Can YOU Tell The Difference? Légère vs. Vandoren (Part 1 Sop/Alto) [
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- Опубліковано 31 лип 2024
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This is part 1 of my comparison play test between synthetic Légère reeds and traditional cane Vandoren reeds and it covers soprano and alto sax. I save you a lot of money and effort by doing all the testing for you - all you have to do is listen and see which reed YOU prefer! I test Vandoren Java Red cane reeds against Légère Signature and Légère American Cut.
🎬Part 2 video (tenor/bari)
• Can YOU Tell The Diffe...
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• Gear
Chapters
0:00 intro
0:41 about the video
1:16 free masterclass
1:39 the test conditions
4:26 Soprano reed comparison
5:01 Sop G Scale
5:22 Sop Somewhere Over The Rainbow
5:52 Sop Branford
6:39 Sop Results
7:44 Sop extra test
8:47 Alto reed comparison
9:54 Alto G Scale
10:14 Alto Somewhere Over The Rainbow
10:44 Alto Baker Street
11:25 Alto Ornithology
12:04 Alto Results
13:57 Summary
14:22 sign off
14:46 bloopers and end music
Get Your Sax Together is a fun and informative channel, packed with free online saxophone lessons. My name’s Jamie Anderson and I’ve been a pro saxophonist since 1996. I release new content every Sunday at 7am UK so you can Sax Up Your Sunday! Please subscribe and click the bell icon 🔔 (set to ALL) to get notified when new content is released. Practice hard, practice smart and enjoy your music! Jamie 🎷
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As a keen hobbyist. I play everyday. I use a Legere Signature and have done for the past 2 years on my tenor Yamaha YTS82Z. I love these reeds. They sound great and are consistent. I have saved so much money by not needing to continually purchase new cane reeds. Not all cane reeds in the box perform well which used to pain me. I am a convert forever. Thanks for the video Jamie. I confess I failed to recognise the reeds almost always in your test. A good thing????
Thanks Peter!
I guessed right on the alto and tought that the sound was clearer with the cane reed. There's a slight buzziness sometimes with légère reeds. That being said légère reeds have been life changing for me as a saxophone beginner. The consistency is fantastic and I can focus on all the other things in my practice sessions
Cool! Practice hard. Practice smart. And especially Enjoy the music!
I agree with you 100% I've gone back and forth, but now I only play American cut.
Hi Mate, Love ya stuff, I use Legere signiture on my Tenor, alto amd soprano. I love em.
Keep up the good work cobba.
Thanks mate!
Like a lot of others here I have a hard time discerning the different reeds when listening. However when playing I like using the Signature for practice and general noodling but there is a little touch of magic when I put the Rigotti Gold on my S80 E that puts me right into the mood. Thank you Jamie, time for coffee!
Thank you Gordon! 🙏
I switched to Légère about 6 months ago and am a 100% convert. Consistency, feel in my mouth, tone and so on all amazing. Have just sold my reedGeek, no need for it now... no fiddling and scraping to get bad and old reeds playable. And I haven't bought new reeds for ages, no need. In fact I have sold my stock of new reeds on eBay. So I use Légère signature on soprano, american cut on alto & tenor. In summary all my reed nightmares are banished.
Thanks for sharing Bob!
I have used the Signatures extensively on sop, alt and tenor. They do have to be warmed up a couple of minutes to play well in tune-I can hear you had some funny notes in the beginning. I loved them because I was touring all the the time and they just made my life STRESS free. Even the other people I played with noticed how much more relaxed I was. i do not tour anymore and am back on cane because
it is cheaper and I have the time to adjust them. If i have an accident with a Legere it is much more expensive than cane. Thank you for another great review Jamie!
Thank you Bob! 🙏
After using the synthetic reeds, it took me a fair while to get acquainted with the cane again, but I now just use the Legere purely because you can leave the sax for a while and then pick it up and play without any issue. Cannot do that with the cane reed, so it just saves me a lot of time. It did take a while to work out the mouthpiece reed strength combo but I think my setup is very good now.
I'm glad you found the right combination Camilo!
I only played for fun and I sold my Yamaha Alto many years ago but i kept my mouthpiece set up with a Legere reed just in case, i have many memories of getting a brand new cane reed out and breaking it before getting a chance to use it or messing around trying to be happy with the sound, i did try a Bari plastic reed but did not like it, but as soon as i tried the Legere reed i was won over, I like what i have seen on your channel as it will be really usful as i have just brought a Sax to see if i can get the buzz back, big thanks
Aha! Awesome man. Good luck with your sax v2.0 journey!
Totally agree and with the same reasons. I've played for decades on my Selmer Mark VI alto and have used Vandoren 3 (purple box) for years. I tried the Legere Signature reeds a couple years ago and love them for pit work where I'm switching instruments and for outdoor gigs. I will soon try the Legere with my Meyer 5 for big band which calls for a brighter sound. If I were going to play a Creston Sonata, naturally, I'd chose Vandoren. Thanks so much.
👍
I used synthetic reeds for all the time I’ve been playing which isn’t long. However I saw a comment someone said on a forum about synthetic change in sound when they get really wet which I did notice. I am on cane now and I am enjoying playing with that. I couldn’t really hear much difference in your demo between reeds 👌👌🎷🎷
Several have commented on the moisture issues with synthetics. Thanks for tuning in!
