[Wapickle]

I think a reed issue - suggestions?

I’m using Royal reeds 2.5 by D’Addarrio and it seems like I’m struggling to find decent reeds in the box (unless it is me). Some reeds play really smoothly, kind of effortless while others feel like I’m blowing into a pinhole to fill a balloon. Additionally some I get a lot of squealing. I thought it was my mouthpiece or sax but I don’t think so.

Has anyone had this issue? I haven’t yet purchased new reeds but am getting close to the end of the box so will do so soon. Thanks

 

[Grumps]

Yeah, I loved Rico Royals over twenty years ago. Then D'Addarrio bought them. Try another brand.

 

[swperry1]

Yeah, I loved Rico Royals over twenty years ago. Then D'Addarrio bought them. Try another brand.

That only happened 5-6 years ago, but I dig. I liked lavoz tenor reeds before d'addario came to town. They boast diamond cut accuracy for consistent playability, but since the switch it looks like a blind monkey is cutting the reeds.

 

[JL]

I'm using Royal reeds 2.5 by D'Addarrio and it seems like I'm struggling to find decent reeds in the box (unless it is me). Some reeds play really smoothly, kind of effortless while others feel like I'm blowing into a pinhole to fill a balloon. Additionally some I get a lot of squealing. I thought it was my mouthpiece or sax but I don't think so.

Has anyone had this issue?

To answer your last question, everyone who plays a sax has had this issue from time to time. And if some reeds play great while others play terrible, yes it's definitely the reeds, not your horn or mpc (although some mpcs can be 'reed picky').

Try a different brand (I recommend Rigotti Gold). But keep in mind that no two reeds play exactly the same and there will always be some variation in a box of reeds, no matter what brand. Some brands are more consistent than others. And you can learn to work on reeds, which can help.

 

[Grumps]

That only happened 5-6 years ago, but I dig.

D'Addario bought Rico in '04. Perhaps you're thinking of when they began dropping the Rico name.

 

[honkysax]

I played Rico Royals for many years, would not even try other reeds, but then at some point something
changed. Quality and consistency went down or something. They just don't play well for me now ??
I am in limbo now for reeds - very disappointed to hear the D'Addario Venn is such a bust !!
Fibracells suck now - not too sure about Vandoren either - LaVoz no - Bari no go - Rigottis inconsistent lately
Wish I could help you with your reed request - but come to think of it, I need help myself !!

 

[Benjamin Allen]

I think a reed issue - suggestions?

I'm using Royal reeds 2.5 by D'Addarrio and it seems like I'm struggling to find decent reeds in the box (unless it is me). Some reeds play really smoothly, kind of effortless while others feel like I'm blowing into a pinhole to fill a balloon. Additionally some I get a lot of squealing. I thought it was my mouthpiece or sax but I don't think so.

Has anyone had this issue? I haven't yet purchased new reeds but am getting close to the end of the box so will do so soon. Thanks

Welcome to the world of saxophone reeds. Try Rigotti Gold, which I think most will agree are pretty darn good though they're not my favorite. I like Vandoren a lot because their heel thickness is super consistent and they have really pretty wrappers, but a lot of people don't.

 

[Guto]

I am in limbo now for reeds

While in limbo have you tried Legere Signature? I'm a big fan. To me they play at 80% of a good cane reed, consistently. I always carry one in my sax case, au cas où.

 

[swperry1]

D'Addario bought Rico in '04. Perhaps you're thinking of when they began dropping the Rico name.

So it still wasn't over twenty years ago then...

 

[raindog]

Don't know what happened to Royals in the hands of D'Addario. I think I have read similar complaints here about their Select Jazz line, that they are not what they used to be. But I don't have anything but good things to say about current Select Jazz reeds. Rigotti Gold to me felt very similar, somehow to me a little easier to play but Select Jazz wins in sound just barely. And Rigotti is a bit hard to find around here at least, whereas Select Jazz is everywhere. Never really got along with any of the Vandoren offerings.

 

[Grumps]

So it still wasn't over twenty years ago then...

