I Tried Plastic Saxophone Reeds... Again
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- Опубліковано 17 вер 2024
- #bettersax #saxophone #legerereeds
Jay Metcalf reviews the new Légére French Cut Synthetic Saxophone Reeds.
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Legere Signature has been my favorite for many years now. As said by others, it can't beat a very good cane reed but it's 80% there, it sounds great and it is very consistent.
After trying out different Légère versions, I came back to the American cut, definitely my favorite.
i switched to flute and now i got no problem jajajajajaja
I play fife and recorder, so these vids are just fun to watch for me. And in my head, I'm building my "dream sax" for the chance that I actually get time to pick up a new instrument 😊
Easier to carry to gigs also. smart! 😁😂
@@SavageMinnow Oooh, what is your dream sax? Mine is the ruby red Cannonball (which doesn't seem to exist on their website anymore; sadge).
I’ll say every time that absolutely cane reeds are better, but I LOVE synthetics for hobbyists. They’re good enough, and the 0-maintenance + consistency + longevity allow me to spend more of my limited time playing without having to lose time fiddling with cane.
I mostly agree. IMO, a good cane will always surpass synthetic. But a bad cane reed might as well get tossed, unless you want to spend a lot of time trying to salvage it. A synthetic will always play to an acceptable level. Hobbyists and students just starting out... oh heck, yeah. I'm not expert, but my thought I'd for students to do the first 3-6 months on cane to build endurance and work out their set up, then synthetic until they start noticing the limitations.
Yep. The uncertainty of cane reeds put me off practicing regularly. Legere got me going again. Very comfortable with them. On french cut at moment, which plays well.
I'm a professional that chose Legeres over cane. Cane just gave me too many issues with moisture and spitty sound appearing at the least opportune times: synthetics fixed all of that for me
It’s interesting that you say that they great just for hobbyists, I have been performing professionally for over 50 years, originally on clarinet and then moving to saxophone and flute. I have studied at the college level on all of them and I currently play in a rock blues band that is a good paying gig and I have been performing for years in pit orchestras in the theater realm for it seems like forever for which I get paid well. Originally I would have sworn that cane reeds were the only kind of reed that you can get the kind of nuance needed for both classical and jazz performances, especially if you were being paid for those performances. The world of synthetic reeds has changed considerably since they originally came on the market, I currently use a French cut Legere 4.5 reed for clarinet for all of my clarinet work and I have been using the American cut for Tenor (2.5)and alto sax (2.75) and a European cut (3.0) for soprano sax. I have found them to be dependable and long lasting and they provide the nuance that I originally only thought cane could provide. When playing in the pit for shows where you are changing between horns a lot and sometimes having to leave one horn untouched for almost an hour before it is actually needed, I definitely need a reed that speaks as consistently as possible and with nuance when I pick up that horn without having to go through the cane reed rituals that have always been a part of a woodwind players performance life. In summary, as a professional performer, I have found them to perform to the high levels that have been required of me, without issue, for at least the last several years.
I think it is up to each individual player to determine whether any given hardware that is presented in the given arena where you are doing your work,to determine whether that new shiny thing will enhance your playing and hopefully bring you to the next level of performance that you seek.
@@sibelinofm
Once I found the Legere American cut, I was sold. I have not used a wood reed on my alto in 5 years. The cane reeds squeak much more often and need the loving care of a high maintenance, bipolar girl friend. With Legere I just slap it on and it plays perfectly in any type of weather. In 20 years cane reeds will be gone.
I play both the Signature and American cuts. Signature is a bit darker and rounder, American is a bit brighter and louder. I like the Signature the best just for its all around middle-of-the-road performance characteristics. Easy to play easy to live with. My only struggle with synthetics is my lower lip gets fatigued much quicker than with cane. Cane provides a more authentic saxophone playing experience but Legere’s are a joy to put on and get to it when you have limited practice time and are frustrated with cane inconsistency.
French cut: unbelievable!☝️🙏 Played the last gig with it.
Cuts don’t make any difference when the reed is plastic.
@@SaxSith BS. Stop talking about something you obviously know nothing about.
Tried the Legere Signature and American cut.
Liked the Amerrican cut the most. The synthetic reeds came along way since like 15 years ago.
But, nothing beats the sweet wooden taste of a new cane reed fresh out of it's package.
