New American Cut Synthetic Reeds... are they better?
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- Опубліковано 5 лип 2024
- #bettersax #saxophone #reeds
Jay Metcalf play tests and reviews several synthetic reeds from Legere.
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00:00 Intro
01:19 Establishing Good Practice Habits
01:32 REED 1
02:00 Little Leaps and Sounds Etude Book
02:33 REED 2
03:40 REED 3
04:27 Mash Up all 3 Reeds
04:52 Answers and Thoughts on Legere American Cut Reeds
07:37 Giveaway Contest
09:07 Blu from Little Leaps and Sounds with backing track
Lol. Love the lowkey saxologic shout-out in the beginning.
I've used synthetic reeds for practice and save cane reeds for gigs.
That's exactly what I do Gregg. I would also use cane for a band rehearsal. The American cut is good, particularly at the top and bottom, but playing a Rigotti Gold afterwards shows that cane has that fizzy middle that adds an extra dimension.
Initially I thought 1, then maybe 3. Honestly it's difficult to tell Jay. I think YOU could strap a Doctor's tongue deporessor stick or a popsicle stick on a mouthpiece and still sound wonderful
i’ve switched over to legere signatures on all my horns haha. I mostly play classical and it’s honestly just made my life so much easier haha
Yeah, love these. So much more hygienic. I wish I had these in high school
@@almanac520 so do you throw them out after each use? My son has always used cane and just mentioned plastic on his way out the door to marching band so of course now I’m researching
@@leahkohman3881 since they are non absorbent, you can easily clean them off. Traditional reeds can absorb things and overtime become dirty
3 is definitely the best sounding in my opinion. It's a lot darker
Personally, it sounded a lot more flat. Could also be the mouthpiece.
Dear Jay, thank you so much for staying honest in these reviews. Great job!
Jay is super inspiring man. Watching this channel got me back into playing sax again and it’s been a great decision thanks better sax
great to hear!
Another great session. Thank you keeping things exciting.
For the past 3 years I play Legere Signature reeds strength 2 to 2.75 on either soprano, alto or tenor saxophones. No going back to cane D’Addario Select Jazz for me! I may give those American cut a try though. Thanks Jay, great video as always, look forward to Better Traxx channel 😉
It took me awhile to get the right strength but I love them. I'm definitely into just picking the sax up and playing! Responds is great and they give me the sound I'm looking for and everything else to boot🎷
I’ve been playing one for several weeks on the American cut and I like enjoy playing it
Hi Jay! You said it yourself, the easiness of playing made your sound warm and lush, thus #3 was easy pick!
I concur with your conclusion. You sounded really comfortable with the 3rd and 1st reed
Hi Jay - I've tried their Classic, Signature and American cuts for both tenor and alto, including different strengths. My preferred is the Signature with American cut in 2nd.
I got an American Cut 3.2 last year for my alto which I use a Jumbo Java a45 mouthpiece on and have not looked back, I love it!
Been using Legere Signature off and on since your video way back. Been trying the American Cut 1 7/5. For two weeks. I like it.
Synthetic reeds have everything I want, yet lack the soul of cane.
I watched the last synthetic reed after I recently got my saxophone and am learning. One of the biggest thing I struggle with is the reed / mouth piece , whether it be knowing is I'm blowing it correctly or if I've got a bad reed (everybody I've watched has gotten different reasons and methods to correct / fix this.... But personaly I love to watch your guide on everything and I've been following all the lessons, and feel I've gotten more help and knowledge from them, so thank you so much for being slow in your teachings and having sections instead of a blast of overwhelming info I and I think others see and may put them off from learning this beautiful instrument!) . overall I have gotten over the reeds taste 😂 and I feel like its not much of a issue but I have this feeling of if I get a synthetic reed I feel like it could get easyer and give me more help in focusing on practice and would be able to learn without worrying about a reed chipping (has happened to me sadly... Had to order more witch was trouble in its self as I didn't know which brands suited what and overall just loosing practice time 😅), but yeah overall I'd like to thank ya for being a great saxophone sensei !!!
Tried them, and they crack easily. I'm now trying out Venn reeds. Love the sound!
I actually just purchased some Legere American Cut reeds earlier this week. I'm trying out some new mouthpieces and wanted a reed that would give me some consistency as I try out them out. Haven't gotten them yet, but I'm looking forward to giving them a try!
AWESOME!!! I lit right up at 6:59. I play a Legere Signature 2.5 for practice and noodling but when I am "in the mood" I use a Rigotti Gold 3, there is a just a little more magic to it. Thank you Jay!