Hi Jamie. Thanks for this - very interesting and informative as always! I've been using Legere reeds on Tenor & Alto for the last 4 years and now find the feel of cane reeds quite strange. It's great to have that reliability. They really come into their own in heavy gigging situations -like in 2019 I was playing 3 (loud & long) gigs a day with a covers band at the Cork Jazz Festival. My own opinion - I really like them - but don't think of them as "robot reeds" - they're not all uniform and have slight variations in toughness. They also get softer with heavy playing - but amazingly "recover" somewhat if left back in the box for a few days (no idea how or why). Legere do advise you to have several reeds and rotate them, and II would agree strongly with that. I love the American Cut version best. Thanks again for the videos - I'm learning a lot from them!
Thanks for your comments Chris! 🙏
Was able to pick out the alto cane reed from the crowd. Quite surprised at that actually 😂 In any case, very informative and transparent (no pun intended with the synthetic reeds). Thanks heaps Jamie.
Great to hear!
Great video Jamie, I use the synthetic reed's on my Yanagisawa after trying out both cane and the synthetic, I preferred the later but it's all down to the individual I guess.
Thanks for watching and commenting man. 👍🏻
I use a Legere European cut clarinet reed on soprano and it really works well on soprano. The European cut is wider than typical clarinet reed so it fits just right - but when I tried a Signature clarinet it is narrow.
Interesting ...
I started using the Legere reeds about a year ago. I personally like the American cut on tenor and alto and soprano. They are expensive but so are the box reeds. The real good thing is once you have figured out your strength, and get a few of each, you can wash them like you clean your mouthpiece. There is nothing like a good cane reed but as you said, trying to double, and if you are traveling, having the consistency is really nice. Surprisingly I like them best on clarinet. That's the biggest surprise for me. Great work my man. PS. I live an hour from where they are made. LOL
Thank you Robin!
Thanks for the video - always entertaining and informative. I use the Hartmann hemp Fiberreeds so would be interested to hear your thoughts on these sometime.
I'm glad you enjoyed the shootout Stuart!
I couldn't hear any difference in tone between the three of them but I suspect that is due more to your talent than the performanceof the reeds. A top pro player can make a lolly stick sound good. As a tenor freak I'm looking forward to next week's shootout.
I'll have to try the lolly shootout next! 🤣 Thanks Les!
Thanks for this Jamie. I switched to Legere about a year ago because I felt that the consistency of Vandoren V16 reeds that I had been very happy with for many years deteriorated particularly on tenor after about 2018 until I was lucky to get one decent reed in a box of 5.
I’m a weekend player in a pop / rock band and I use the American cut on tenor & alto. For me the sound projection suits the type of music we play, but I do find growling in the higher register more difficult for some reason. Also I understand that whilst they last a very long time, they will fail without any warning.
Thanks for your comment and for tuning in Kevan!
Hi, Mr Anderson. Thanks for that hyper informative and especially useful lesson. I'm playing on tenor and be waiting next week with impatience. More than a year I'm thinking what reeds sound better.
Thanks Pavel! Stay tuned ... 😉
Hi Jamie. Thanks for the comparison. I was able to pick out the cane vs synthetic in the sop demo but I thought the Legere Signature on the alto was the cane. Not sure if it is my computer sound system contributing to the miss or just me.
I am 2 years in with the alto, and a month into a tenor (both YxS-23's) but I moved to synthetic legere signature last year on the alto because fiddling with cane was taking too much time and shedding too much doubt into my practice sessions. I just got one for the tenor too.
For all the reasons you talked about knowing the reed will be the same, not curling/warped etc when you pick it up was the same reasons I decided to stick with synthetic. It takes a lot of guesswork out of my practices.
I can't wait for the tenor bake-off!
As usual, this is a really great video topic.
Thanks Bob, I'm glad you enjoyed the shootout!
Enjoyed your testing. Didn’t get your alto result right but soprano yes. I use American cuts in all my saxes, find them very easy to play. You shoul put more of those bloopers at the end, they make us comfortable with our own playing😆
Thaks Rita. To err is human ... you know the rest! 😉
@@GetYourSaxTogether Love those bloopers!
Hi Jamie. Great review. I identified the alto cane reed but not the soprano. I preferred the first alto reed sound but I guessed the second was cane. I also preferred the last soprano one you played, the standalone one to all of the others. I happened to have some gift vouchers for a well known German online store a couple of years ago. I like spending enough to get free delivery so I added three legere reeds to an order to try for the first time. One each for soprano, alto and tenor. I have sensitivity issues with things that touch my skin and go into my mouth and only ever managed to cope with the feel of cane because I had to. I hated breaking a reed mid gig, having to stick a new one on and feel like I was chewing a tree trunk for hours. I didn’t expect anything wonderful from the legere reeds but I got one hell of a surprise. Straight out of the box, onto the mouthpiece and bang, no wetting, no dry mouth, just easy to play. Yes, a very subtle difference in sound but not one person has said a word. Believe me I play with people who wouldn’t be shy about saying it straight out. I’m converted! I play mostly tenor so I look forward to the next instalment and to hear your opinion. But for now it’s a no brainier for me. They sound good enough for my needs and for my band mates who haven’t noticed anyway. I must say I love the legere on my soprano; it seems warmer to me and less shrill. The alto one works better on my mouthpiece than cane. I only have one decent alto mouthpiece and I’m not mad about it but it definitely performs better with the legere. I’m trying to learn oboe now. If I could afford a legere for that I’d be sorted. Anyone feeling like €30 is expensive? Be glad you don’t play oboe. They’re €130 each!! The legere reeds that is, not the oboes.😂 Keep up the great work and thanks for the time you put into the weekly videos.
Thanks Kieran!
American cut finally convinced me and I love them. I could tell on the alto sax, but like them all.
Thanks Gustavo!