Legere Signature are so consistent & reliable they sound really good, i’ve been playing them for 6 years now performance wise you know your sounds going to fine relax and go for legere signature easy choice
No wonder my Légère reeds when I first bought them were great and now they don’t work well - they’re too weak now.
I didn’t realize they were like real reeds and they change with time.
I figured probably like most people that once you buy them, it’s one strength and it lasts as is forever but this is interesting to learn this today. Thank you for sharing. 👍🏼🤪🎷
With legere reeds you need to play on one each time for up to 15 minutes, then they soften a bit and will play their best. Legere recommend having 3 reeds and rotating them and not playing on one for more than an hour at a time to preserve the life of the reed and stop it going softer sooner.
@@DynamixWarePro I'm unlikely to fork over $100 plus to have one reed that will last longer
They become weaker with play. With a soprano sax cane reeds are better overall.
@@JoeLinux2000 I play Soprano sax with a Selmer Concept and S80 D mouthpieces and play on mine with Legere European Cut clarinet reeds. They play great on it for me. As they are slightly wider than normal clarinet reeds, they play better and give me a more centred sound which I like.
I’ve been playing the D’Addario Venn reeds on my tenor, alto, and clarinet. They work like magic, improve my sound and my tone. They last for months and look and feel like a cane reed, and I could use it for both jazz and classical
how much it costs?
@@DrinkCola $30-35, they are totally worth the price
I play the Legere Signature cut and I just recently switched to it. I really like the roundness and consistency it gives me. It also makes more sense economically as they can last at least 6 months in most cases. They are just more convenient and I like the way they feel. I will say the best cane reed I have ever played is better than the synthetic but the synthetic is better than most of the cane reeds I get. I don’t think there is a right answer and it comes down to an individual person and what suits their needs. I loved hearing your input on it!
I just put my reeds in whiskey and have never had a problem since :)
Vodka for me
@dorashinn9205 no hang over?
Scotch for me and I’m 75 years old @7:40 est
Yeah, after playing cane for 40 yrs, the switch to synthetic (Legere American Cut) was a challenge for me, mainly for one reason:
No matter how good a cane reed is, it still will *never* blow as consistent as a synthetic. What I mean is I would always have to work harder (stronger airstream, etc) in certain places on the horn. With a Legere, that was something I did and do not have to do or take into account. Yeah, it's an easy concept to understand but trust me, it took a long time and I still have to occasionally remind myself of that. Not overblowing in certain areas is (was) the toughest for me to overcome.
Yes, they're slightly more bright in timbre but that's something I personally wanted. As with any reed, finding the right strength and/or cut was the biggest challenge.
Lastly, I've also found that some mouthpieces just do NOT like Legere's. I have no idea why, but it is what it is. There are MANY factors to take into consideration. I've been playing Legere's (Classic on clarinet, American on Sop, Alto and Tenor) for just over 4 yrs now and will probably never play cane again. They're VERY consistent (when you find the right strength/cut for your playing needs), last forever when rotating between at least 2 or 3 reeds and simply enjoyable to play. No, they're not for everyone but with some work and *commitment*, they're fantastic.
I had "But Not for Me" in my head this morning so I guess I was meant to watch this video. I've been using Légère reeds about 95% of the time for the past couple of years. I still don't think they sound as good as a perfect, broken-in cane reed, but it sure is nice to take the reed, put it on the mouthpiece, and have it play consistently every time. But the main reason I use these all the time is that I've been playing in pit orchestras. With all of the instrument swapping, it's critical to be able to pick up a horn that's been sitting there for 20 minutes and get an instant response. Then put it down 4 measures later and pick up another instrument. 😂
I have a legere signature series. It's an A- reed. Which is great for me as a teacher. It's getting so close.
I play lap steel and saxophone. At gigs my reeds were drying when I would play a few lap steel songs in a row. I switched to synthetic and it’s been great!
I use the signature cut all around (classical/jazz/solo/big band/combo). I use different strengths on different mouthpieces, of course, and the results are great for me!
I walked away from cane reeds around 1985, because 3/4 of the box were cut off center, and were terrible. ( I no longer play due to health reasons ). The durability, and consistant quality of plastic were worth the small sacrifice in tone, on a gig situation.
