Some Thoughts on
Reeds..
How can I tell if a reed will be good just by looking at
it? How long should a reed last? What are the best brands
of reeds to buy? These are just some of the questions that
you may have about reeds. What strength reed should I be
using is another one.
Disclaimer : The comments that
follow are my OPINIONS about reeds. There are as many
different ideas regarding reeds as there are saxophonists.
Take my comments as such.
Can you tell if a reed will be
good just by looking at it? Heavens no, but there are
things to look out for. The color of the reed can be
revealing about it's age and how long it has been cured.
Avoid the reeds with the greenish tinge to them, as they
are likely too young or haven't been cured long enough. A
white, bleached out looking reed might also be avoided for
the same reasons. Usually I look for a reed with a yellow
or brown color with tight fibers. If you look on the back
of the reed it's easier to see the fibers and how tightly
packed they are. Earl Turbinton of New Orleans told me that
if you see brown spots or blotches on the blank part of the
reed(the uncut part), that it will have character. Look
closely at the way the reed is cut. Look at the end of the
reed. Is it it even on both sides? Inconsistencies in the
cut of the reed is another factor.
What strength reed should I be
using? The dimensions of your mouthpiece is the most
important determining element when trying to figure out
what strength reeds to use. Other, lesser determinants
include how long you have been playing, the strength and
development of your embouchure and physical makeup. The
basic equation in terms of mouthpiece/reed ratio is :
softer reed/open mouthpiece and conversely hard reed/closed
mouthpiece. Many players do not follow this equation,
however it is useful to keep in mind while experimenting
with different combinations. I use a hard reed on an open
mouthpiece : a Rico Jazz #4 on a metal Otto Link 7*. Some
might consider that an extreme setup. George Garzone uses a
#5 on an Otto Link 10. That's extreme. Garzone also runs 5
miles every morning ...Students of mine have copied my
setup exactly hoping to recreate my tone. They ask "Why
don't I sound like you with the exact same setup?" One
reason is that everyone's mouth is shaped differently.
Another has to do with the direction of the flow of air.
Everyone is different. The only way to find what works for
you is to experiment!
How long should a reed last? I
play on a reed for about 6 days or so before it dies. I
like to soak a reed in warm water for 5-10 minutes and then
keep it wet for the remainder of its life. That means when
I know I'm not going to play on it for more than 2 hours I
place it inside a LaVoz single reed holder, which keeps the
reed from drying out for up to 20 hours. I'm talking about
the cheap, plastic reed holder. You don't need any other
newfangled equipment to keep your reed wet. If your reed
does dry out you may see it warp and curl. Soaking will
usually straighten it out, but the damage has already been
done. I don't even bother trying to revive them. If you are
on a budget you may be forced to. Bottom line : Keep your
reed wet.
Calder Spanier and I went to
the Rico factory in dusty Sun Valley in the summer of 1996
on a fact-finding mission and learned a few things about
the process of manufacturing reeds. Our guide was the
friendly and knowledgeable Terry Landry, who, in part,
designed the Rico Jazz and Jazz Select reeds. When we asked
about where the cane was coming from he explained that the
good Var region(France) cane was going to the Jazz and Jazz
Selects while regular Ricos and LaVoz were primarily
Argentine cane. Argentine, and just about every other cane
is thought to be inferior to the cane that comes from The
Var region of France. Interestingly, he told us that
Vandoren, which purports to have French cane, is actually
80% Argentine. I cannot confirm that. Another revelation
came while we were touring the rooms with the reed cutting
machines. Terry told us that all the reeds are cut exactly
the same. They don't cut 2's thinner than 4's. The strength
of the reed is determined by the strength of the wood
itself, which is measured by a gauge that bends the reed.
Each row of machines had a computer terminal at the end of
it which showed a bar graph of how many reeds of each
strength were produced by each machine. It showed a bell
curve which described very few 1.5's, 2's, 4's, 4.5's &
5's and a lot of 2.5's-3.5's. There is just not as much
hard or soft wood out there to choose
from.
What brand of reeds should you
buy? Again, you must experiment for yourself. Keep in mind
that many brands come in different styles or cuts. For
example, Vandoren has 3 styles for you to choose from :
regular, Java and V16.The Java is their "jazz" reed and the
cut is sort of an even slope. The V16 on the other hand is
a thicker reed, especially in the heart(the center).
Regular is somewhere in between.
Should you play plastic reeds?
If you can deal with the sound and the feel in your mouth,
you'll certainly love the consistency. Most people,
including me, can't deal. Dave Liebman is noted for his use
of plastic reeds.
A fact of life is that there
will be bad reeds in every box. It is miserable and costly.
It can make you wish you had never picked up the saxophone.
Until you find that next good one..