That was the best choice that I did. Sounds just like the cane or even better for a bright sound. Not so sure for dark. More resistant and you just set it up on your mouth piece e start to play!
OK I guessed wrong. I've been using Legere, for several years, but not exclusively. I bought the American cut for Tenor a couple of months ago and really like it, using a 2.25 or 2.5 depending on mpc.Still using the Legere Signature on Alto and Soprano. 100 years ago, when there were gigs, the Legeres always came with me to outdoor gigs since I use multiple horns and the climate here is dry. I do prefer cane for the warmth of sound, when I can find a good one. Great video Jay. Now shower me with free stuff.
I like #1 for the brightness but the other 2 sound great. All are good.
I love your sound with no.2 and even more with no.3.
Great video, Jay, thank you! I started playing on Bari Star synthetic reeds for high school marching band--they didn't freeze in cold weather like cane. I've been on my current Bari Star now for over a year and it still cuts into my lip pretty well. I found Omniguard, a mold-able wax lip guard. I haven't tried it yet and I don't know if I'll like it or even get used to playing with it on but it's either this or I go back to cane. I will say synthetics are tricky on metal mouthpieces and like to slide around on the table and cause the lig to move around a bit as well. Thanks again for all the great info--really enjoy your videos!
Honestly, they all sounded really great and organic to me. I couldn't tell whats the cane reed. That's also because of your amazing skill I bet.
As a beginner, I switched to Legere reeds pretty early as I felt super comfortable with them. It is much easier for me to play in tune with the Legere Signature and I will stick to it for sure :)
Gonna try the American Cut for sure tho!
Jay,... great vid. It's all about the comfort zone. If it's a gig or record session, I only use what's in the comfort zone, don't want to sweat details when concentrating on performance. Love the Yani. great scale and balance,,I play on 50 yr. old super 20.
best wishes.
Thanks. That’s not a Yanagisawa it’s the BetterSax alto 😉
I thought 1 and 3 were synthetic and 2 was cane, because of the slight buzz that it felt the second had, but when you mentioned it was a little stronger than what you would like, that made sense listening to the recap. I've got a Legere studio and classic cut for tenor, and a classic cut for alto. With the Alto (first one I got) I followed their comparison chart, and went with 2.5 instead of the 3 I normally do for my cane reeds. Ended up going through their exchange to get a 2.25 instead. They're a lot stiffer than cane seems to be to me
I love your review Jay. I love Legere reeds however, I find that they are edgy on my already bright Yamaha. Cane reeds can be frustrating sometimes. I absolutely love your content brother. I’ve learnt a lot from you. Thanks.
So here's how I preferred it in the past, I haven't played it for a while but I'm planning on doing it again soon. When I was doing pep rally band or instrumentation that would have me in the elements, the synthetic read would be my best friend due to them just mostly lasting longer in general in the elements and from repeated use and louder use. But in a more classical or jazz setting I would 100% stick my neck out all the time for wooden reeds
I tried the American cut and knew in 10 seconds that I had played my last wood reed.
#2 sounded the best to me. The darker sound was appealing. #3 was also a nice fit between the sharper #1 and the darker #2.
I used to use synthetic reeds for a while then I switched back to cane reeds. I now am a huge fan of using cane reeds over synthetic because I try to get a darker sound when playing my alto. I also like the ability to use a reed geek to shape my cane reeds so that they are exactly how I want them. I've never used the reed geek on a synthetic reed; I don't think it would work but I've never tried it.
The sound of synthetic reeds Legere and Venn is very clear. Although I have the same issue with stiffness. Two of both brands cracked early. They have a long way to go to compete with natural cane reeds. I'm returning to natural cane Hemke reeds, they are made by the same maker as Venn - D'Addario.
I like synthetic reeds when I'm doubling in musical theatre orchestras, especially if I haven't played the clarinet/sax in a few minutes and need to put down the flute/oboe/whatever and play the clarinet/sax with only a few seconds in between. I also recommend synthetic reeds to younger students who have a hard time determining whether or not cane reeds are good out of the box or if they will be auditioning for their county's or state's concert band. It's one less thing to worry about right before that very stressful audition. Synthetic reeds are so good now, it's incredibly difficult to tell the difference. Having said that, I still use cane reeds when I can. Keep making these videos, Jay!
We got our second child and I drastically reduced practice time. I switched to synthetic because it was less about playing feel but more about being able to pick up a reed and just go without any hassle. For these, American Cut are great and I even wonder if it would be worth going back to can now. They are very bright and speak well, altissimo is perfect and I even get low Bb subtoned on my tenor.