Switched from cane to legere reeds 5 years ago. Love how they play perfectly out of the box. Great in all weathers. Use signature reeds for alto, tenor, and bari. Play on Theo Wanne Durga mouthpieces for all of my horns. Only complaint is for my bari legere reeds which seem to crack after only a few gigs. Legere folks were nice enough to replace my last broken reed but I need something stronger that won’t break when I am playing loud and hard. 🎷
I've tried Fibracell, Fiberreed, Legere, and some others, starting with Fibercane in the 1970's. I currently play Legere American Cut on alto/tenor for jazz, and Legere Signature on alto/tenor for classical. I've never had good results with synthetics for soprano, so I use cane there. It does take some trial to figure out what works. I agree that at their best cane reeds sound the best, but synthetics are more consistent. I also found that all the synthetics get weaker/softer over time, so you still need to have spares available. Sometimes I can feel them soften half-way through a rehearsal so I change them at the break, but they'll recover enough to use the next time I play.
I LOVE Fibracell for clarinet. I also use Fibracell for tenor sax, it works adequately, nice not having to deal with cane maintenance, works right away, but it is hard to get the very low notes out on the tenor with the fibracell.
The only one I've ever liked is the Daddario Venn. They feel great aside from the plasticy smoothness.
Listening to a UA-cam compressed audio on a mobile phone - all of them sound perfectly identical 😂
My experience with the Legere reeds came when I was playing alto, tenor, and guitar in a jazz combo - swapping between instruments throughout a gig. And 40% would be guitar, so synthetic meant not grabbing the tenor 2 hours into the gig to find a dried out reed 😉
Old sax player turned band director here.
I don’t play much anymore, I play on TikTok live and sometimes in videos… but for the most part, all my woodwind reeds are synthetic because they’re so easy to pick up and be consistent immediately. Mostly for sound demoing purposes while teaching. I’ll never go back to cane, I don’t think
When I started playing saxophones in 2018, I started on Legere reeds as I wanted to take out any issues from cane reeds when I was learning. I have played every Legere reed since as well as several other synthetic reeds. As I have been playing on Legere reeds for so long, I haven't been able to get used to cane reeds even though I have tried an number of times to do so as I have a few mouthpieces such as a JodyJazz HR* that don't play well for me with any Synthetic reeds I have tried.
I prefer French cut reeds on my Claude Delangle alto mouthpiece as they give me the sound and response I am after. I recently bought a Selmer Jazz Flow 5 alto mouthpiece and have been trying different reeds on it. I like Legere's Signature reeds on it. I tried a strength 2.75 French cut on it and while I liked the sound, it was too resistant. I then went to a 2.5 and found the response much better, but a bit buzzy for me. I have some American cut reeds but find them a little bright for me.
What I have noticed with Legere reeds, the table of the reed is a little thinner than on cane reeds and so they don't fit or play well with some ligatures. To get them to fit and play better on some ligatures, I stick BG reed performer patches on the top of the bottom half of them to raise the height of that area and they play better than without the patch.
Hearing your Tenor playing with the French Cut reeds, I didn't like it. Sounded a bit dark/stuffy and buzzy. When you mentioned the lip pain after playing them, I never thought about it before, but I think I have had that feeling before when playing them and just put it down to my muscles getting fatigued.
I love Legere signature reeds, using them for both my alto and tenor, last about 10 month (playing 1 hour a day). For the tenor, I use the original Selmer S80 mouthpiece and size 3.00, found that I break them in in about 10 - 15 days and I would estimate the strength to be down to about 2.9 in that time. Unfortunately I don't ever think there will be a plastic reed that beats a really good cane reed that may be one out of 20. We are all different but that is my conclusion.
I tried Legere American Cut a year ago and I love it! It is not quite as responsive as a cane reed in the upper register, for me, but overall it has been great. I have tried a variety of synthetic reeds over the years and they have been awful! This one works! I use it for big band as well as concert band settings. My setup is a Jody Jazz HR#7 and a 2.75 legere. I found that I needed about .25 harder reed than I had used with cane. Also, interesting, I found that the adjustment wih respect to the tip opening seems to be more critical. Moving it slightly either way from flush with the tip has a big effect on response. Legere was a great help in selecting the strength, since they allow you to exchange for a different strength once per purchase at noe cost. That helps a lot!
