[JimD]

After having used Alexander DCs for a few years and then having abandoned them for a lot more I’m thinking of giving them another go. It’s probably a side effect of being locked down. What’s the current thinking about them? I know they seemed to hit a bad patch but I’m talking about over 10 years ago now and I now also have the option of NYs. I just dug out an ancient one that plays very well even though it’s harder than I play these days, and well played in. I usually play Rigotti Gold 2.5 mediums and I’m playing a 10m Fan 8** Robusto.

 

[Grumps]

It may have been around ten years ago when I was into their Superials. After some initial success, I loaded up on five boxes of tenor reeds... and got one good one out of twenty-five. I had a picture online for a while, showing the reeds in the box lined up. The cuts were off center, not uniform at all. They should never have been sold. I might have complained to the company, but others had done that to no avail; and some even got responses that were outright aggressively ignorant and unhelpful.

I vowed never to buy another reed from them again, and don't see a need to change said stance.

 

[JL]

I tried the Alexander reeds many years back, both the Superial and NY. I kind of liked the NY for a while. But I sure wish I'd discovered Rigotti Golds back then! So maybe that will tell you something.

 

[Billy Baggins]

I recently got a box of superials that was fantastic. It convinced me to give them another go so I ordered the dc and the ny for comparison sake. I’ve been playing RW Jazz 3’s and wood stone 3’s and I’m now seriously considering bulk buying the dc as it outplays aforementioned reeds by a long shot. Cheaper too. Unless I got really lucky, quality control no longer an issue.

 

[milandro]

I had tried at various stages most of the Alexanders and never really found that I really liked them. Meanwhile I started using Rigotti, Queen and Gold . The , quite by chance because of a sale ( they are getting rid of the boxes of 10), I got a box of Classique.

BINGO! Despite the name, they are the closest that I ever played to Rigotti gold .


So I bought all the boxes they had in the shop and now I am alternating them to the Rigotti and hopefully I will have enough for a few years to come.

 

[2phunkey4u]

I still use Alexander NYs because I found that I need reeds with a bit more meat in the tip for my EB STM, otherwise I get the chirps. At the same time, I never got V16s to work for me. Any alternative makes that could fit the situation?

 

[milandro]

I am not sure that chirps re a product of tip thickness, I generally attribute buzz ( or the lack of it) to it.

In my opinion chirps are more of a problem when the reed, for some reason isn’t sealing on the table (at times this happens by design with mouthpieces that are concave).

 

[B Flat]

Chirps can be caused by many things.
If the piece has had facing work, there may be too much material left just behind the tip.
It could also be an issue with the facing evenness and or length.
If it’s the reed it would correct itself with the use of a new reed.

I’ve also had some very nice playing Alexander Superials and NY.
But one in a box doesn’t do it for me when Rigotti or Vandoren green Java or Rico select jazz have far more usable reeds to the box.
I’ve also ditched a tonne of reeds because the piece I was using had a dodgy facing that wouldn’t seal and chirped constantly.
The pieces I have kept play with many different brands of reeds.

 

[Billy Baggins]

I still use Alexander NYs because I found that I need reeds with a bit more meat in the tip for my EB STM, otherwise I get the chirps. At the same time, I never got V16s to work for me. Any alternative makes that could fit the situation?

You may want to try out Boston Sax reeds. They're rigotti's with a slightly thicker tip and a significantly higher price tag. However, I found them plagued by most of the problems people attribute to Alexander's - uneven cuts, chipped tips, inconsistencies, etc. The current production of Alexander's (or at least the five tins I've tried) have been amongst the most consistent and blemish-free that I've purchased in a long time.

Rico Reserves have a nice thick tip but also a very heavy heart which makes for a darker sound than what I prefer.

 

[paulwl]

Last time I was reed shopping (at Groth's in Mpls.), they said they weren't ever carrying Alexanders again. Just too inconsistent. So even if they've improved their q.c., I don't where I could buy them except by mail. Back when I did that my numbers were usually sold out.

 

[whaler]

You may want to try out Boston Sax reeds. They're rigotti's with a slightly thicker tip and a significantly higher price tag. However, I found them plagued by most of the problems people attribute to Alexander's - uneven cuts, chipped tips, inconsistencies, etc. The current production of Alexander's (or at least the five tins I've tried) have been amongst the most consistent and blemish-free that I've purchased in a long time.

Rico Reserves have a nice thick tip but also a very heavy heart which makes for a darker sound than what I prefer.

I liked the BSS reeds. They started off a little darker than Rigottis and seemed about a half strength stronger. They played in well and even started to get mildew like Rigotti.
I think I had two tins of Alexanders and really liked them then something happened. The Jazz Select did the same thing.
I guess I was late to the party on both. At this point I hope they leave Rigottis alone.

 

[JimD]

OK, well I've managed to get a reasonable priced tin of 10 NYs from ebay so I'll see how they go. Strange that the tins of 10 seem to be disappearing.

 

[Benjamin Allen]

OK, well I've managed to get a reasonable priced tin of 10 NYs from ebay so I'll see how they go. Strange that the tins of 10 seem to be disappearing.

Please let us know what you think of them. Alexander reeds were one of Doc Tenney's favorites. I spent a lot of time with Superial on alto but can't really remember what I've put into them tenor wise (if much at all).

 

[B Flat]

I had a box of Superials for Tenor that were a real mix.
About 3 were just great and the rest required a tonne of work just make them acceptable.
The NY’s have all been rubbish to date.

 

[JimD]

I'll let you know later next week. I don't recall why I ditched them but all of the complaints here ring bells with me. I think the clincher was the exchange I had with Tom Alexander which was just as described by Grumps, he was ridiculously aggressive and arrogant for someone who wants to sell you something. In terms of bad boxes I've had that experience with plenty of other brands but at the time Alexanders were more expensive, now they're all expensive. Part of me is hoping that I don't like them since you can now only get them in boxes of 5 which are of course more expensive.

 

[dexdex]

Now that I read your stories, I can relate. I also made a brief test with them, they had those nice tin boxes. At the end, together with the steep price increase of big size reeds (tenor and bari), they contributed to my move to synthetic reeds back then, beginning of the millennium. Never looked back. Just stayed a fan of Alexander, I mean, Eric Alexander.

 

[JL]

I think I had two tins of Alexanders and really liked them then something happened. The Jazz Select did the same thing.
I guess I was late to the party on both. At this point I hope they leave Rigottis alone.

+1. I had a very similar experience.

JimD, are you having issues with the Rigottis? Why the sudden desire to try Alexanders again?

 

[JimD]

No, I'm happy with the Rigottis and have several unopened boxes that I'm expecting to enjoy using. The reason I started on this is a bit long winded and slightly ridiculous. I thought it would be a decent gesture to buy something from my usual suppliers whose shops are shut, I don't really need anything at the moment, except maybe a service on the horn, so I thought I'd get some reeds but I don't really need any more Rigottis so I thought I'd see what else I might fancy just for the sake of it. It's slightly irrational behaviour from being deprived of musical social contact, and a bit like buying mouthpieces but cheaper. At the same time I was digging through a box of old reeds and came across an old, used Alexander DC which to my surprise sounded quite good and I thought I might give them a go. I carry within that lurking mistrust of Alexander that afflicts a lot of us hence this thread. I bet you're sorry you asked.

 

[JL]

I bet you're sorry you asked.

Not at all. And thanks for answering. I get it, perfectly understandable. Let us know what you discover.