I have pretty much switched to synthetic only since I double on bass and sax (Alto, Tenor and Bari) I use the synthetic when playing live so I don't have to worry about keeping the cane reeds wet. I like the sound, feel and they last MUCH longer and haven't had a bad one. It does take a little figuring to find the best strength for yourself but when you do they're great!
Thanks Peter!
I guessed them correctly - I was quite surprised. I had good headphones on and the differences were subtle, but the Red box sounded much better to me. The American cut sounded pretty good, too, but the Signature cut sounded a bit muffled to me. Great comparison. Thanks for that!
Glad you enjoyed the shootout Don!
Hi y'all, cheers Jamie, great comparison. Personally as a pub hooter I splashed a few quid when gigs were plentiful a few years ago & tried synthetic reeds. Playing alto I've stuck with Bari * synth reeds as preferred then to Legere. Guess at my level you can't really tell alot of differences however the Reed consistency & regularity wins for me everytime. I find I don't spend as much cash as I used to as synthetic reeds last for ages. Cheers.
Cheers Adrian! 🙏
I agree with your assessment. I didn't notice a significant difference between the reeds on soprano. However, on alto, the cane was clearly better in every way. Thanks. Looking forward to the tenor shootout...
Thanks Brian!
How much would the results vary on different mouthpieces? What mouthpieces were used in the shoot out? I use a hard rubber MP on alto and metal on tenor. Note- I was able to ID the cane reed on soprano but not on the alto.
You can find my set ups here Mark ua-cam.com/video/ZdK7VdadkkE/v-deo.html
Hey! Would you know how to cut a synthetic reed? Thanks for the video!
Apparently you can’t. 🤦🏻♂️
I have been using the Legere reeds American cut for my Yanagisawa WO2 tenor with Jody Jazz DV mouthpiece and the sound is clean, consistent and gorgeous. But to my surprise the same reed made a huge positive difference for me bass clarinet!
Cool, thanks man. 🙏
Picked the cane reed out each time. They have a slightly “cleaner” tone to them compared the slightly “muddier” tone of the Legere reeds. The difference is small, however and I probably wouldn’t have picked it up if I wasn’t listening for it. Looking forward to the tenor shootout as that’s what I play. The convenience factor is a consideration though for an “irregular practicer” who is between bands.
Thanks Chris. Stay tuned ... 😉
Ha! Nailed it! - In both comparisons I could hear the difference and identify the cane reed, however - the difference is very subtle. I think the cane reed sounds more vibrant and “real”, but I’ll definitely give Legere a chance on my soprano - which strength do you think would be right for me? I’m currently on 2.5 Vandoren Classic Blue. Great work, looking forward to seeing your next comparison! 😉🎷👍🏻
Here's Légère's reed comparison chart - www.legere.com/need-to-know/strength-charts/
Do you also offer lessons in Cheerfulness and Joy? :) You are always so positive and full of happy energy! Maybe I need to take a break from practicing sax and start practice smiling and laughing.
😎
As a keen tenor sax, Yany, player, I've played Legere A cut and Sig for a couple of years. I keep trying bamboo reeds just to see if I am missing something then go back to Legere, so yes, guess I'm a convert. Anyway your test totally wrongfooted me, didn't have a clue. Looking forward to next week's test. Thanks Jamie
Thanks and stay tuned! 😉
I switch to Legére Sig quite a few years ago. Loved them compared to cane for the consistency and in gigs with alto and tenor. No drying out! Then I discovered Fibrereed. Easy blowing and more durable than Legére. Give them a try and do a follow up video.
Thanks for sharing!
C sounded less controlled than A or B did. However, they all sounded quite similar.
I played Hahn synthetic reeds for about a decade based on the recommendation from Evan Parker, but found that I can't do some of my bag of tricks (e.g., slap tongue, multiphonics) well with a synthetic reed.
For general tones, I don't notice a difference in my recorded sound when using synthetic vs. cane, but they sound different while playing. Do you feel and hear a difference while playing synthetic vs. cane reeds?
Definitely feel a difference whilst playing.
It was clear which was the cane reed on alto, but not as clear on soprano. I did use legeres on alto-soprano-clarinet in a pit band recently and I agree it was nice to have the reed consistency for that gig. I completely forgot the usual stress of wondering if the sound would be there switching back and forth between instruments.
Right on!
Brilliant video as usual. Q: At 10:55 you "miss" the start of the tone slightly, is that because of too soft a reed? Or because not being used to the synthetic reed? Or inherent to synthetic reeds? Or something else? I'm asking cause I'm struggling with that in the same situation but on tenor. Jumping up to a tone while using growl.
I think I just muffed it. The Reed might be ever so slightly soft for that to happen.
@@GetYourSaxTogether Ok. Thanks for the reply. I'll try with a harder reed to see if that helps in my case. If not I guess there's something I need to work on.
Jamie ..
I picked out the cane both times . I use Legere American cut , but have struggled to get the right strength as either too hard or slightly too soft . But when you have very little practice time it saves messing around with a cane reed . However , after your comparison here it may be time to try a Vandoren red lol .
Enjoy. Thanks for tuning in! 🙏
I did like the vandoren reed the most in the blind test however you did prove that they are quite similar..
👍
Hello, can you tell me which mouthpiece are you using for soprano? thank you
Here's all the gear: ua-cam.com/video/ZdK7VdadkkE/v-deo.html
Could easily distinguish cane on soprano, the Legere reeds were very similar to each other and I preferred them in this case. Easily distinguished the cane in alto, the two Legere reeds were again similar to each other. Couldn't make up my mind which of the three I preferred. All very nice. I have been using Legere American Cut for a few months. No motivation to change for the foreseeable future. FUN VIDEO. Thanks very much.