I’ve tried American and French cut but I always go back to Signature. 2.25 with a metal Otto Link 7*. I really like my sound but I’m always trying to improve my tone.
I literally just bought 3 Legere synthetic reeds this week and tried out my first synthetic reed and it was… AMAZING!
Been using the French cut read for about three months now and I love it had a lot of trouble keeping a cane read and finding new ones even with the read geek love the French cut I’ll never change
I live in Arizona. Cane reeds are subject to warping due to weather extremes. Hot dry summer temps, hot humid summer monsoons, cold winters, etc. Synthetic reeds offer perfect response in all weather conditions. I think the university marching band director now requires synthetic reeds. However, I still prefer wood reeds even for marching band because of their superior sound quality. I'm not a fan of Legere's "American cut" compared to the normal cut. There's also a brand that makes wood reeds coated so that they don't warp, but the coating comes off over time and I don't know how safe it is to accidentally eat it.
What's your opinion of synthetic fiber reeds? In my experience, they fray too easily. I'm not sure how safe it is to accidentally eat the synthetic fibers.
Pinch tongue 👅 ‘tried them all. Took $200 and bought 2.00-3.00 of both cuts…Now I’m still using Bettersax reeeds☮️🎵🎶🎵🎷
Response and intonation are just better on a cane reed. These plastic reeds sound either stuffy or too bright in my experience. I prefer the Fibracell if I need to use a synthetic. It does not hurt my lip like the plastic type. But the cane is still my preference. I can hear all the issues Jay had while trying these plastic reeds. Thanks for the great demo and as always, exceptional playing example! Cheers
I'm the opposite.
I love the way the plastic feels on my mouth. I teach for hours a day in private lessons. Feels good.
Playing mostly as an accompanist “behind/with” a vocalist… and playing sax maybe every other song… keyboards on the other tunes… during a 2-3 hr gig night… and also doubling/tripling (tenor/alto/soprano)… synthetic (Legere) has become my absolute go-to. No worry… no drying/wetting… etc. … grab and play! I never would have thought so, but especially for my application they are the best choice for me.
After 4 looking for a perfect reed I tried the Legere American cut. A friend of mine suggested them saying it would be a great pair with my Theo Wanne mouthpiece. I didn't believe but I gave it a shot. I loved how it played and sounded. I have made the switch for couple of months now. It saves me a bit of time I can get my sax and play. I can take long breaks and go back to my sax and it plays the same every time. I'm might go back to cane in the future but for now I'm playing Legere. I never thought I'd say that but to me it has worked out greatly.
I found an interesting thing - on a tenor, synthetic reeds were a total failure sound-wise. However, I use tenor Fiberreeds on a bass clarinet, and they sound great. I use bari Fiberreeds on a baritone sax, and it sounds sufficiently good, and the gains from a stable reed are immense. The bigger the reed, the more unstable it is, bends and twists quickly. I use the same bari sized fiberreed reed on a contralto clarinet, and it’s also wonderful.
The lower instruments can handle the extra brightness synthetics bring I play Synthetic or plasticover only on bari and bass clarinet.
I LOVE the Fibracell for clarinet. I use Fibracell for tenor, but it's just average for tenor, and it's hard to get the really notes to come out on tenor with the Fibracell
I haven't played the French cut. I've played the Signature and the American. I really like the Signature for classic jazz stuff, and the American is good for funk/rock stuff--feels brighter and louder to me.
Sounds beautiful
I love my Legere French Cut 2.0 reed in combination with my Vandoren Optimum AL3 mouthpiece and Rovner Dark Ligature for the warm sound I get when playing with my local Orchestra. Definitely more suited for that kind of sound than the American or Signature cuts I tried, and better than any of the finicky wooden reeds I tried. Most importantly to me as a hobbyist, I've been using the same reed for almost a year straight and it still plays beautifully!
synthetic in marching band i love, and i like cane in concert/jazz ensembles
For synthetic I play Légère Signature, I do favor them over the American cut, but also use Forestone synthetic depending on the mpc. Since I live in a very dry climate and frequently play outdoor gig where I double, I need the horn and reed ready to go, so for these circumstances I must use synthetic. In the practice room it's cane (BetterSax, BSS and Rigotti) or synthetic just, depending on my mood. Great video Jay as always.