2&3 sounded most similar to me & best, interesting that you felt more comfortable 1 than 2.
Before you posted which reed you played, my order of favorites was 1 - 3 - 2. Reed 1 sounded the most lively and brilliant to my ears, and Reed 2 was darker. Reed 3 was close to 1 but 1 edged it out. I guessed that Reed 1 was cane, Reed 2 was synthetic (based on my listening experience with synthetic reeds) and that Reed 3 was maybe a different cane. What a surprise that Reeds 1 & 2 were the American cut a quarter strength apart! 3 months ago I switched to the Legere American Cut as an acceptable compromise to my cane reeds. And I'm playing a higher baffle mouthpiece for more of a contemporary sound and the synthetics darkened the tone a little. I found the same experience with strengths, I usually play a 3 soft on alto and tenor in cane, and I had to go 2.5 on alto, 2.25 on tenor on the Legere American cut. So Jay....last time you did a comparison between can and synthetic, you favored cane. Sounds like you still favor cane.
i do a lot of outdoor gigs (not lately though lol) so for me the legeres are fantastic/ no warping or drying out/ instant playability/and have consistent sound quality
im sure some will disagree.
just my opinion
nothing beats a real good cane reed but in the fast paced world legere reeds are my go too 😎
I just thought the 2nd one didn’t sound as good as 1 and 3. I feel you on the preference for cane. For me it’s about convenience. I have my sax next to my desk. When I have a break between calls I pick up my horn and it’s always good to go. I don’t have time for prepping or re-wetting a reed.
Jay, I actually liked the tonal quality of #2!
I have been playing the American cut since it was launched and I am very pleased. However I recently tried the D’addario Venn reed and I must say that It plays very well , though it results in a darker sound than the American cut one.
Early ur the best thanks for showing saxologic i watch him always
I think (before watching the end) that #2 is the synthetic reed. It has a brighter sound than the other two to me. but, I'm just getting interested in learning sax.
Great video as usual :) and thank you for your amazing giveaways
Hard to tell them apart! I'm still very new at alto sax and still trying to figure out what I need or want. Having fun though!
#3 sounds like the cane reed to me. It definitely had a different sound from the first two.
Number three is wood. You can hear the extra saliva 'gurgle' on the synthetics. I had to learn not to 'slobber' when I started playing synth reeds. They're are all I ever play now. My last reed lasted a few years, until I chipped it one night, on my music stand.
I've yet to wear out a Legere even after a year+ lol; they always just end up getting damaged eventually.
This is exactly what happened, my legere reed lasted so long, then when I pulled it out of the box I accidentally pulled it by the tip of the reed and cracked it a little. Hurt my soul, but all the money I saved I just got another one and the new one came and played exactly like the last one. These things are awesome.
3 is just perfect sound, i'm going with 2 for the cane one
Second time I try Legere reeds and this time its just THE reed for me. After stepping up from a smaller tip opening (AL3) to a V16 A6 finding the right reed was kinda difficult. Too soft makes the intonation flat, too hard is to hard to play. The fact that I can get a quarter strength between two was game changing for me, really nice reed. AND it sounds really good. Nice vid as always :)
My initial reaction is that #2 clip is your cane reed...seems just a bit less bright than the other two, for some reason. So hoping my guess is right. By the way, I have got your new better sax alto...and lovin' it! Can't wait to pair it with your new mouthpiece which I have on order as well! So....very interested in what the outcome is of your reed comparison today!
1 sounds completely different from 2 and 3. I have to say that 2 is definitely more compact though, 1 is more of a spread out *messy* sound that sounds really good, while 2 is more compact and neat. I think 2 is the American cut.
I clicked like no3 before you did a re run because I liked the sound. I have a different brand of synthetic and have similar problem with my lip and reverted back to a no2 cane reed without problems. Just an old bloke learning but putting up to 3 sessions a day of 40 minutes each on the basics as per your program.
I'm a brand new player, but I always use the American cut 1.5 as it's still soft enough for me to work with but it takes away all the maintenance and the inconsistency that you would find with a natural reed. Plus the upside that that the synthetic reeds last much longer.
I think I like Reed 3 the best. Seems to be a good blend of both.
You are the best! Love you man!
I would love to have one of those mouthpieces, they sound very good
I have played the Signature for some years for my tenor. Cane reeds I’m done with - no more cutting and filing and inconsistencies. The American cut I have tried as well. I’m using Signature #2 and ordered two American Cut #2, but the American Cut is too stiff and a little rough. My mouthpiece is an Otto Link NY, 7*.