I'm glad you enjoyed the shootout William!
I picked B as my favorite, and turned out it was the cane. You win once again, nature!
😄
I could hear a slight difference between the 3 reeds, but with your setup and play it all sounded great. Personally i use Harry Hartmann synthetic reeds, and am very happy to stay away from cane reeds.🤗
Thanks for sharing!
Ace video i have always whether to change from cane. It was B all the way for me on Alto, case closed 😂 x
I'm glad you enjoyed the shootout Amy!
Nice video! I'm a bari player primarily (but also play tenor) and after discovering the Legere American Cuts, I never went back to cane reeds. I agree with your opinion about them not being as good on alto...it seems to be the only type of sax that doesn't speak out well with synthetics for some reason. But on bari, Legere's are a no-brainer!
Stay tuned for next week 😉. Thanks!
As a cane guy for 50 years now, I have used Java, since the day they came out. (1982 or so). I use vandoren green box 3.5 on my alto and tenor ,and Java 4's on my soprano. I really liked your soprano vandoren 3.5 java sound, the java is the benchmark for all reeds.
Thanks for tuning in Grant!
@@GetYourSaxTogether great video!!!! Great performances!!!
I was very surprised that I preferred the American cut for both saxes ??? The second for Soprano was cane and Alto the other Legere with cane at the bottom ?? Really surprised as I play both Sax and clarinet and have a lot of issues with my Eb clarinet and the reeds there as they are not lasting very long at all and I’m considering a Legere as the cost of it versus the Vandoren and Mitchell Luries that I use in cane would be a slight saving on the Legere … this has given me serious food for thought ….. can’t wait for next week as I only play tenor sax at the minute as I’m learning on it and would be interested in that comparison …. Really interesting results and a bit of a shock !! Thanks for this one Jamie, another really interesting case and these type of videos I feel are as important as the brilliant breakdown of famous Sax solos and parts.
Thank you! 🙏
I was able to pick the cane reeds in each test, they had a bit better resonance and "chime" to me. But as for myself, I'm now only using synthetic reeds -- Legere Signature on a tenor and Forestone (Japan) Traditional on soprano, both at medium-type strengths. I do like the sound and the mediums seem to play well both low and high. But it's the convenience factor for me really, yes truly off the charts.
Thanks! 🙏
Jamie, Thanks for testing reeds. I've been playing on Silverstein Alta synthetics for about 8 months. They play and feel like cane. And these Alta synthetics are guaranteed to play for 6 month or they replace them free! Save money and forget the hassles of cane. I'm so impressed I'm ready to ditch my Reed Geek.
Why not compare Alta to the Legere or cane reeds in a future video?
I'd like that as well. I have been playing Legere American Cut for a year. I have 4 of them, three 2s and one 2.25. I love them, my fave being the 2.25. I'm considering 2.5. I'm curious about other synthetic reeds.
Thanks Richard. I am creating a list of requests for future shootouts. Meanwhile, I'm back at my central focus of creating useful and practical music lessons for all of you. Cheers 😎
I’ve been using Legere reeds for a few years, even in a community band with other tenor sax musicians. They couldn’t tell that I. Was using synth reeds.
Thanks for sharing that!
I tried 2 Times légère signature for tenor. The sound and feeling was good, a little brighter than with a cane reed, but they broke too fast. They are fragile, if thé tip of the reed touches anything, a split appears. To Handel with many care
I think that’s the case regardless of what Reed it is they require the same handling care it’s just for the playing consistency as Jamie said for things where that’s paramount. I’m about to take the steps back into orchestral playing and my clarinets and Sax need to be there right of the bat as I have to switch between them all very fast and sometimes during a piece too especially the Bb & Eb clarinets change in the pieces a lot. I have had so many times in the past where the Reed played okay on the first part, put it down and then when I went back to it a minute or two later and the reed was like blowing raw cane or sounded so bad it was not cool
Handle with care and Handel with care! Thanks Pascal!
I love the signature american reed for my saxes
Thanks Rob!
Personally I found I had to commit to Legere reeds on alto before they started working for me.
I guessed correctly on alto reeds but I think I preferred the sound of American Cut on Anthropology and the Java on the rest.
I’m sure if you played either of the Légère reeds on alto for the next month or so you could make it sound like the cane reed and you would then have all the advantages of the synthetic reed. Also within a month you would probably have gone through a couple of cane reeds but you will probably get a few more months out of the Légère.
Interesting point. Thanks DJ!
Thanks for an interesting review Jamie. Personally I just don’t like Legere reeds, I find them a real pain to set up quickly on metal m/p’s, have to spend a while getting the reed tip in the right place plus they don’t seem fit the reed table quite right. I don’t find them consistent either, I get used to one /play one in and next time its like a different reed. My preferred synthetic reed is still Fibracell-more consistent and easy to set up on the m/p and feels like cane ( hate them on sop though). Have also been using Rigotti Gold and their way of sub-grading them means a box of 10 has excellent reed strength consistency , so with a box Rigotti Gold reeds you find the whole box plays pretty much the same, at the moment am using these more and more as my first choice reed.
Thanks for your comments and for tuning into the channel!
I did guess right both times which one was the cane read. Xxx I did struggle at the beginning to tell them apart but do feel that cane has a richer sound.
Thanks for tuning in to the shootout Yvette! 🙏🏻
I am an Alto Sax player. I thought that A was the reed! This made me even more of a Legere lover than I already am. I am a hobbyist and sit at my desk all day. When I get a break I can pick up my sax and just play. I used to spend 10 minutes figuring out which cane reed to use and getting out my reed geek. It makes no sense to me why anyone that is a hobbyist, would mess with a cane reed. Practice time takes priority for me. Also, you get used to the feel. It was tough for me at first but now I think the wood feels strange. The ONLY negative that I have found is that the synthetic reeds tend to have that "spitty" sound more often. Makes sense as they do not absorb anything. Like you said though, they will just get better as technology advances.