I’ve been using Legere ‘Signature’ series (#2.5) for over 5 years - and never had a problem. For me, about 8 years playing now - I love ‘em. I’d never go back to those wooden sticks.
Great video Jay.. I share the same feeling, I tried Legere (and other brand too), but I prefer cane reeds, so far. Sound and feeling. But I do appreciate Legere and their efforts in improving their products. Thank you Jay !
An American Cut 2 On My 6star Jody Jazz Hr Mouthpiece On Soprano Is lovely! So Consistent And Full On My Yanagisawa!
I have tried each of the types and I personally enjoy the signature the most.
I tried the legere signature series, and they sounded pretty good, but definitely not as warm as a cane reed. On the advice of a friend, I tried the Silverstein Ambipoly, and I'm never going back. They feel and respond a lot like a cane reed, but they're always ready to go, and don't have issues at different climates and altitudes.
For reference, I'm a saxophone and guitar player for a nationally touring reggae band and during the set there are long stretches where I don't play saxophone. With cane, I almost always had issues for the first 3 songs after switching back from guitar, but with the Silverstein it's just pick up and play, and I routinely get compliments on my tone. It's definitely the best synthetic I've ever played, and I would highly recommend you give them a review
I’m a recent Silverstein Works Ambipoly convert and I probably won’t be going back to cane, either. Great feel; SO much better than Legere and Venn. Awesome reeds and excellent customer service, too.
@@AaronTMartin the company is incredible! I ran out of reeds on tour out west and they expedited shipping to make sure I got them the next day, such good people, and such good reeds
I tried many synthetic reeds through the last two years and never come close to the sound of canes. I am back to canes, definitely prefer cane over plastic. Now I use ReadyReed for storing reeds and it makes huge difference! For cane players I really recommend ReadyReed, which not only keeps my reeds in shape but also significantly prolongs their lifetime.
Do you have a reference for ReadyReed ? ... I didn't found it on Google
There's definitely advantages to both. I am a very classical player and it still sounds that way when I play on my 6 Burnin' mouthpiece with a 3 Légère American Cut reed. But I enjoy the bigger sound and larger range of style. Nothing beats a good cane reed, but the consistency and longevity of the synthetic reeds are great.
I played Signature with a pleasure prior American cut was introduced. I purchased softer American cut for different mouthpeice and found it still nice yet, but brighter, on the same mouthpiece for comparison. Definitely, Signature is softer, smoother. Both are nice, though. I'm keen to try French cut when it is time to renew a reed. Thanks for the info, Jay.
I get the same "pinch" feeling in my lip, but never considered the vibration being the culprit. I've also tried to like Legere (and other synthetic) reeds enough to switch. For me, cane wins by a lot. However, I think there are situations that might warrant synthetic, especially if the player is switching between horns. Side note - I've played and really like those Better Sax reeds.
I started looking for synthetic reeds ten or so years ago as I live in Canada and it can be so dry in the winter that I struggled with cane reeds. I settled on Forestone for a while but then switched to Legere American cut. Initially they hurt my lips and I used to sand off the sharp corners. After a while the reeds either changed or I got used to them, and I don't sand them anymore. I have been using the French Cut for about a year and love them. They have a beautiful mellow tone and are very easy to control. In this video, I thought your cane reeds sounded a bit nicer than the plasti . That hasn't been my experience and I am not sure why it would be different. Initially I played the Legere reeds with too much embouchure, but it might have even been one of these videos that suggested that the best embouchure is no embouchure. I try to play that way now, with a very light mouth. Anyway, for reasons that I don't understand, it takes a bit of time to learn how to get the most out of a synthetic reed. I might order a box of French Cuts if people keep slagging them. They are my favourite, but whatever happens, I am not going back to cane.
Jay, thanks a million for the Légère Saxophone Reeds demo-truly a reediculous performance! 🎷 Not to throw more reeds on the fire, but I’ve found a couple of other options that are as smooth as butter and even pain-free! You might want to give the D'Addario Woodwinds VENN G2 Synthetic a toot or two, and if you're feeling fancy, Harry Hartmann's Copper Carbon Classic is also a real gem. Who knew picking reeds could be this exciting? Keep on jamming!
Another issue I had is , you need a Reed Geek to smooth the edges of the Legere reeds . They tend to be sharp and cut into my bottom lip .
