[A Greene]

I just started getting into playing shows. Switch to Legere reeds and had the book all set. Feelin' Good. Head out early to rehearsal and started setting up. Apparently the light folks were still sort out cue. Between my old eyes, terrible lighting, and clear Legere reeds, it was nearly impossible to get the Legere reeds in the right position.

Lesson learned. Today I already have the reeds on the mouthpieces. I can now set-up in the dark.

 

[SaxNutz]

I put my finger on the end and sides to feel where it's at, easier than trying to see it.

 

[sopsax]

I agree, Legere reeds can be tricky to position on the mpc -- & difficult to locate if they fall to the floor. Are you not using a portable light on your music stand?

 

[Graysax]

I've always said that legere should pigment their reeds for that very reason. You're not alone in that experience.

 

[super20dan]

bring a pen light on pit gigs

 

[LostConn]

bring a pen light on pit gigs

Most phones have built-in flashlights. And tuners! (If you've downloaded one, and why wouldn't you?) A multipurpose musical tool.

 

[Dr G]

I've always said that legere should pigment their reeds for that very reason. You're not alone in that experience.

Have you ever tried applying a Sharpie of your preferred color to the back of the reed at the tip?

 

[sopsax]

Is there a phone app that tells Legere reedmakers to add pigment to make their reeds visible?

 

[sopsax]

Dunno about Sharpie ink, man. Isn't it loaded with volatile solvents?

 

[Dr G]

Dunno about Sharpie ink, man. Isn't it loaded with volatile solvents?

Volatiles evaporate - once you cannot smell them, they’re gone from the reed. And I’m suggesting that it goes on the underside of the reed where you don’t lick it off.

 

[whaler]

I put white tape on my stand and pegs in the pit so I don’t miss the peg on a quick change.

 

[sopsax]

whaler, I used to do the same -- only it was red reflector tape rather than white, & onstage rather than in a pit, & I'm not you. But otherwise the same.

Dr G: Not only do I use tenor reeds on alto & invert the mouthpiece so reeds vibrate off my upper lip, I mount reeds flat side out. So if I secretly write a frantic SOS message in Sharpie ink on my reed, sharp-eyed front-row spectators will be able to read it off my lip & know that I mean "ZOZ."

 

[Graysax]

I actually do the same with tape on the pegs, but I have a question, weren't we talking about Legere reeds?

 

[1saxman]

This is a problem that I run into sometimes if I need to make a reed change during a set.
1. I can't see in the first place, much less on a dimly-lit stage at night, and I don't wear my glasses on a gig since I don't read music anymore.
2. So, I don't. I wait until break unless the damn thing is actually split.
3. Reed position, especially the relation to the tip rail, is critical for me, and feeling it is not adequate - I have to have it precise, which means I need my glasses and a back light of some kind so I can silhouette the end of the mouthpiece and look across it to gauge how far out the reed is.

The prospect of actually setting up in the dark pit is nightmarish to me. I would definitely mount the reeds before going in there.

 

[Paowz]

I tend to "feel" the position of the reed with the thumb.. I install the reed and adjust it with the thumb by pressing the tip of the reed on the tip of the mpc and potentially push it gently so that it feels aligned with the mpc under my thumb..and clac I lock it with the ligature.

 

[super20dan]

cell phone light is too bright and will disturb others. pen light cast a very narrow beam and i bet the conductor dosnt allow cell phones use in the pit and esp during shows.

 

[DonaldL]

Why aren't Legeres opaque? | Sax on the Web Forum

 

[ving]

I just played a show and used plasticovers, equally hard to see although a little more forgiving concerning placement than legere I think. I bought a little magnifying glass with a flashlight built in, mainly have used it to find stuff I drop in a dark pit but useful lining up the reed too.

 

[LostConn]

Why aren't Legeres opaque? | Sax on the Web Forum

Yes, this issue has been discussed over and over here.

Here's an interesting side note: In a podcast, Richard Hawkins explained how he designed the Backun Vocalise CG clarinet mouthpiece for Corrado Giufreddi. This mouthpiece is made from a transparent polymer because it was intended to replace the crystal mouthpiece that Giufreddi used to play. But Hawkins said that they added a bit of light blue tint to the mouthpiece in order to make it easier to line up clear synthetic reeds (i.e., Legeres) on it. Note that both Hawkins and Giufreddi are big-name Legere endorsers, and Backun is a major Legere supporter. Yet they apparently believe that the transparency of Legere reeds is a fait accompli, to the point that they will alter their own designs to accommodate Legere's quirks. I therefore doubt that complaining in SOTW, justified or not, will make any difference.

 

[sopsax]

For most folks it takes two hands -- three would be preferable -- to position a reed on a mouthpiece & tighten the lig. This suggests that a small reed-positioning light might best be mounted on the music stand (if one uses a music stand), strapped to one's head (LED headstraps can be found at any hardware store), or held between the teeth (as in movies about spies &/or archaeologists).

Alternatively, users of Legere reeds might be well advised to retrofit their favorite mouthpiece with an LED mounted in the baffle (where it can do the most good), powered by a tiny button battery, with an (optional) on/off slider.

Otherwise, use Plasticovers or dark synthetic reeds on white- or cream-colored mouthpieces, & cane or light-colored synthetic reeds on black plastic or hard rubber mouthpieces.