Thanks Nate. Enjoy the time you get to play!
When I was in the USAF military bands, in the 80's, we had to stand at attention for 1 hour, 15 minutes, and then play cold with no wetting of the reed allowed, because you couldn't move. We had to use plastic reeds by BARI, so today these Legere would be perfect. If it was a evening jazz band concert, I would be back with my Vandoren Java 3.5 on my Otto link 8 on Tenor. Use the right tool for the job. For doubles in the pit for a Broadway musical, synthetic is the way to go. For symphony wind ensemble, on alto, I used a blue box Vandoren classical 4 on my Selmer classical mouthpiece C **. These Legere reeds we're not invented yet.
Thanks for sharing this Grant. And, thanks for your service.
Synth reeds are all I use. They may or may not sound quite as good as cane.
But as a beginner hobbyist the convenience and consistency is beyond worth it. The Am cut legere is my current favorite of the bunch.
Thanks for sharing!
Hi Jamie, I called out the cane reeds instantly on both demo’s, to me, the sound is far superior. I have thought about going synthetic but think I’m staying in camp cane for now. X
Thanks for tuning in Kirsty! 🙏
After more then 2 years of dealing with various cane reeds I tried the Legere Am-cut and I steyed with it more than year and I have now 3rd piece. Because I wanted bright pop sound on tenor, I also tried bright metal mouthpieces. With Legere I am able to have under control also the "bad guy' Dukoff D9 wihout any squeaks. One week ago I tried to play with cane reed, but to be honest, I squeazed not only with Dukoff but also with Christopher Elliott and big shame on me, also on Otto Link Tone Edge 7*! So, I will not say that forever, but for now surely, the metal mouthpiece and Legere Am-cut 2.5.
We all need to find the reed/mpc combination that works best for ourselves. Thanks Martin!
I probably should wait with my comment for next video with tenor 😉
I've been using Legere on my tenor for 4 years now. Recently switched from Classic Studio to American cut. These are a game changer - I will never go back. If I was playing classical, maybe wouldn't use it due to the lack of cane warmth, but for rock, blues, funk - best thing I've ever done. One reed is the same reed, night after night, all night long, for weeks. One thing I've noticed - you need to position the reed exactly on the m/p - go off by a hair and the response drops quickly. And... they have an exchange policy. Chose the wrong strength? - no problem, free exchange by courier. Plus they're a small Canadian company just 50 km from my house. I hope people give them a try.
Thanks for your comments and for tuning in to the shootout Malcolm.
I picked out the cane reed instantly. The response was much better. The biggest difference was the signature series had a darker smoother tone in the lower register. I have tried the Le"gere signature reeds on my tenor. I don't like the feel the Le"gere reeds. I also found them to be flimsy and easily damaged. My go to reed is the Fibracell synthetic reeds. Maybe you can give your thoughts on them.
Thanks for your comment and for tuning in Ron!
Ha!
Jamie, I did exactly what you said not to do.
I bought plenty of legere American cut, classic and signature series reeds just to find the right ones.
Eventually I found them but it cost me a bundle.
(But soon I’ll be playing in the New York City subways to make up the loss 😆)
The ones I didn’t feel were right I modified using a method I had spoken to you about but that’s a secret 🤐 😂
All in all , I absolutely love to use the synthetic reeds by legere.
🤓🎷
See you soon!
Regarding your secret, if you mean immersing them in boiling water for 1 second then don't worry your secret is safe with me - I won't tell anyone!
🤣
Let us know which subway station and we'll put the word out to our friends in The Big Apple!
@@pimeye
😂
@@GetYourSaxTogether
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Thank you for this very interesting video. I played for several weeks with American Cut reeds. I went back to reed reeds for one, and only one, reason: the saliva on the synthetic reed causes a very annoying sizzling sound when playing ballads
I've also noticed the saliva buildup on my American and Signature reeds. But for consistency and durability, they're great
Many comment on the moisture issue with synthetics. Thanks Michel!
@@GetYourSaxTogether You're welcome
Bonjour Jamie, merci pour toutes tes vidéos.
Je préfère le son de la java red que ce soit à l’alto ou au soprano, mais je joue avec légère signature depuis 2 ans au baryton et au ténor parce qu’elle ont un son proche du bambou tout en étant stable contrairement au bambou.
je vous remercie beaucoup Hugues!
It would be very interesting to do a shoot out between Legere and Fibracell reeds. Myself I like Fibracells on tenor.
I used to play Fibracell's, they are sturdier than legere's which tend to bend over time. May I suggest you give a try to a Forestone unfiled?, They have been a game changer for me. I have also heard that D'addario's Venn are excellent if not the best, but really hard to find here in Spain, I have not had a chance to play test them yet.
Thanks. I am creating a list of requests for future shootouts. Meanwhile, I'm back at my central focus of creating useful and practical music lessons for all of you. Cheers 😎
I tried two styles of Legere clarinet reeds and was disappointed. I tried the wider clarinet reed on soprano and got a good result! I think I'd have to spend some serious time with any of these to really tell how they work. No doubt they have a place for some applications and with some players.
Thanks for sharing!
In the US (and probably) Canada, Legere will allow up to 5 exchanges per year per person. Mistakes are not necessarily costly. I can't comment on UK practices for an obvious reason.
Thanks John!