The Anerican cut for alto has my vote at the moment. Got tired of cane. I also play mandolin and craved a reed that was as consistent as strings are.
There's nothing better than a nice, sweet, cane reed when you find a good one! For my money, it's worth dealing with the inconsistency of cane for the payoff when I find a great one out of the box or am able to massage one into the sweet spot. I also favor cane reeds for environmental reasons. Rather than search for the perfect plastic reed, I'd rather put my efforts into finding the most consistent cane reeds. At this point, my two favorites are Rigoti Gold and Better Sax, after having played Vandorans for many years.
Played all the Legere reeds. French is for me ! Their best.
I’m loving my Bari sax Fibrere carbon fiber reed.
I tried the Legere Signature and Studio reeds, but didn't like them. I am curious about the American , but am hesitant because of the other Legere reeds I tried. So far I am sticking with cane reeds. But I must say Legere has very good customer service.
After Covid, the price inflation that went on these reeds and reeds in general is….😮 Nice reed though at $30-$35 for one☮️🎶🎵🎷
I switched to Forestone synthetic reeds a few months ago and I'll never use anything else. They are amazing.
You should work with Legere to get the synthetic reeds just the way they need to be for you
I was playing the American cut but have switched to the Silverstein synthetics.
I’m using Yamaha synthetic and it’s very good
I use legere for teaching as I can pick my horn up and play without prep. I use signature as the American cut were way to bright.
I keep my cane reeds for gigs as you may not notice the difference out in the audience but I can feel the difference.
Using Legere American cut on soprano. Tried Legere Signature and American Cut on alto but darker than I like on my Daddario Jazz Select mpc. Using Plasticover on alto. I do like the response of the American Cut.
I've been using Legere signature or American cut for about six years. Never going back.
I use the Legere reeds as opposed to cane reeds for the simple fact that I wear dentures and it becomes difficult for me to keep a cane reed moist during play and that becomes a non issue with the Legere reeds. I like the sound I get from them paired with my The Wanne Durga 5 alto mouthpiece.
As I work on trouble-spots trying to pin down issues, using synthetic reeds help me eliminate some "variables."
Please review Harry Hartman's fiberreeds. Absolutely the best synthetic reed, IMO!
i love using legere sythetic reeds for my bari at school
Played on Legere for a couple of years, but ended up going back to cane. I still think cane is superior to synthetic reeds, but synthetic has gotten monumentally better over the years.
I didn''t want to like synthetic reeds 😅 But after trying out several brands (out of curiosity), I ended up adopting Legere American Cut for both Tenor and Alto.
Playing both horns during gigs, I like the fact that they don't dry out like cane reeds do when leaving one horn untouched for some time.
They're very fragile so one needs to be very careful as, unlike cane reeds, you don't buy them in 5/10 packs ...
Like Jay, I have 2 or 3 reeds of diferent strength and I still carry some cane reeds just in case
Silverstein ambipoly reeds. Strongly recommended. Legeres are feeling too plasticy for me. Also forestone white bamboo reeds are great.
Since I'm a beginner (and is coming from low brass) I went with Legere for my alto sax and clarinet since I figured I wouldn't be good enough to tell a difference with cane and synthetic should at least be more consistent so I'd know I'm doing something different vs a random bad reed. Found myself burning through their clarinet reeds faster than alto sax, though.
Fibracell works for me.
I’m actually happy playing synth on clarinet, bass clarinet and even soprano and bari, but when it comes to alto and tenor, with a few exceptional situations, forget it. Even with my fav Venn, nothing comes close to cane at this point.
Signature series synthetic 3.0 are really good but to sensitive to damages. Already broke 3 of them in 5 months
For a long time when I started playing on Signature reeds, I had an issue where they would split down the tip, mostly in the same place (either right or left side) each time. Not sure why but I haven't had that issue in a long time.
I find the american cut works better with metal mouthpieces. The pinching of the lips bothered me at first but went away as i got used to the reed. Cane reeds do have morr depth but the trade off is worth it for me.
I used Legere Signature 2.50 on soprano, tenor and baritone but then I'm back to cane. To me, the sound of cane is more rich and I had pain on lips playing sinthetic reeds.
I have my plastic reed from freshman year and I'm a Junior this year
I play alto, tenor, and bari regularly. Legere causes discomfort for me, too, but the consistency, life, and low maintenance far outweigh the drawbacks.
