[Tony5175]

Sorry it was a double-post.

 

[Mark Fleming]

The synthetic reed question, in fact the whole "what's the best reed with this mouthpiece" question doesn't have an answer. It's like asking "what's the best color." You answer and I say "wrong." Doesn't shed much light on the issue.

I've got a Grabner "Legere friendly" clarinet mouthpiece. I play Legere on it and like it. I have Legere tenor and alto sax reeds in several strengths that I try everytime I get a new mp and then I put them back in the drawer. I have Fibracells that I've used almost everyday for two years. On some mps they can sound a little buzzy. On other mps, they are perfect. I have a Hartman carbon fibre that sounds like a model airplane engine on a Rico Metalite but sounds almost sedate on my vintage Buescher hard rubber. It is so dependent on the mouthpiece, and probably just as much the player, that generalizations about synthetics aren't of much value.

Which leads me to the two most common generalizations. First, the generalization that synthetics are bad. Sort of like saying sex is bad. Chances are the speaker just hasn't experienced it in the right way, in the right setting, with sufficient practice, whatever. The more accurate statement would be "it's not for me" or "I don't enjoy it," or "I'm not that kind of person" and leave it at that.

The second common generalization seems to be that they are practical, i.e., they are "plug and play," don't require breaking in, are more consistent and cost effective. That's been my experience. I use them when I practice at home because I can walk into the room, start (then the phone rings), start again (doorbell), start again (then lunch), etc. This same benefit applies to lessons. During a 45 minute or one hour lesson, do you really want to spend the first 10 minutes compensating for a cane reed warming up?

Tell your teacher that you'll switch to cane if the lessons are discounted by 20%.

Mark

 

[Joe Giardullo]

Maybe around 10 years ago, I caught a local last-minute gig of Lee Konitz with Jimmy Cobb and friends.
When I asked Lee after the gig "So, what's new?", he immediately said: "I'm playing plastic reeds."

He was playing a Bari reed and he sounded beautiful, no different than any other time I've seen and heard him.

 

[mi000ke]

I was playing fibracells for the past 5 years or so (2.5/medium on an RPC and occasionally my old Florida link), mainly because of consistency and reliability, especially at a gig. I think cane played easier and sounded better (especially on the Link), but the inconsistency was too much for me. I also tried a Legere at the time I began using fibracells and found it did not work for me at all. Well, over time it seems like fibracells were becoming less consistent as well, especially when they went to the numbering system. With all the raving on sotw about Legere I decided to give them another try. I just got a Signature model and I was blown away by how easy it plays and how good it sounds vs. Fibracell and even compared to cane. The sigs sound almost the same as cane for my playing, and the difference probably not even noticeable on a gig. The only downside I can see by switching away from fibracell is that I no longer have the protection of Kevlar in case I'm attacked on the bandstand after they hear me play.

 

[Bozman]

On the Rico website it says Dave Koz uses plasticovers

Plasticovers don't really count as synthetics. The reed is still cane.

 

[nitrosax]

I often wonder how Ernie Watts still plays fibercane when supposedly those reeds went out of production years ago. He must have a motherload stock from when they closed to last him all these years...

 

[Kenzie]

Well, I play on a Bari-brand synthetic reed. Love it. I play tenor sax, but I play on a bass clarinet reed. Synthetic reeds last much longer than cane, are easier to break in, this brand produces a good sound, and my own band instructor also dislikes these plastic pieces of heaven. But what does she know?? She's a TRUMPETER. Well, I can't say I really know of any pros who play on them, but hopefully you and I can be firsts!

 

[clwomack]

Why would anyone want to deny themselves the absolute joy that is "playing and dealing with cane reeds"?

 

[Bill King]

Ernie went to various music stores and filled a grocery
Bag with them.....enough to make till he dies. He does use cane on alto.

 

[Captain Beeflat]

Why would anyone want to deny themselves the absolute joy that is "playing and dealing with cane reeds"?

Anyone with a life.

 

[Nobby Keys]

According to a biography on Lester Young that I recently read he used to use plastic reeds.

 

[davekerr]

Claire Daly plays a synthetic BARI reed on bari which is her main horn.

 

[rokkimason]

I have been playing Harry Hartmann Toptone carbon fiber reeds on my alto for about 5 years now, and I much prefer them to cane. The problem is, my sax teacher is a legit jazz player, with strong ideas about the "proper" tonal concept for saxophone. He believes that there is a good reason that all the pros use cane reeds, and that until I can tell him the names of some pros that play on synthetic reeds (so he can check out their sound), he wants me to switch back to cane.

I'll give up my synthetic reeds when they pry them out of my cold, dead...well...you know...but, on the other hand, he is a great sax teacher in most respects, and I don't want to have to part company with him over something as trivial (and personal) as my choice of reeds.

If you have had positive results playing carbon fiber reeds, please share your experiences with me; or if you know any pros or recording artists out there that play on synthetic reeds, please pass on his or her name, and help me save a good sax teacher's job!


Thanks All,

Saxkat

Use both! I just started on Tenor,though I've been a Brass player since elementary school. I use Cane reeds ( Rico 2.5) and I have been checking out some synthetics by D'addario and Legere.

 

[7notes]

I wonder if saxkat’s (the OP) teacher can reliably and repeatedly tell cane from synthetic in a blind test. Steve Neff and Jay Metcalf have such comparison tests on their sites. And he should be able to do the same in a blind test listening to saxkat on both.

If “the pros don’t do it” ruled everything, we wouldn’t even have saxophones at all.