The B, A, C ranking was immediately audible on Alto. Additionally, your body language communicated stiffness, stuffiness, and intonation troubles when using the synthetics. Thank you for saving me a LOT of money in the future, as I was definitely going to splurge on those synthetics...again... at some unfortunate random instance in time...again... blowing up a few hundred dollars...again... trying to get the "right" synthetic reed strength. The main difficulties synthetic reeds have is a lack of character and performance at the extremely quiet or extremely loud ends of the dynamic spectum, and functional dynamic breath pressure to sound ratios during performance. Additionally, all of the adjustments achievable with the ReedGeek are not available (hence the $$ wasted hunting for that perfect synthetic reed) 😢.
👍 Cheers Erik. Glad it helped in some way!
As an absolute beginner I think I should praise synthetic reed, conditioning cane reeds is a ritually important practice and takes time and experience!
If it works for you 👍
I was able to identify the cane reeds on both comparisons. The cane reed is a little smoother/fuller than the synthetics.
Thanks for tuning in to the shootout Mike!
I use legere signature reeds on all 4 saxes. Their brightness allows you to cut through the sound nicely in rock bands. Guitarists love their amps cranked! And, like the batteries, they are ever ready. They are pricey and even more so if you don’t like the first strength you buy. I believe they had an exchange program pre-COVID-19. One other peeve, the strength decal falls off over time. Be prepared to shake out the moisture from the MPC more often than with cane, as the synthetic polymer won’t absorb any condensate or saliva. P.S. Was that Avon calling? (if you’re not from the US you may have to google that)
😉
After trying legere for tenor I only buy cane reeds for soprano sax. On tenor I prefer the Legere Signature, not the American Cut
Thanks for tuning in Alejandro!
I was actually comparing them based off of what I liked based off of the sound, and for soprano and alto I preferred the sound of the cane reeds. The signature for alto wasn't that bad either, but regardless it was interesting to hear the results.
Thanks Luigi!
Hi Jamie. Great video. I could have done with this video two months ago before I bought my first Lègere Reeds. I can’t wait for next week because I play tenor. First off, I guessed wrong on both saxes .
I was listening on my iPad Pro, somI will listen again on my home HI-Fi later to see if I can pick out any subtle differences any better on that system. On the Soprano. I loved all the reeds. I could tell differences in tone on the Alto. But if I heard any of them at a gig, I would be in awe of your tone (because so much of the sound is the player not the Reed). Otherwise there would be no Tonal Mastery course 😎. I would like to share my own experience with Lègere reeds in the hope that I can help others, because they are expensive. I started to consider synthetic reeds last summer when I played an outdoor gig in a cover band here in France. It was 35c and we were in direct sunlight. Just a small canopy above us. I don’t play on every song, and therefore struggled to keep the cane reed wet.
It wasn’t a good experience. Anyway, I researched the net for months and just over two months ago I bought two synthetic reeds. A 2.0 American cut tenor (I normally play 2.5) and a 2.0 Studio Cut..
I play a Yamaha 62 purple logo tenor and use a Dukoff D7 mouthpiece. I play mostly rock pop and I have just started in a Springsteen tribute band. So I had Clarence in mind when I bought the reeds.
The most important comment I want to make to anyone getting a Légère reed (and I only read one comment in an obscure forum about this, all your video compilation friends failed to mention this) is that reed placement has to be exact. It is crucial to place it as close to the tip as possible. I used to hang my cane reed about 2mil back from the tip of my Dukoff but you can’t play the Lègere in that position. It gave me a bit of a fright after forking our 60 quid for two reeds. You also need a good strong ligature to hold them in place, they are much more likely to move than cane. When you find the sweet spot however, you then get a bit of a surprise as to how dynamic and playable they are.
Sure, it takes some time to feel comfortable with them, with how they feel in your mouth, especially tonguing, but after a week you don’t even think about it. The American cut is so close to a Java in playability and tone, that no one listening can tell. For me (as a developing player, the bottom end is much more accessible, although `I probably should have gone 2.25 on the American, as the high end and altissimo is about the same as softer cane. It is very easy to blow and holding long notes is the same as with a cane.
Now to the Studio Cut! I would not recommend the Studio to anyone because it is definitely Marmite. Since the arrival of the American which is vastly superior in general, it is much cheaper (22 quid lol,)
But I love it! It used to be advertised as "good for Rock" on the Lègere website. Now they say it is good for players who like to play with a lot of vibrato. Even my 2.0 needs a good set of lungs to play it,
And it has to be aligned with precision. But for Rock, with a good metal mouthpiece, it absolutely screams. As a guitar player, If the American cut is a Fender Reverb, Then the studio is a Marshall JC200.
It is edgy, probably too bright for most people, and I already have a bright mouthpiece, but it is loud. Really loud. In a rock band, it really cuts through the mix. At a jam in relatively small bar the other night, I didn’t even use the available mic. It growls for fun. I don’t roll “r’s to growl, just tighten my throat and push a little for a mellow vibrato growl. This reed just growls for fun. Also for a 2.0 the high end is SO good if you like an edgy scream. Altissimo is ridiculously easy. The downside is that it is a one trick pony. And to hold a not longer than a semibreve, you need vibrato to sustain it, or it just dies,
That could just be me though. As an ex endurance athlete, my lung function is pretty good so I think that it is the reed. Low end is ok, ish. It is my reed of choice for the Springsteen band.
For the covers band and anything else the American, although I will try a 2.25. In future. I was going to buy a Dukoff D8 for the Springsteen band but these two reeds are like having two different mouth pieces. The contrast is that stark. I had thought that in a worse case scenario that these synthetic reeds would be good for general practice and save the two or three good cane reeds per box of ten for gigs, but they are both so much better than that. You can set it up and forget about it, pick your sax up, no worries about wetting the reed, warping ,chipping, and get the same sound, every time.