I haven't tried them on alto, but the Forestone reeds I've tried on bari are super comfortable. Might be worth a try.
I hear a slight buzz content with all these Legere reeds which I don't hear with your cane reeds. I think they all sound good. I guess it just depends on what sound you prefer. It is a subtle but distinct effect. As for "feel" during and after playing, that's pretty important too, probably a deal breaker for some folks. The increased durability and consistency of the synthetics is a big plus if you are ok with the slight difference in synthetic reed tone. Is it worth the cost? For some, yes, for some, not really. I personally like and use several of the synthetic brands. My favorite depends on my mood!
I prefer plastic just for practicality. They are inexpensive in the long run (I throw away several cane reeds out of the very expensive box). As a busker, each dollar counts and the quality I get out of these, the audience typically in a busking setting can't tell the difference. Also, the time spent soaking the reed adds up. Grab, go, cash money, that's the way I like it, and that is the way synthetic delivers.
Legere French Cut. Best everrrrrrrrrr. For me. No more Cane Pain 😊
I play on cane reed as well as legere signature 2.0 as beginner. But listen to the video examples, I think tha cane reed is very live and sound is open while with synthetic reed the sound is a bit muffled. Simply you can hear full potential of your sax. But for beginner playing with legere comes with more consistency.
I think you sound great on all reeds. :) Unfortunately for me, cane allergy and cheilitis forces me into synthetics only so it's Legere all the way for me. I prefer the signature cut (2.5) and play mostly classical. Use the same on both my alto and soprano. Wish betterSax made a curved soprano to rent out... LOL.
Try Harry Hartman Fiberreeds …the absolute best
I've been playing on fibracel reeds on alto, tenor and clarinet for more than 20 years. They are fantastic for me, but I've met other players that hate them.
I love Fibracell for clarinet, it's adequate for Tenor, but I find it hard to get the low notes out on tenor when using Fibracell.
Do you have an estimated date of when the bettersax soprano and Bari sax will come out? I'm eager to know.
Playing Signature both on Alto (3.0) with Vandoren V16 A6m and Tenor (2.5) with Otto Link STM NY 7
Hi Jay, this is a useful review. Anyway, I tried plastic tenor reeds years ago and still have a few (Bari and Fibracell). I liked them, but they are still so expensive at around four times the price of cane and I don’t get that! I can’t justify that massive extra cost. Although they might last longer, in my experience, plastic reeds also suffer splits and the tips can break just as easily as cane. To me they sound pretty much the same but, I did notice that you seemed to play just a little bit sweeter on the cane … maybe you just felt a bit more comfortable on a traditional reed, who knows. Although almost un-noticeable plastic reeds do sound just a little bit brighter, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing if you’re trying to balance your sound. Then, you played them on the tenor and some sounded really stuffy. On the point of sound, some cane reeds improve with age and I’m not sure plastic does. On the tenor I agree that the cane reeds just sounded nicer.
I get condensation under the reed and an occasional gurgle on the American Cut reeds , so I went back to cane .
I have got that with Legere reeds. I think it is because of the reed material, it doesn't absorb moisture like cane and any moisture just sits on the reed and can cause the moisture gurgle sound.
Under the reed in the open area of the mpc or under the table of the reed as well? If the table, it's most likely the table of your mpc isn't 100% flat which is quite common especially on metal Link's.
I've only used Legere Sig. over the last 10 years.
They are not consistent but by far more consistent than cane.
Didn't like the American cut at all.
I could usually get a cane reed to play well but it didn't last and I
certainly don't miss the time spent having to adjust them.
Fortunately I never play classical music.
I thought I was the only one who felt the same way about these French cuts. I could never get them to work on alto for some reason. There was always that irritating buzz that I could not get rid of. I found the signatures to be warmer and much less of that buzz. However, I used a French cut clarinet reed for soprano and it didn’t sound too bad. Still not as good as a cane reed, but it worked much better than on my alto setup.
I feel like I have more control with the plastic reeds rather than less but I also have problems with lip pain when practicing too long. It feels like the edges are cutting into my lip but I’m taking that trade off.
Never found a synthetic reed I liked.
I used Fibrecell for years and had a much fatter sound on it vs cane, but altissimo is so much easier on cane so I switched back last year.