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I just bought a Klum soprano mouthpiece at .51 from this forum. Does anyone have reed suggestions? I don’t know where to start.
Reed Suggestions?
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I, for one, would not presume to know what reed will work for you on any mouthpiece. I have a well-developed soprano embuchure and I recently switched from open tips (in the ,070 range) to closed tips (in the .042 to .05 range) and use basically the same reeds. The ony difference for me is that I adjust all reeds, but the ones for the closer tips are not adjusted as much as the reeds I use on the open tips. My reeds are Vandoren #2 (ZZ, Java, and blue-box). But for someone else? Who knows?
My suggestion would be to start at #2 and see how it goes. It is ultimately you who must decide. DAVE
My suggestion would be to start at #2 and see how it goes. It is ultimately you who must decide. DAVE
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What Dave said. And this is the one use I have found for the local store that handles the school band business in my area: I can buy a single reed from them, not just a full box. Sure, they are expensive on a per-reed basis, but cheaper by far than buying a box of 3s only to find that you need to try 2.5s. They don't have the variety I would like, but I can quickly identify the neighborhood I need to be in.
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First, I totally agree with Dave Dolson.
Having never heard of Klum Mouthpieces I checked it out on the Net. Wow, he has mouthpieces that look like something rolling down the lane of a bowling alley. Please do not misunderstand, I'm not trying to be negative here. These are some of the wildest mouthpieces I have ever seen. On the soprano piece it's just Black ebonite, but the rest of his selections...well here is a link to the pictures. Seeing is believ'n.
So, Coltrane 22, I got to thinking about your question and.....well.....why not ask Ted Klum. Here is his contact page. At least he can give you a starting point and you may want to ask him what some of the player are using that are currently using his soprano piece. The worst that can happen is that he doesn't respond, but since he is in the business of promoting his pieces...well you get the idea.
If the first link does not work you can see all the mouthpieces via the second link on Klum's website. Unfortunately, I cannot get it to work.
Having never heard of Klum Mouthpieces I checked it out on the Net. Wow, he has mouthpieces that look like something rolling down the lane of a bowling alley. Please do not misunderstand, I'm not trying to be negative here. These are some of the wildest mouthpieces I have ever seen. On the soprano piece it's just Black ebonite, but the rest of his selections...well here is a link to the pictures. Seeing is believ'n.
So, Coltrane 22, I got to thinking about your question and.....well.....why not ask Ted Klum. Here is his contact page. At least he can give you a starting point and you may want to ask him what some of the player are using that are currently using his soprano piece. The worst that can happen is that he doesn't respond, but since he is in the business of promoting his pieces...well you get the idea.
If the first link does not work you can see all the mouthpieces via the second link on Klum's website. Unfortunately, I cannot get it to work.
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Do you already have some sop reeds? If so, start there.
If not, ask the person you bought it from since you know they have some experience with it.
I would start with Lavoz MH - but that's because it's what I have. Preferences will vary wildly and widely, depending on goals, experience, and preferred embouchure.
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Sarcasm alert: Reed suggestion? Use one. Mouthpieces play better with a reed on...
Straight answer: 0.051" is a small tip opening for soprano, use a harder reed than you otherwise would. Bottom line, it doesn't matter, get the one works the best for you. You will have to try a few different brands and strengths to find the sweet spot. Every mouthpiece is different.
Addendum: The idea that other people can help you find the best reed for you is completely nuts. When I was a kid, first experiences with a private teacher, he told me to use Vandoren reeds. I still use 'em on clarinet, though I have tried others in the 60 years since. At that time, there were only two brands commonly available for clarinet - Rico and Vandoren. Today, with the multiplicity of brands and styles within brands, the answer is not so clear. Start with the brand you normally use, and only branch out if you can't find a good solution.
Straight answer: 0.051" is a small tip opening for soprano, use a harder reed than you otherwise would. Bottom line, it doesn't matter, get the one works the best for you. You will have to try a few different brands and strengths to find the sweet spot. Every mouthpiece is different.
Addendum: The idea that other people can help you find the best reed for you is completely nuts. When I was a kid, first experiences with a private teacher, he told me to use Vandoren reeds. I still use 'em on clarinet, though I have tried others in the 60 years since. At that time, there were only two brands commonly available for clarinet - Rico and Vandoren. Today, with the multiplicity of brands and styles within brands, the answer is not so clear. Start with the brand you normally use, and only branch out if you can't find a good solution.
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Thanks for the pointers...
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i use lavoz mh, also. i just started on soprano and bought one box of med and one of med hard. the med were good at first, but i quickly needed the mh to maintain intonation in the upper register. oh, and lavoz are pretty inexpensive and seem to work just fine.
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Not so tough, it's just that answering this kind of question on an internet forum is an exercise in futility and frustration.
Coltrane22, I don't know why you asked for reed suggestions, but I think it's important to make this point:
** There is no "best reed" for a particular mouthpiece. **
Or rather, if a mouthpiece favors a particular reed, that mouthpiece is, in my not so humble opinion, DEFECTIVE!
A mouthpiece should be shaped so as to fit a standard reed, have a flat table and an even facing. Then the player can find the reed that suits his or her playing style best.
OK, rant over, just wanted to emphasize this point.
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206 Posts
Lavoz M and MH seem to work fine. M for now but it will be MH when I work my chops up. MH is difficult in the low register right now. Thanks all for the suggestions.
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Althiugh...Klum is too closed for me I think. Will have to send it to another forum for a trade. Any mouthpiece suggestions are welcome. Doesn’t seem to be a cost benefit to a reface.
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call joe at sopranoplanet. really, get off the forum and just give him a ring. or at least an email. after talking, he recommended to me his missing link in .065 and it's fantastic throughout the range. super knowledgeable and unassuming. call him!
Joe Giardullo, a great soprano saxophonist and mouthpiece maker, has posted several articles on his website about reeds that are useful.
http://sopranoplanet.com/category/reeds-for-soprano/
Here is one about tip openings:
http://sopranoplanet.com/tip-opening-on-soprano/
I'd suggest that you buy a box of 2, 2.5, and 3 reeds from a reasonably priced brand such as Hemke. I use a 2, but my tip opening is about 0.09" compared with your 0.051".
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