I said I loved Rico Royals over twenty years ago. If you care to know, I had stores of them on alto, tenor, bari and soprano that I bought in the 80's and 90's. Then D'Addario bought them, and when my alto and tenor Royals ran out I had to get more. By that time, D'Addario had ruined them.

Clear enough for you, or would you care to be wrong about something else?

 

[turf3]

I said I loved Rico Royals over twenty years ago. If you care to know, I had stores of them on alto, tenor, bari and soprano that I bought in the 80's and 90's. Then D'Addario bought them, and when my alto and tenor Royals ran out I had to get more. By that time, D'Addario had ruined them.

Clear enough for you, or would you care to be wrong about something else?

But, we need to know the exact date when you ran out of the last box for each of the instruments you list, the exact date when you bought a new box, and your detailed analysis reed by reed of the contents of each box, with 8 x 10 color glossy photographs with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one explaining what it was. How else will Officer Obie ever be able to evaluate your testimony?

 

[turf3]

I made a typing mistake and the forum ate my other response, but Vandoren standard are cut a bit unusually (very thick spine, thin tip) and their grading is at least a half strength harder than most everyone else, but in my experience they're highly consistent for the universe of "lower price high end" and "moderately priced" reeds (I consider Vandoren to be one of the less expensive premium reeds, Rico Royals, La Voz etc., to be "medium price", and plain old Ricos to be just "plain old cheap".

 

[Grumps]

But, we need to know the exact date when you ran out of the last box for each of the instruments you list...

You know my soprano Royals just ran out last year. Only 'cause I'm playing a crazy amount of soprano these days and had to bite the bullet and buy more soprano reeds. Went with Java greens and they're fine for me. But I still have those Royals for bari, and now that I'm not gigging at all on bari, they'll probably outlast me.

 

[turf3]

You know my soprano Royals just ran out last year. Only 'cause I'm playing a crazy amount of soprano these days and had to bite the bullet and buy more soprano reeds. Went with Java greens and they're fine for me. But I still have those Royals for bari, and now that I'm not gigging at all on bari, they'll probably outlast me.

Over 20 years ago a friend of mine gave me something like 30 boxes of Lavoz baritone reeds. I will never need to buy baritone reeds again.

 

[swperry1]

But, we need to know the exact date when you ran out of the last box for each of the instruments you list, the exact date when you bought a new box, and your detailed analysis reed by reed of the contents of each box, with 8 x 10 color glossy photographs with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one explaining what it was. How else will Officer Obie ever be able to evaluate your testimony?

Wrong post quoted

 

[swperry1]

I said I loved Rico Royals over twenty years ago. If you care to know, I had stores of them on alto, tenor, bari and soprano that I bought in the 80's and 90's. Then D'Addario bought them, and when my alto and tenor Royals ran out I had to get more. By that time, D'Addario had ruined them.

Clear enough for you, or would you care to be wrong about something else?

Always an ******* I guess. Being passive aggressive is cool. Being a dick when someone calls you on it shows great character. Simply sharing the information would've made my last comment unnecessary and your rude response a never thought.

 

[Grumps]

Hey man, no sense in getting worked up. It's just internet banter; akin to talking across a bar. I generally hold no grudges over it. Hope you feel the same after some reflection.

 

[jmathesonjr]

The experience, Wapickle, you are describing will not get better with new reeds. They will improve with something like a REEDGEEK, or any of the other reed working tools out there. The reeds are warping or too stiff or not stiff enough.

I personally do not like Rico Royal reeds, but that has to do more with the cut of the reed than anything.

Use a piece of glass to see if the reeds are warped. Lay the reed flat on the glass, put your thumb and first finger on either side of the reed, and if you notice a rocking from side to side, the reed has warped. The squeaks are caused from air escaping under the lig at the raised edges of the sides. Sand them, file them, or reedgeek them flat and your troubles may just disappear.

For me Royals warped after about two to three weeks of playing. I filed them flat and would get another 6 to 8 months out of them. I quit using them because I found reeds that gave me a little less refined sound.

For more on reed working, Peter Ponzol has a guide somewhere on the breaking in and working of reeds. He used to include that guide with his reeds. I am not sure he is still making anything, but his guide might be on the internet in some small corner of the web.

Good luck.

Good luck.