C Melody Saxophone Forum

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C Melody Saxophone Forum / Mouthpieces Reeds and Ligatures / Reeds

jazzbug1 2008
User ID: 0735934 Jan 14th 7:56 AM
I see some discussion about reeds in the Aquilasax thread. Second to mouthpiece, I think the reed influences the sound of a horn as much as embouchure and style. I have found the Vandoren V-16 line to be best for my playing saxophone, with my focus on conservative, more 1920s-30s style tone, and not needing to blast. The V-16s run a bit softer than their numbers, so I use a #3 or #3 1/2 on my narrow tip mouthpieces. Most of my students have changed to them, as I find them remarkably easy from top to bottom, requiring minimal embrochure change. The Vandoren Jazz line are thicker and suit the aggressive player well. I used to use Rico Royal, but found their quality dropping about ten years ago. The tenor great Johnnie Griffin was consulting for Rico a few years ago and he said a new jazz line was coming out, but with my head stuck in my vintage microphone, I don't venture too much when I am content with what I like. (Anybody know of Johnnie Griffin's condition? He was wonderful to chat with and still a great player when I saw him perform here in Buffalo ten years ago. He must be at least eighty now.) What are your reed choices? Do you use one brand/type on all your horns or does each horn/mouthpiece require a different choice? As for clarinet, I inherited about 2000 French reeds from the 1920s many years ago. They are fantastic.

ukebert
User ID: 1300074 Jan 14th 9:35 AM
I generally go for the Rico Royal 2.5, as that what I've grown to like on the clari.

Captain Beeflat 2008
User ID: 1738604 Jan 14th 10:10 AM
I am with you there Ukebert...no. 3 Rico royal baritone reed on tenor mouthpiece. A recent convert from Plasticover, I find far more expression in the Rico Royal.

jazzbug1 2008
User ID: 0735934 Jan 14th 10:20 AM
Perhaps Rico boosted their quality on the Royals, as I know a number of players who went elsewhere about five to ten years ago, as I did. How about the new plastic coated reeds? Do they last longer due to moisture resistance?

alan (uk) '08
User ID: 1731514 Jan 14th 11:08 AM
jb- I've used Rico just about all my playing life (obviously tried loads of others along the way ...) mostly Royal on tenor/c/alto and normal on sops/clari - with odd forays into LaVoz land or Plasticover territory...

But then I'm still working off quite old plain Orange and (even older) Brown Rico box stock, plus the original 'blue box' Royals - so I've been shielded from the modern funky packs.

I see they even print pictures of saxophones on the packs now... Need to know that, otherwise you might buy the trumpet ones - Doh ! 8-))

ukebert
User ID: 1300074 Jan 14th 12:00 PM
You laugh, I once asked for a box of clarinet reeds, took them without looking at them only to find a few days later that they were for Eb clarinet...

jazzbug1 2008
User ID: 0735934 Jan 14th 12:52 PM
Sounds like the store wanted to get rid of that box of Eb reeds they ordered by mistake 30 years ago.

ukebert
User ID: 1300074 Jan 14th 4:24 PM
I think you may be right :p There were bemused when I took them back that's for sure.

Captain Beeflat 2008
User ID: 1738604 Jan 15th 3:59 AM
JB1.
You asked about the "new" plastic covered reeds.
These "Rico Plassticover" reeds were the reeds that I always used prior to re-discovering Royals. They do indeed last considerably longer than the uncoated equivalents; also, they have the advantage of playing cold and dry...pick up your horn and away to go.
However, they are inclined to be buzzy & raspy...R&R, look no further.

jazzbug1 2008
User ID: 0735934 Jan 15th 6:30 AM
Perhaps the moisture permeating the reed fiber softens the sound of the reed. I have also heard about oil impregnated reeds, which hold up well. Hope they don't use castor oil, or there may be a suddenly empty chair in the sax section.

Alan (UK) '08
User ID: 1731514 Jan 15th 4:25 PM
I always preferred to use Plasticover on 'funky' gigs, where I doubled and had to be on full power from note one after a quick change ! A very forgiving reed, but not the subtlest.

Interestingly (stay awake at the back !) strength numbers seemed to go 'out of the window' because of the coating I guess. Aleways seemed to be playing a different Platicover grade, than normal Rico or Rico Royal. But then I have to play Royals a half-grade harder than standard Rico's.

