[saxdude48]

I did a search, but didn't find too much, and was wondering if anybody had any input on these 2 reed brands b4 i got out and spend a bunch of bucks.
I play mainly a Runyon XL 8 on my alto, and i play my Meyer 6 a lot too. Mainly into jazz and rock.
What exactly are the main differences in sound and reed strength and all that between these 2 brands?
Any help would be appreciated.
Oh and by the way, I currently play Rico Plasticovers 2.5.
Thanks

 

[Nick Thompson]

Hi Saxdude. I wanted to try a Fibracell on my alto. I currently use Vandoren ZZ '2' and Rico Select Jazz '2 Soft'. Sax.co.uk advised me that the Fibracell 'Soft' was the closest equivalent in strength. Having used it, I have to agree with their assessment regarding strength however, it sounds totally different to the cane reeds. Much louder and dare I say, synthetic ? (But it doesn't squeak with a metal mouthpiece, which is why I bought it ). Incidentally, I have a Rico Plasticover '2' and this is like blowing on a plank of wood in comparison to the Fibracell 'Soft' ! I Hope this helps somewhat.

Regards,

Nick.

 

[maestroelite]

I've played Fibracells on my alto Ponzol piece for about a year now and haven't looked back. Tone is great, there's nothing missing in it. I've played them on every horn except tenor and they've all worked well. I've tried Legeres on tenor and alto and neither worked well.

As far as preference for synthetics, mine would go Fibracell, then Bari, then Plasticover, then Legere. I used to like Plasticovers more, but last year something changed and they just don't play right. Very bright, and quite a few of the reeds I've bought since then are warped right out of the box and it doesn't come out, so the reed is unplayable. I use Bari* reeds on tenor and bari for brighter situations and when altissimo really needs to pop.

 

[speyman]

Cane is your answer.

 

[saxxsymbol]

use to play plasticcover 2 1/2 . now play fibracell # 2's and love them . they have a woodier sound than plasticovers and feel like cane.they can also play softer than a plasticover and don't absorb moisture. I use them on my tenor and alto.

 

[Little Sax]

[...]What exactly are the main differences in sound and reed strength and all that between these 2 brands?[...]

Here is a set of strength charts.

 

[Mope]

To my ears, these reeds are opposites. The fibracells are bright, buzzy and maby even thin sounding, but, cut through when playing along with other instruments. I've only tried the older ones, not the premiums. Legeres are rich, darker, mellow sounding reeds. I might compare them to Lavoz.

 

[M Exner]

Been using Fibracells on soprano, alto, and tenor for years. If they made them for sopranino I'd probably be using them on it too. I tried Legere years ago but was not impressed. Fibracell seems to be more canelike but with the synthetic attributes. Just my opinion. Mike

 

[hgrail]

Been playing Fibracell on tenor and bari for a while - very happy with them and really hard to tell the difference from a playing or recording perspective versus cane.

Legere are nice - darker - good for classical I would think. I could never get used to the smooth feel of them - I'm too used to the cane/fibracell texture. They do run harder by the numbers - though - go find a reed strength comparison chart.
Cheers

 

[saxdude48]

Well thanks for all the responses so far. Very helpful. Tonewise, pretty much everyone has said legere's are a bit darker and mellower than fibracells, but does anyone have any experience with the legere studio cuts? Aren't they meant to be a bit brighter?

 

[xuanvu]

Fibracells (the new one, Premium) are great, work really well with the Jody DV alto and my Lamberson 6M...

Kenny.

 

[wersax]

Been using Fibracells on soprano, alto, and tenor for years. If they made them for sopranino I'd probably be using them on it too. I tried Legere years ago but was not impressed. Fibracell seems to be more canelike but with the synthetic attributes. Just my opinion. Mike

What he said..........daryl

 

[SaxPower]

Fibracell is the best synthetic. It all depends of the mpc also ... On mine (Vandoren A28) it just plays right. I used to play on Plasticover 2 but it's a waste of money with 1 or 2 playable ... so if you want to get rid of your cane problems ... don't go with Plasticover. I'm currently using a MS and thinking of moving to M. They tend to soften a bit on the first playing hours then they stay the same for a while. Legere do not feel as natural. You feel that you have a piece of plastic in your mouth ... which you don't with fibracell. As for BARI … way to edgy. The funny thing about fibracell is that nobody knows you’re playing synthetic They look so natural.

 

[Little Sax]

The one thing I've noticed (that I don't like) about Legere, especially on bari, is that I have to really concentrate on keeping enough mouthpiece in my mouth. The Legere reeds are so smooth that I find, if I'm not paying attention, I'm soon playing on the tip of them mouthpiece.

I think this adjustment period is well worth the benefits that Legere reeds offer though, ESPECIALLY on bari.

 

[saxdude48]

Any other comments anyone?

 

[Isle of Jazz]

I regularly play Fibracells and Legeres. They all do the job. I usually dedicate the different brands to different mouthpieces. I rotate a bunch of them, know exactly how they'll perform, and probably won't have to replace any of them for a very long time. I like the Fibracell on my open STM, prefer Legere studios on my other tenor mpcs, and have settled on Legere Quebec for clarinet.

 

[bbbouklas]

if you start playing fibracells (I play fibracells sometimes on both tenor and alto) get yourself mouthpieces that with a cane reeds are a bit darker than you would like, fibracells add some edge (they tend to emphasize the higher harmonics of each note). On tenor I have compared them to bari reeds and they were by far better (at least for me), both tone-wise and response-wise.
I use them on tenor when I play funk (not when I play with my jazz trio).I like the fact that I can use a large chamber mpc with little baffle and still have power and edge! On alto the situation is a bit more difficult because your sound could easily get thin and shrill, it is again up to the choice of a correct mpc.

 

[JoeyG]

Legere Studio Cut all the way for me.

Fibracells are over-engineered IMHO... cane is a simple solid object and it just works, Fibracell have tried to emulate this with layers of plastic and these have split more than once in my experience.

Legere use simple solid pieces of plastic that just seem to work... They take some getting used to, but they have been a perfect replacement for the Vandoren V16s that i used to use... I play at least 3 times a week and would never return to cane now... I love the fact you can get Legeres in quarter strengths and they just play straight away, no soaking or warming up... they are also flexible so less chance of cracking or chipping.

 

[luispa]

Any other comments anyone?

I used Legeres, Fibracells, Baris and Hahns. The best of them in all departments is the Hahn. You can buy them at http://www.saxalley.com

 

[baritone saxophone]

i have only used a Legere that was to hard for me but it felt to synthetic. I bought a BARI reed, and I am going to try it when I get to my alto on monday. Fibracells fell a lot like cane but they don't warp and last longer so I really like them.