I can’t say that they are better than a cane reed. With the American though, it is as good as any cane reed I have used and much better than the four dogs you find in every box. So all in all they are superb value for money.
Thanks to Jamie once again. A truly inspirational guy. 👍🙏
Blimey! Congratulations on posting, by far, the longest UA-cam comment I’ve ever had!!! 💪🏻
@@GetYourSaxTogether Lol🤣😂🤣
I'm also in a Springsteen cover band using an American 2.25 with either a Dukoff or Berg Larsen. The Legere works great !
@@danandyvonneandreasen804 Thanks Dan. Yes with the Dukoff and the American cut, I need to go 2.25. Thank you for confirming this. Which Dukoff do you have? I have a D7. I am thinking of getting a D8 or D9. Any thoughts? I have also a Berg Larsen but it is just a 110 and it’s not great. What Berg do you have? Great to hear from another Springsteen fan. I am guessing that you are in Scandinavia?
Great to hear from you.
@@johnycat7373 My Dukoff is a 9, I used it a bit in the past then went to a Guardala Super King and bounced between that and a Berg 120/ 8.
The Dukoff was tough to play but quite bright, like the Super King ( seemingly named for King Curtis, who knows ).
I seem to be able to control the Berg a bit better.
I only use these metal monsters with my Bruce band but my current go to with everything else is a Morgan Excalibur. Teamed up with the 2.25 Legere American and a metal Rovner ligature ( with the "power rails ") I get a full, free sound across the spectrum.
One of those Rovner ligatures might supercharge your Springsteen gig.
Guitars are nasty creatures.
And I am in the US but wish I WAS in Scandanavia
I had about 10 Legere reeds, mostly Signature and 2 american cuts. All on Alto and I didn't like any of them. I was trying to find the right strength. First of all I find the very inconsistent in strength - three 2s were massively different. Secondly, they split a lot. I had 4 out of 10 splitting within a month or less. Finally, I find the way too hard. I got tired very quickly, kept going down all the way to 1.75 on AC and even then dipping them in boiling water to make them softer, stiil felt exhausted after 5mins. I can play happily others in 2 - 2.5 strengthfor an hour, no problem. 2.5 Signature feels like a block of perspex to me. Can use it for 5 seconds if I tense all the muscles I have. IMO, Legere are the worst synthetic reeds I've used.
I find little splits as well I must admit. 😢
I thought the Legere Sig sounded best on each horn and guessed right. I have used the Legs a few times but always struggle with the see-through finish. I find in dark venues I am less able to place the reed on the mouthpiece accurately (sight fading) I reverted to my c.15 year+ faves - Fibracel. I got into synthetic after attending a Dave Liebman (DL) masterclass where he asked if any students played plastic. There were about 30 of us and none said 'yes'. He advised we try out and I did and favoured Fibracel (pre Legere days) and have never looked back. Certainly not the most fantastic reed you've ever played but way better that 99% of the ones you have. And so reliable as Jamie says. DL also talked on depping in Village Vanguard big band gig with host of 'name' players in sax section including Konitz and all played plastic!
Thanks for sharing Kevin!
The major difference to me sounded like B on alto - more aggressive. Notice you were growling more on that one so I think that reed inspired you into a rock & roll feel. Looks like cane still seems to win. It's likely only a matter of time until manufacturing techniques will enable synthetic to beat natural.
Thanks for your comments Gordon and thanks for tuning in to the Shootout!
a/c Alto fist time second B-C Alto JBS Thank you
Thanks John!
For me (focusing on the alto comparison only) the biggest difference was between Signature and the other two, rather than between cane and synthetic. I immediately felt the "A" reed as an outlier, in all the tests except maybe in the Ornithology one. My subjective impression from these tests is that the Légère Signature plays more like an unfiled cane reed, while the American Cut gets somehow closer to a filed cane reed (and, the java red used as a term of comparison is filed).
Thanks!
I have been a bit pre-occupied with the situation in Ukraine! I have lots of friends there, as I was there for 10 years working with the UNDP Chernobyl Program importing aid from W. Europe, and I also had a band which did concerts in prisons as part of a rehabilitation program. My heart breaks for those who are suffering in the war there! --- now to your reed comparison: The difference on soprano was noticeable, whereas I could not hear any difference when you played alto. One thing about Legere (I have not yet tried the American Cut, but I was not impressed with the other 3 different cuts I tried), they do have very good customer service and if you get the wrong strength, they have a good exchange policy! --
Thanks ROb. We all are praying for peace! 🙏
that was surprising, the signature reed sounded deeper and warmer, def what i like
I'm glad this was helpful!
as I'm continuously looking for a fuller sound but with edge and brightness, I've never ever been charmed by those Legere plastics (can't call them reeds, can you?). I find they lose brightness, produce less of the higher overtones. So for me it's a still a big no-go. And yes, I did hear the cane reed on alto straight away :-)
Thanks for your comment and for tuning in Bob!
Not used too Soprano sound so couldn't distinguish the cane Reed, but it was obvious on Alto 😉tried signature and American cut and yes there getting better tonally, but they still haven't got the instant response of a good cane Reed nor the warm tone...I would recommend that every beginner start out using synthetic as it removes so many variables..My personal favourite cane Reed is Francois Louis, every Reed plays out of the box , very consistent..
Thanks! 🙏
My opinion is clear, I have used the Legere Signature for my tenor for three years now. No way I’m going back to the cane nightmare. However, they are not as consistent as they claim, as I have had reeds that was unplayable. The American cut doesn’t work for me.