I once considered exclusively playing flute... (no reeds, bloody luxury)

bruce bailey 2008
User ID: 9690803 Jan 15th 11:50 PM
I have used Vandorens on alto for years with a brief detour to Hemke until they got bad. On tenor I am not as picky and use whatever seems to turn up in my reed box. For C melody I have been using some Rico orange box Bass Clarinet reeds and find them to have the right vamp length and a good width for the C Melody mouthpieces. At least Bass Clarinet reeds are around!

jazzbug1 2008
User ID: 0735934 Jan 16th 8:28 AM
I found the same with Hemke. I used them for a period of three years, ending about eight years ago. I use Vandoren #3 bass clarinet reeds on my goldbeck mouthpiece/Rudy C Melody. I have six Rico 2 1/2 reeds for C Melody. This is what remains of a box I bought forty years ago. They have a subtle sound and make the horn sound like Trumbauer. Before the war, when emphasis was on tone and bottom end and NOT volume and top notes, many players used 1 1/2 or 2. A number 3 reed was considered the top of the hardness scale. Whenever I open a case of a long unused horn, I find many soft reeds, even #1s. To play a Rico #1 is like playing tissue paper and the high notes are inevitably flat, although the bottom notes have a great fuzzy sound. My Conn 10M tenor has that great 1940s fat sound with the 1940s Link mouthpiece and a #3 reed. The rare time I play more aggressive jazz, I use a small Berg Larsen (85/2) with a 3 1/2reed.Anyone else have choices of reeds/mouthpieces depending on what they are playing?

Captain Beeflat 2008
User ID: 1738604 Jan 16th 2:20 PM
Always the same mouthpiece/reed combination, whether on tenor or C Mel. If the required sound is in your head it should come out of the horn.
Obviously your experience differs, but I am a firm believer in sticking to what I know and like; rather like you and your Studebaker.

jazzbug1 2008
User ID: 0735934 Jan 17th 7:02 AM
I use the Link tenor MP. vs. the Larsen as to the sound I need for the performance. They are so different sounding it would be impossible to use the same for me. The Tex Beneke sound on the Link is far too mellow for any aggressive jazz or R+B. Tex was a nice guy, a great singer, a fair improviser, and had the biggest, fattest sound of all the 10M players. I just made the last payment on the Studebaker. One dollar per week since 1950.

