[ajarndontree]

I have been working with my new Legere American cut alto and tenor reeds for a couple weeks now, and although I do like the response and tone, I am staying with the Silverstein Works Alta Ambipoly reeds. The Silverstein is the only synthetic reed that gives me a warm response and warm and rich tone from low Bb all the way through my altissimo range of over an octave. Also I tried to adjust my Legere AC with a reed knife, the same way I have taken a little off the heart of my Legere Signature reeds from time to time and after just a little bit of trying to shave a tiny bit off, I destroyed the reed. I kept scraping it to try to smooth it out, but the more I scraped it, the worse it got. The reed does play ok, but the surface where I scraped it feels obnoxiously bad against my lip to the point that I don't think I can use this reed anymore. I have concluded that the AC can't be adjusted with a reed knife like the signature series. I have attached a pic of the reed I tried to adjust. Btw I bought Silverstein reeds in various strengths and found it easy to scrape a little off the ones that were too strong and I managed to get 100% of the Silverstein reeds gig ready. Once you try Silverstein, you will never go back! Free yourself from the tyranny of cane. Btw don't take that last comment too seriously, it's a joke. But the rest of this post is a very serious matter. Ambipoly reeds are worth the hefty price tag. Btw I am still playing on the first one I ever bought 11 months ago and I fully expect to get a few more months out of it.

 

[datsaxman]

Wow ... that is some scraping all right.

 

[lukasali]

I just got an AC Legere and had no problems adjusting it just like I adjust the signatures, so I dunno what your experience means. I'm pretty sure it's the same material as signatures, so that's just weird. Maybe the technique you're using for adjusting reeds works on signatures but not on the AC?

One thing I've learned is to never scrape/sand/cut from the tip towards the heart, only the other way, or it causes those weird little stringy bits like your reed in the photo shows.

 

[GHawk]

I would like to hear a comparison of the two. I've been playing the American Cut for a month, or so, and I like it a lot.

 

[Sax Panther]

What's the strength of the ambipoly like compared to the Legere AC? I'd like to try one, but synthetics get expensive if you buy the wrong strength... I'm on a 2.5 Legere (AC and signature) on tenor.

 

[ajarndontree]

What's the strength of the ambipoly like compared to the Legere AC? I'd like to try one, but synthetics get expensive if you buy the wrong strength... I'm on a 2.5 Legere (AC and signature) on tenor.

I find the Silverstein Jazz reeds to be identical in strength to a Vandoren red box Java. If you are not sure, you should buy one a quarter strength stiffer than what you expect to use because these reeds are easy to file down to the exact strength you are looking for. For use with my Phil Barone 7* SNY, I bought a Silverstein jazz 2, 2.25 and a 2.5. The 2 was too soft so I gave it to one of my 7th grade band students who couldn't afford a reed. The 2.25 was perfect and the 2.5 was a little too stiff, but I just took a little off the heart with a reed knife and now it is gig ready.

 

[ajarndontree]

I would like to hear a comparison of the two. I've been playing the American Cut for a month, or so, and I like it a lot.

Yeah I should make a comparison video. I am usually very busy but I should have time next week.

 

[LostConn]

I have been working with my new Legere American cut alto and tenor reeds for a couple weeks now, and although I do like the response and tone, I am staying with the Silverstein Works Alta Ambipoly reeds. {/quote]

Are you playing the Classic model or the Jazz model? This is an important distinction.

Once you try Silverstein, you will never go back!

For an opposing viewpoint, see my review here: NEW Concert Grade Silverstein Works Alta Synthetic....

 

[ajarndontree]

I am playing the jazz model. I only play jazz, rock, pop, funk, blues and gospel music so I don't really play any music that requires a classical tone at this point in my life. I can get anywhere from a dark to a bright and edgy tone out of the Ambipoly jazz reed, depending on the mouthpiece and air speed/embouchure. I can overblow this reed and get more volume, power and projection than I can out of a cane reed or a Legere Signature or American cut. The response of this reed is amazing. You have to try it to believe it. I think the property of this reed that allows it to absorb moisture really gives it a warm response.

 

[Sax Panther]

I ordered a Silverstein ambipoly, the jazz version for tenor..Looking at the strength chart it suggested 2.5+ would be a match for what I was used to - this actually feels a little bit harder to me than the vandorens and legeres that I'm used to, but not unmanageably so. I could try to shave it down a bit, but I'm no reed expert and doing this on a £34 reed makes me nervous...

It does feel very much like a cane reed though, and sounds good. Bottom notes are a bit warbly when I play soft, but that feels like a strength issue rather than the reed design. I'll definitely spend some more time with it. If I'd gone for the normal 2.5 strength I'd probably be preferring it to Legere, for both feel and sound. Can't comment on longevity yet though, hopefully my experience matches that of ajarndontree.

Unfortunately nowhere in the UK seems to stock them (dawkes have them on alto, bit not tenor) so I had to add it into a thomann order.

With all these choices, I'm very unlikely to go back to cane. The feel is different, but when I've recorded myself and listened back, the tone on synthetics isn't inferior.

 

[ajarndontree]

I ordered a Silverstein ambipoly, the jazz version for tenor..Looking at the strength chart it suggested 2.5+ would be a match for what I was used to - this actually feels a little bit harder to me than the vandorens and legeres that I'm used to, but not unmanageably so. I could try to shave it down a bit, but I'm no reed expert and doing this on a £34 reed makes me nervous...

It does feel very much like a cane reed though, and sounds good. Bottom notes are a bit warbly when I play soft, but that feels like a strength issue rather than the reed design. I'll definitely spend some more time with it. If I'd gone for the normal 2.5 strength I'd probably be preferring it to Legere, for both feel and sound. Can't comment on longevity yet though, hopefully my experience matches that of ajarndontree.

Unfortunately nowhere in the UK seems to stock them (dawkes have them on alto, bit not tenor) so I had to add it into a thomann order.

With all these choices, I'm very unlikely to go back to cane. The feel is different, but when I've recorded myself and listened back, the tone on synthetics isn't inferior.

In order to find the perfect reed strength for my mouthpiece, I initially purchased a 2, a 2+ and a 2.5. The 2 was too soft, the 2+ was perfect and the 2.5 was too stiff but I was able to easily adjust it with a reed knife. You could even simply use a razor blade and just shave a little off of the heart (the thick part) of the reed. I shaved the heart down a little and tried playing it and it was still too stiff. But after shaving the 2.5 3 or 4 times, I managed to get my 2.5 to respond just as easily as my 2+. I don't recommend shaving anything off of the tip, just near the heart. Just shave a tiny bit and try it and repeat the process until you get the desired strength, since you can't add it back once you shave it off, but you can always take off more.

 

[Sax Panther]

Having had a few more days on it, I'm getting used to the 2.5+ and it actually feels great now. Definitely prefer it to the legeres, for both feel and sound, although I'd still happily do a gig on either of the legeres.

I did also try the Silverstein reed on my bass clarinet, and it was horrible - squeak city. The Legere American cut and signature on the other hand work brilliantly on it.

 

[ajarndontree]

Having had a few more days on it, I'm getting used to the 2.5+ and it actually feels great now. Definitely prefer it to the legeres, for both feel and sound, although I'd still happily do a gig on either of the legeres.

I did also try the Silverstein reed on my bass clarinet, and it was horrible - squeak city. The Legere American cut and signature on the other hand work brilliantly on it.

I also tried the Silverstein on a bass clarinet and it was a struggle to play in the upper register. However, to be fair, I was using a jazz tenor reed. I have no doubt that a Silverstein classical reed designed specifically for bass clarinet would perform much better.