[B Will]

I've been thinking about trying out some Hemke reeds. Does anybody use them and have any gripes or great things to say about them? I'm playing a Keilwerth SX90 R Tenor with a Guardala Super King R&B Mp. Are they, better, worse, or comparable to Rico Jazz Selects?

Also, I play a 3 soft strength in Rico Jazz Selects, what should I get in the Hemkes?

Thanks,

B Will

 

[HOUSTON NONET]

Use Them On Alto Only.
Only Way Is To Buy And Try Yourself. Try A Box Of 2 1/2.
This Dark Reed Would Be Good Balance For That High Baffle Super King

 

[rleitch]

hey B Will,

I bought a couple of boxes of Hemke tenor 2.5s cheap on Ebay just to try and I love them. They're supposedly designed to work especially well with large chambered mouthpieces; I'm not sure what that means exactly, but they do seem to work great on my HR pieces and on my STM. If you're experimenting, I'd definitely say they're worth a try.

FWIW, I also tried the Jazz Select reeds and couldn't get them to work for me. They seemed really hard to me, not so much in the tip but in the core. I'd suggest that you go for at least a 3 in the Hemke, maybe even 3.5.

I've read some complaints on here that the Hemke reeds aren't packaged very well and often get chipped in the box?

Rory

 

[hgiles]

Just find a cut you like and stick with it. It's just a piece of grass that grows out of the ground. How different can they (brands) really be?

 

[renaissance_man]

hgiles, the difference comes more into play after they've come out of the ground. What is done to them in processing can have a dramatic impact on the end result. More on the matter at hand, I've played both on alto and tenor and prefer Hemkes (I use them now). They get a much bigger, warmer, and fatter sound and I feel that there is more depth to the sound. They are more susceptible to warping, but last a long time, if properly cared for.

 

[Canadiain]

I've been thinking about trying out some Hemke reeds. Does anybody use them and have any gripes or great things to say about them? I'm playing a Keilwerth SX90 R Tenor with a Guardala Super King R&B Mp. Are they, better, worse, or comparable to Rico Jazz Selects?

Also, I play a 3 soft strength in Rico Jazz Selects, what should I get in the Hemkes?

Thanks,

B Will

Hmm..Would it break the bank to buy a few of each and decide for yourself?

 

[channelback]

I have played Hemke 3s on on my CJS B&S tenor with an STM 6* Link. Nice mellow tone, but I eventually switched to Vandoren ZZ 2.5s.

Channelback

 

[cincysax]

I play Hemke #2 and the only problem I`ve had is I go through them like crazy.It seems after not too much time the tips become chipped and ragged. I don`t know if it is me , the mouthpiece or the reeds.Otherwise they play great for me. I mentioned this in another thread and a couple of people said they had had the same problem.

 

[Pgraves]

Comparable, and both good. I use them both. And V16s.
Another nice thing about the Hemke's is the price.

 

[EZ]

I was hooked on Hemkes for a while but I found that they just died too quickly on tenor. I think maybe they do best in their stiffer strengths for more closed tip openings. For tenor, I've since moved to Vandoren Java and ZZ reeds.

For alto, the Hemkes are still my favored cane. Haven't had a need to search otherwise as I prefer Fibracells on alto anyhow.

 

[Perry Cobb]

Been bouncing back and forth between La Voz and Hemke's for years (mainly been playing Hemke's). I like the big, warm dark sound I get with the Hemkes...though, not as focused as what I used to get on La Voz(sometimes, I miss that)....still great reeds though.

 

[Chicken 'Lil]

I agree with both EZ and Perry. I started using them back in '86 and have found that they are limited in their own way. Play great on somethings. Stink it up on others. I was using them on a tip .115" and #4's. They didn't last long but they sounded fat.

 

[rleitch]

Anybody else find the "specially designed to work with large chambered pieces" business to be true? I can't remember where I read this, but I really love the way Hemke 2.5s sound on my big fat NYWWco piece.

R.

 

[Datsaxguy]

Anybody else find the "specially designed to work with large chambered pieces" business to be true? I can't remember where I read this, but I really love the way Hemke 2.5s sound on my big fat NYWWco piece.

R.

There might be some truth to that. I use Hemke's on my Saxscape NF for section work. Sounds great, but I like Jazz Selects for the Guardala.