of like the OTTO and could play it from top to bottom. Still a bit challenging due to the more open tip on both of them but a good tone all the same. Definitely something to keep working on into the future with the metal link.

I guess I am still unsure on the Javas though. A bit of a rattle which I am still trying to work through but a fuller sound all the same.

It’s still a learning curve requiring experimentation but what stands out to me is the difference in sound between the Rico royal I was using and the new vandorans. I stayed away from the standard Vans because they were hard for me to play but could grow to like the reds.

Does anyone like the reds? I think Johnny you play the greens I read somewhere. Have these been your choice for a while now?

[Author]

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