I have this strange feeling that you play on an open tip over say .120 and a hard reed. If i'm right I have a theory. If not, I have nothing.

 

Reeds normally bend to fit a curve.

...playing a reed for months...that can't be helping your tone.

They will straighten out in a case when they dry but they maintain memory.

 

Reeds normally bend to fit a curve......They will straighten out in a case when they dry but they maintain memory.

Yes, I notice this especially when trying out a new mouthpiece with reeds that have been broken in on another. If the facings are very different, the reeds will chirp or sound very buzzy.

 

It seems that the reed must be stressed beyond the proportional limit of the stress strain curve. I always figured that should be the bound of the facing curve. It obviously changes with reed strength and manufacturer. No one seemed interested there. I was looking to put a limit on the facing curve. Well, maybe an answer will show up here.

 

I tend to think this usually occurs with players who use too much embouchure pressure, possibly because of using slightly harder reeds than they really should.

If the reeds are a little too hard, you can still get a good sound but often times it requires more than ideal embouchure pressure. The added pressure doesn't allow the reed to release to it's normal flat shape. Instead, it releases to a position where it's slightly bent. In effect, this emulates a smaller tip opening. Continued playing in this manner results in the reed conforming to the slightly bent shape since it's rarely in a flat state until you put it back in a case/guard.

The reeds may still play OK. But if you put on a new reed, it's probably going to feel much harder because you've gotten used to the feeling of this simulated smaller tip combined with a well worn reed that's softer than when you started playing it.

 

Kind of what I was thinking, but I'm not familiar enough on the topic to give a formal opinion.

 

The most open mouthpiece I have is a Metalite M9 for tenor. THis happens on alto as well, where the largest opening I have is a .076. I've been using Hemke 3.0, Rico Reserve 3.0+ for alto, and V16 2.5s on tenor. and it occurs with varying degrees on all of them, with all mouthpieces. (Morgan 3C, Phil-tone Meyer for alto, Kessler OL7pro and Metalite for tenor).

I did not mean to say the same reeds were used for months. Merely that this trend has been going on for a few months with each reed I use. A reed lasts maybe a month for me before it breaks down.

It could be that I am applying too much lower lip pressure. I have been working on correcting a tight embouchure since I have noticed the bending, and yet the degree of bend does not seem to be decreasing.

 

I play a .075 tip alto with number 3 Hemkes. I leave em on for several days sometimes, instead of doing it right and drying it in the case.

I haven't had a reed bend yet. I play with a very loose embouchre

 

The issue of bending reeds can be linked to biting (playing with too much pressure on the reed) and/or not taking enough mouthpiece into your mouth. If you put your lower lip close to or just at the point where the facing curve starts (for tenor between roughly somewhere 22 and 26 cm from the tip, depending on the facing curve on your mouthpiece) you will see that your reeds won't bend much or at all.

I had this issue sometimes when I started playing very big tips (10* or bigger on tenor, 9* on alto), but taking more mouthpiece in and playing with a more relaxed embouchure solved it for me.

 

The issue of bending reeds can be linked to biting (playing with too much pressure on the reed) and/or not taking enough mouthpiece into your mouth. If you put your lower lip close to or just at the point where the facing curve starts (for tenor between roughly somewhere 22 and 26 cm from the tip, depending on the facing curve on your mouthpiece) you will see that your reeds won't bend much or at all.

I had this issue sometimes when I started playing very big tips (10* or bigger on tenor, 9* on alto), but taking more mouthpiece in and playing with a more relaxed embouchure solved it for me.

I hope you mean mm and not cm :bluewink2:

 

Didn't we just do a huge thread on this?

Here it is. You might like to have a look...apparently this can be fatal

http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?159072-Extremely-frustrated-Need-Serious-Help

 

If by "just" you mean 2 years ago and "huge" you mean 3 pages, then yeah. :bluewink:

j/k, I remember that thread.

 

Bending them back with a mouthpiece cap during a break can also help, like Illinois Jacquet and some other old school players used to do :bluewink: :

 

Don't stick it in the case with the cap on....store your reed flat.

 

Well, it's obvious I can't read.

Spending too much time in sax forums leads to this condition.