[LoneBaritone]

Is there a way I can make my reeds last longer on my Otto link? I love to play on brand new ZZ’s or practically any jazz reed because I get that resistance which helps me have a controlled tone and sound great, the only issue I’m having is that after a day or two, the reed resistance drops drastically as expected and then I get a less likeable sound for myself. I tend to criticize my sound a lot because of it, considering that it starts to sound kind of screechy compared to that fat honky sound I’m looking for. What could I do to avoid this problem, if there is anything I could do about it?

I play on strength 3.5 for the most part, so maybe I should go up? Or maybe just invest in a Legere signature and use that for my jazz playing? Let me know your thoughts

Thanks for reading and have a good night.


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[afrothunder]

How long do you play on a single reed? You might be able to get more life out of them by rotating through them instead of playing one until it’s blown out.

 

[milandro]

Rotation is certainly good, you spread its use but even in a rotation the rotated reeds will at some point get a problem.


Have you ever considered clipping them?

It is a very old way to deal with the reed getting softer and although it changes the reed’s profile, this very old and one time mandatory technique helps getting some more usable life out of a reed.

It certainly does to me.

True, my approach is very different from yours, I use soft reeds (which then probably last even less than yours ) but once I start losing the ability to “ push” while playing, I then clip them ( you can start with a very small amount to determine by how much).

This returns a reed that normally retains all the tonal aspects but becomes slightly more resistant to push harder and in the lowest region requires more attention to subtoning.

Reed cutters or clippers are not cheap if good and you need a good one. Ideally you need one with a tip profile which matches your mouthpiece tip but I have found that even if I get a little uneven profile the old reed still performs.

Oh by the way, I’ve written this on my Mac computer ( you find this irrelevant information? I agree... That’s why I don’t normally tell people who don’t seem to be interested) :twisted:

 

[adamk]

Wash in in water and squeegee between fingers after every use.
Lessons chance of rancidity from organic buildup.

 

[Jazzoetry]

After I play I clean the reed then I use a tissue or soft cloth to press out the moisture in the reed before I put it away.

 

[LoneBaritone]

How long do you play on a single reed? You might be able to get more life out of them by rotating through them instead of playing one until it’s blown out.

I play on these reeds for about 40 minutes a day Monday - Friday, I try to rotate around my reeds but most of them don’t sound as good as I wish they could because of how little resistance there is.


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[whaler]

I’ve always felt open mouthpieces kill reeds quicker because youre bending the reed to the correct tip opening with the jaw pressure.

 

[Karl391]

Soaking used reeds in hydrogen perioxide for ten minutes will revive them temporarily.

 

[Nefertiti]

I find that leaving them on the mouthpiece and letting them warp lessens their life for me. I put them in a reed case after every use so they are somewhat flat.

 

[SuperAction80]

I'll second that using a reed case, and soaking them in hydrogen peroxide adds to the useful life of a reed.

 

[Tr3bl3maker]

If I've learned anything in the 50+ years of playing sax/clarinet machines it's never try to "fix/repair/revive/do CPR" on a reed that's given you a decent life. I use Hemkes on all my stuff, (I play bari sax primarily), and while they're not cheap, they're also not made of gold, and they play right out of the box. When they die, they die. Period. So, I use 2-3 in rotation per gig. Was told by an old friend (who won an Academy Award for sax playing on "Heaven Can Wait" - an awful movie, btw) that one should never develop a relationship with any reed. And to re-use or re-do a reed was like re-using an old coffee filter. And I agree. The hydrogen peroxide thing, like clipping, is a temporary fix. And clipping changes the reed into a different animal, and while some people swear by it, I find that slapping a new reed on seems sonically (and perhaps psychologically) to breathe new life into the instrument. Prolonging the life of any reed often (but not always) means a decrease in tone quality, an alteration in your embouchure to compensate for the change in the reed, and/or possible failure of said reed in the middle of a gig. YMMV.

 

[milandro]

I have been using clipped reeds lately because of difficulties with acquiring new ones and despite a certain, initial, lesser responsiveness in the lowest notes, in just a few minutes I quickly acquire the ability to subtone on those too.

Clipping has been, for me, the most and best way to economize on reeds which otherwise would be thrown away.

Peroxide can do many things in terms of bleaching and sanitizing reeds but I don’t understand what would peroxide do to to the structure of the fiber.



Anyway, whatever floats (again) your reeds.If peroxide gives you the feeling that it rejuvenates your reeds, more power to you.



If you don’t want to revive them because you want and can afford new reeds all the time, fine.

I know people throwing out reeds every session they play.

I don’t do that.

The reed I’ve used yesterday on a gig was used in a rotation and then clipped. It is still perfectly usable.

 

[MNSaxMan]

I have been using the same 4 reeds now for months. I play around 8-12 hours a week right now (not much I know). I use a reed case (4 place), I mark each reed on the back with #1 through #4. Each time I get the horn out I use a different reed. I typically have brushed my teeth, rinsed well with water and drink water prior to getting a reed and playing, whether that helps or not I do not know, but I don't like the thought of food or beverages before I play.

Then when I am finished I wipe clean the reed, and place it in the reed case. So far, no reeds have caused me problems.

On some old junk reeds, I have clipped a few, and sanded some of them just to see what happens. On a couple I have gotten lucky and they worked awesome again!

 

[soybean]

... Was told by an old friend (who won an Academy Award for sax playing on "Heaven Can Wait"... .

I know that Paul Brodie and Tom Scott played on that movie. Are you sure the Academy gave an Oscar to one of the sax players?

 

[saxsearay]

I have been using Legere plastic reeds for 5 years on my Theo Wanne. They have a trial program that you might try. Check it out, you might like them. i use a new reed for about 2 months for rehearsals and performances then use the same reed only for practice.

 

[Tr3bl3maker]

I know that Paul Brodie and Tom Scott played on that movie. Are you sure the Academy gave an Oscar to one of the sax players?

Yeah, Paul got the trophy. I knew him for decades, and he was proud of it. In fact, he would always talk of achieving two things: the Order of Canada, and the Academy Award.

 

[soybean]

That is amazing! Individual musicians almost never get proper credit in film scores.