So after hearing American cut reeds on a few videos and liking their sound, I bought a tenor sax #2, American cut. It is very controllable and I like the sound but it hurt my mouth. I sanded off the outer corners where they contact my lip using 600 grit sandpaper. I barely took any off and the problem is solved. With that minor adjustment, I think this is my favourite reed.
So... it was going from brighter to darker and warmer sound.. then:
1- was a normal legere
2- american cut legere
3- bamboo cane.
All 3 sounds very good with your excellent m.p.
I prefer the 3rth a little bit more.. BUT, it's because i feel that legere sounds sometimes a little bit to plastic.. AND if you try a fiber carbon like Fiberreed hemp, or carbon, you will realize that his sound is realy natural.. with all the advantages of the sinthetyc canes like Légere and others.
Many thanks and congrats for your great video, as usual, Jay! Greatings from Argentina!
P.d today is the 5 aniversary for the pass away from "Gato" Barbieri. I have upload Europa in his version like a tribute for him.
Sory for my english. Regards!👍🙂
Definitely 3 is more to my liking!
Very nice, I heard about these but have not tried them yet!
#3 was my favorite overall…I’m not usually able to hear differences when people do playing test comparisons…but I clearly liked the 3rd one over the other two…
Nailed it!…Should probably give one a shot….Thx!👌
Legere reeds are a little darker, muted, but saved me on stage as i am ROUGH on reeds and kept splitting 4 bamboo ones. Saying that, they do get “tired” so I switch out during breaks...kinda like running shoes they need time to rebound. And...no maintenance! It stays on the mouthpiece in my practice area!
Guessed # 3 not by sound but how much your ombrochure was working. Synths are a workout.
For soft, warm songs, i prefer the 3rth (bamboo cane).. for all other, a sinthetyc, BUT, a carbon fiber reed like Fiberreed, because his realy natural sound. Thanks for all Jay.. great sound all the 3 with your m.p👏👏👏
I honestly could not hear the difference between the reeds! Letting us know that you needed slightly lower strength on the plastic reeds is really insightful, i've been hesitant about getting a $25 reed because of the "what if it's the wrong strength" issue.
I've been using synthetic reeds since the day I tried on. I haven't tried an American cut one yet. I should try it.
I'm going to say that the first one and the second reed you played was the synthetic
Cane reeds feel better when I'm playing on stage. But I do like practicing on synthetic reeds. I own Cane, Synthetic, and Fibracell Premier Synthetic. witch feel better to me then the clean synthetic ones. I have The Fibracell's for both my alto and Bari. Like you said the mouthpiece does make a difference.
Another informative video, I think 1 was the synthetic Reed, all the others cane.
I currently play with an american cut bigger sound and easy like a jet, super nice with a jody jazz mouthpiece too
Just started playing a week ago. Your videos have helped me sooo much! I inherited my grandfathers 80yr old martin tenor. Im so stoked to play!!!
I would bet money the second was synthetic for sure. But its kinda hard for me to tell between reed 1 and 3... but ithink the 3rd one sounds a bit more natural sounding? is the cane reed #3?
Ive been playing legere for a few years now.I love them
Nr 2 I definitely heard synthetic. I play a nr 2 myself classic cut. Very stable. It's my go to live performance reed.
I love The the legere American cut reeds because I love a bright sound
I thought the 3rd Reed sounded better but not by a lot.
Very impressed
I am playing the American Cut now as my main reed. I prefer them WAY better than the original Signature from Legere which never totally convinced me. In fact the American Cut has converted me from cane. I still think cane is slightly better, but the difference has been reduced so much, that at this point I prefer the trade-off of easy handling and no-maintenance of synthetic reeds. Funny reference to Saxologic on the starting thumbnail :D
Same here, the American Cut is a step above the Signature in my opinion. It also speaks more easily, great reed.
The important thing is really to find the correct strength, I play a 2 on a 8+ tip opening Vandoren mpc and that just works.
Three sounds the best to my ear wether I’m wrong or not. Just sounded warmer to me.
I bought two American Cut reeds a few weeks ago, one got a split after only two or three sessions. They both bother my lower lip to the point where I have to stop practicing after an hour. I'm thinking of shaving it with my Reed Geek, but will likely stick with my Boston Sax reeds because a feel the low notes are richer
“On my new mouthpiece” 😂 I thought it was just a new mouthpiece add it to your collection but this is literally your brand featuring mouthpiece 🙏
3 is warmer that 1&2.. all very nice.