jazzbug1 2008 User ID: 0735934	Jan 14th 7:56 AM I see some discussion about reeds in the Aquilasax thread. Second to mouthpiece, I think the reed influences the sound of a horn as much as embouchure and style. I have found the Vandoren V-16 line to be best for my playing saxophone, with my focus on conservative, more 1920s-30s style tone, and not needing to blast. The V-16s run a bit softer than their numbers, so I use a #3 or #3 1/2 on my narrow tip mouthpieces. Most of my students have changed to them, as I find them remarkably easy from top to bottom, requiring minimal embrochure change. The Vandoren Jazz line are thicker and suit the aggressive player well. I used to use Rico Royal, but found their quality dropping about ten years ago. The tenor great Johnnie Griffin was consulting for Rico a few years ago and he said a new jazz line was coming out, but with my head stuck in my vintage microphone, I don't venture too much when I am content with what I like. (Anybody know of Johnnie Griffin's condition? He was wonderful to chat with and still a great player when I saw him perform here in Buffalo ten years ago. He must be at least eighty now.) What are your reed choices? Do you use one brand/type on all your horns or does each horn/mouthpiece require a different choice? As for clarinet, I inherited about 2000 French reeds from the 1920s many years ago. They are fantastic.
ukebert User ID: 1300074	Jan 14th 9:35 AM I generally go for the Rico Royal 2.5, as that what I've grown to like on the clari.
Captain Beeflat 2008 User ID: 1738604	Jan 14th 10:10 AM I am with you there Ukebert...no. 3 Rico royal baritone reed on tenor mouthpiece. A recent convert from Plasticover, I find far more expression in the Rico Royal.
jazzbug1 2008 User ID: 0735934	Jan 14th 10:20 AM Perhaps Rico boosted their quality on the Royals, as I know a number of players who went elsewhere about five to ten years ago, as I did. How about the new plastic coated reeds? Do they last longer due to moisture resistance?
alan (uk) '08 User ID: 1731514	Jan 14th 11:08 AM jb- I've used Rico just about all my playing life (obviously tried loads of others along the way ...) mostly Royal on tenor/c/alto and normal on sops/clari - with odd forays into LaVoz land or Plasticover territory... But then I'm still working off quite old plain Orange and (even older) Brown Rico box stock, plus the original 'blue box' Royals - so I've been shielded from the modern funky packs. I see they even print pictures of saxophones on the packs now... Need to know that, otherwise you might buy the trumpet ones - Doh ! 8-))
ukebert User ID: 1300074	Jan 14th 12:00 PM You laugh, I once asked for a box of clarinet reeds, took them without looking at them only to find a few days later that they were for Eb clarinet...
jazzbug1 2008 User ID: 0735934	Jan 14th 12:52 PM Sounds like the store wanted to get rid of that box of Eb reeds they ordered by mistake 30 years ago.
ukebert User ID: 1300074	Jan 14th 4:24 PM I think you may be right :p There were bemused when I took them back that's for sure.
Captain Beeflat 2008 User ID: 1738604	Jan 15th 3:59 AM JB1. You asked about the "new" plastic covered reeds. These "Rico Plassticover" reeds were the reeds that I always used prior to re-discovering Royals. They do indeed last considerably longer than the uncoated equivalents; also, they have the advantage of playing cold and dry...pick up your horn and away to go. However, they are inclined to be buzzy & raspy...R&R, look no further.
jazzbug1 2008 User ID: 0735934	Jan 15th 6:30 AM Perhaps the moisture permeating the reed fiber softens the sound of the reed. I have also heard about oil impregnated reeds, which hold up well. Hope they don't use castor oil, or there may be a suddenly empty chair in the sax section.
Alan (UK) '08 User ID: 1731514	Jan 15th 4:25 PM I always preferred to use Plasticover on 'funky' gigs, where I doubled and had to be on full power from note one after a quick change ! A very forgiving reed, but not the subtlest. Interestingly (stay awake at the back !) strength numbers seemed to go 'out of the window' because of the coating I guess. Aleways seemed to be playing a different Platicover grade, than normal Rico or Rico Royal. But then I have to play Royals a half-grade harder than standard Rico's. I once considered exclusively playing flute... (no reeds, bloody luxury)
bruce bailey 2008 User ID: 9690803	Jan 15th 11:50 PM I have used Vandorens on alto for years with a brief detour to Hemke until they got bad. On tenor I am not as picky and use whatever seems to turn up in my reed box. For C melody I have been using some Rico orange box Bass Clarinet reeds and find them to have the right vamp length and a good width for the C Melody mouthpieces. At least Bass Clarinet reeds are around!
jazzbug1 2008 User ID: 0735934	Jan 16th 8:28 AM I found the same with Hemke. I used them for a period of three years, ending about eight years ago. I use Vandoren #3 bass clarinet reeds on my goldbeck mouthpiece/Rudy C Melody. I have six Rico 2 1/2 reeds for C Melody. This is what remains of a box I bought forty years ago. They have a subtle sound and make the horn sound like Trumbauer. Before the war, when emphasis was on tone and bottom end and NOT volume and top notes, many players used 1 1/2 or 2. A number 3 reed was considered the top of the hardness scale. Whenever I open a case of a long unused horn, I find many soft reeds, even #1s. To play a Rico #1 is like playing tissue paper and the high notes are inevitably flat, although the bottom notes have a great fuzzy sound. My Conn 10M tenor has that great 1940s fat sound with the 1940s Link mouthpiece and a #3 reed. The rare time I play more aggressive jazz, I use a small Berg Larsen (85/2) with a 3 1/2reed.Anyone else have choices of reeds/mouthpieces depending on what they are playing?
Captain Beeflat 2008 User ID: 1738604	Jan 16th 2:20 PM Always the same mouthpiece/reed combination, whether on tenor or C Mel. If the required sound is in your head it should come out of the horn. Obviously your experience differs, but I am a firm believer in sticking to what I know and like; rather like you and your Studebaker.
jazzbug1 2008 User ID: 0735934	Jan 17th 7:02 AM I use the Link tenor MP. vs. the Larsen as to the sound I need for the performance. They are so different sounding it would be impossible to use the same for me. The Tex Beneke sound on the Link is far too mellow for any aggressive jazz or R+B. Tex was a nice guy, a great singer, a fair improviser, and had the biggest, fattest sound of all the 10M players. I just made the last payment on the Studebaker. One dollar per week since 1950.