Thanks for your comment and for tuning in Hans!
Yes, I've played Legere reeds on alto and tenor sax for a few years now. I used to play clari so was used to all that futzing with reeds, scraping, conditioning, even sanding. But no, life is too short! My mind boggles at the amount of time and effort I've saved by using Legere reeds. Steer clear of the "Classics". Signature and American Cut are both great. Haven't tried the European Cut yet.
Here in Australia, one Legere reed is a little more than a box of good cane, but lasts me 3 to 6 months.
But I shudder to think of the environmental fate of billions of plastic reeds, compared to cane.
From Légère.com - "Did you know that regardless of plastic material, recycling depots require items to be a large enough size in order to be accepted? Légère reeds are too small to fit the minimum size requirements despite being 100% recyclable polypropylene. With that said, there is an effective way to recycle Légère reeds! When your Légère reed has reached the end of it’s playing life, put it inside a sealed recyclable container with a number 5 recycling stamp (yogurt containers are a good option!). Recycle the container with your used Légère reed inside so it will be accepted as part of the larger item and recycled properly."
@@GetYourSaxTogether Okay. Thanks. Will do. Now I don't feel so profligate!
@@GetYourSaxTogether there's a way around everything!
From my end you made the American Cut Legere sound best on alto. Personally, while I have used Legere, they tend to be a bit brighter than my preference of Harry Hartmann Carbon Onyx on alto. And the Hartmann copper onyx is too darker for my taste. FYI - You do a bit more growling than I do on Baker Street, hahaha. On soprano, six of one, half a dozen of another. Way too close to call on casual listening that I doubt anyone would notice. Still, I'm not hearing any Brandford Marsalis or Kenny G tone... sorry. Could be you or your mouthpiece. Must be all that tenor playing, since that's where you shine the brightest. Definitely not the reed. Great shootout. Loved the bang-bang and quick flips between comparisons. Bravo! You set changed the way these comparisons should be done. BTW - glad to see you the advantages of synthetics. I stopped using cane and have not looked back. Welcome to the future!
Thanks for your comments.
I have to disagree with the comments that state that the Legere reeds are consistent. I was really hoping that they would be but they just aren't. I have 2 x 2.5 Signature reeds for Alto, one blows fine however the second is noticeably harder and useless to me.
I have limited time to practice so I don't want to have the hassle associated with cane reeds, I just want to pick up my sax and blow it. Unfortunately I'm stuck with cane until a more consistent product comes along.
Big oof! 😮💨
I tried Legere reeds about 2 years ago, because I was given some for the alto. However, they turned out to be Tenor reeds and sounded really weird. I was using an Aizen mouthpiece which is wide cut and these things fit perfectly on that: they just sounded awful though. Enter Daddario plasticover reeds, cane with a plastic coating on top....perfect for the alto. I now have lots of boxes of cane alto reeds unopened. I did try using one a few weeks ago just to see, and the cane tasted terrible!!
With a little salt and pepper they might taste like chips! 🤣
@@GetYourSaxTogether if i tried that I'd be in a right pickle!!!
I think legere are very good. Easy to use but they have a lot of frequencies in the altissimo range that a good cane reed doesnt have
Thanks!
To me, synthetics reeds are better in terms of consistency. Cane reeds, however, are probably best when conditions are ideal. Both are valid options!
Excellent points. Thanks Marcus!
@@GetYourSaxTogether Hiya, just wanted to find out what sop do you play?
@@sparkshot289 keilwurth
For the next test please would you play just the one piece of music as it makes comparison easier.
I appreciate your comment. I think each piece brings different characteristics to compare.
For me the signature won it on alto especially on somewhere over the rainbow
Thank you for tuning in to the shootout!
I am only a beginner. I used to play the wooden reeds but got tired of having to wet them. I bought a £5 synthetic reed and didn't get a sound. After a while I tried again and got a beautiful tone. I bought some more cheap synthetic but then bought 2 legere a 3 and a 2. And they play beautifully out of the box. But some cheap synthetic also play well. But legere is superior. I may be a beginner but I am betting I shall Baker Street like you did but not this week. Maybe next.
Way to go Frank! Keep practicing and you will reach your goals!
@@GetYourSaxTogether thank you. Enjoyed your broadcast.
Legere used to offer an exchange scheme. Originally I bought a 2.5 reed but found this too hard. I was able to exchange this for a 2.25 reed, which was better for me. One Legere reed lasts about 7 1/2 months with my standard of playing for about 1 hr five times per week, so is actually cheaper than cane reeds.
I did try a Venn reed but they didn’t offer an exchange scheme and I have found the Venn too hard to lay comfortably. So, of the two brands of synthetic reeds, I would recommend Legere.
Occasionally, just for a cHange, I venture back into cane reed territory with a Vandooren Red 2.5.
Thanks for your comments Geoff. 🙏
I agree that I find the legere brighter, but the convenience factor for me (as a teacher who picks up and puts down my horn all the time to model) I find the legere reliable and predicatable...I was able to tell on the soprano but was wrong on the alto
Thanks for tuning in to the Shootout Brenda!
@@GetYourSaxTogether I LOVE your material; many of my saxophonists now watch you regularly as well. Thank you for everything you do for saxophone players everywhere.
I love Legere--almost as much as I love not having to know anything about reeds lol.
LOL! 🤣
Love the name! or Gang of Cleanhorns?
Maybe luck, but I picked the cane both times. To me it had a little more warmth, a more live sound, more depth, or overtones I suppose.
Good ears! 👂👂