I found Legere reeds after a 40 year hiatus, and I love them. I would love to try the American Cut, but unfortunately, it is not offered for baritones. Hopefully it will be an option by the time the pandemic is over.
I love legare synthetic reeds! That said, haven’t tried the American cut yet as they were on back order. I honestly couldn’t tell which reed was which🤣
I picked the cane reed as number 3. I am currently using a white cane Forestone 2.5 synthetic. It's OK but I still prefer a cane reed.
Hey Jay, I don’t know if you noticed, but Jean Paul released their own “professional” mouthpieces. They are around 70 USD. Very interesting considering the level of quality that has come from that company. It would make an interesting video!
I agree the synthetic is harder on my lip. I also can’t quite get used to the “dryness “ of the reed after playing a while. Really like brightness and intonation though.
2 was my favorite sound from you. Worth the extra effort? Haha, you are amazing on all the reeds!
I have a couple of years playing and recording with Legere reeds and I’m never coming back to cane …. They are better in every way!!!!
Hi Jay,, i was turned on to synthetic reeds over 25 yrs ago when i met a Sax teacher in a music store who said he needed to switch from alto to tenor in a show .. Synthetics as you know dont need to be kept wet .. Big plus for club dates with interruptions . I found my comfort zone with synthetics using # 2 MED strength with # 7 opening metal mouth piece on a Mark IV 1954 model that plays every note from Bb To high F with precision ..My Yanakasawa tenor is no match for my Selmer .. My selections/choices after years of trying to get the sound i wanted . yes years ..Bobby G..
I hope I can get and try that synthetic reed. I never been played Sax but trumpet, but I have a plan to buy sax nextweek seriously :)
I like playing a synthetic tenor reed on my Alto :-0
The best way of explaining the legere reed size goes like this. So whenever you buy a wood reed, it takes a bit of playing till it gets to that comfortable spot. It's almost as if you're breaking in the reed, and wood reeds basically never play how you want them to straight out of the box. So if you think about it, maybe you bought a size 3 wood reed, but after breaking it in, it's possibly a 2.75? So whenever you buy a legere reed, go down .25 to get that sweet spot you want. This allows them to play exactly how you want to right out of the box, and it will stay that way for an eternity. For example, I used to use a 2.5 on alto, so I currently use a 2.25 legere reed. On tenor I used to use a 3, so I use a 2.75 legere reed. I luckily had someone tell me this info before I ordered the wrong sizes, so I'll pay it forward.
3 has the best tone, nice and dark great for jazz. I think 3 is cane.
Those sythetic reeds are bright. Nice.
whats crazy is reeds are about the same price now as they were back in the 90s when i stopped playing. Man there is just so many more choices now. back then if your local shop didnt carry em you didnt get em. I was a van Doren guy. Its funny to look back at what ya had to do to get by back then vs now. We were at a state jazz competition and i smashed my well worn favorite reed on my tenor and didnt have anything else to use. Had to use an alto reed, it was a rough day as i had a solo number to perform. For the first time ever i had stage fright that day.
You've got to do this same test for tenor. I've noticed that the larger synthetic reeds have a more profound difference than the smaller ones... the difference in tone on soprano and clarinet is almost unnoticeable from cane reeds and I don't mind them. I've hated every synthetic reed I ever tried on tenor... I haven't tried these ones yet.
I think #2 is the cane but I hope it is the Legere so I can quite fighting cane reeds! Number 3 was nice also.
3 has a nicer combination of frequencies and overtones sound more natural. Thicker synth reed is too low mid range frequency focused and softer synth reed is more high mid frequency focused which tends to perceive not very multi dimensional. In my opinion If player’s objective is delivering notes tuning and response synth reed is great to take good reed bad reed out of the question but if you fall in love with a good wet reed as Dexter said then you gotta keep your reed work as part of the equation. Thanks Jay! 👍🏽
#3 could have sounded a bit brighter, 2 slightly darker, but very similar to 1. All sound good, I could not say from this listen what is natural or synth. From past experience, I speculate that once you find one that gives a sound you like, the synth will stay more stable. But may feel different.
Edit:
After listening to the rest, when you said which were which and how you liked them...I found it interesting the one I liked best (#2) was the one you were least comfortable with, but I thought sounded the best.
Thanks, great info
Sounds professionally cool
I've always found the Legere reeds have advantages in terms of total consistency. However, they feel odd and don't have the power or variation of tone achievable with cane. I'll still enter the giveaway though!!
I use the Synthetic American Cut (2) on both my Alto & Tenor horns with a J-Jazz HR*6 on both, fits nicely or me...