[Loverboy3000]

Hey guys, I want to try different reed brands and saw that Hemke was a pretty popular one so I'd like to get some opinions on those. I play alto. Thanks.

 

[B Flat]

I used to use them quite a bit on Baritone and still do at times.
For me they are a slightly darker playing reed without the stiffness of other darker type reeds.
In some ways similar to Rico Royals I find.
I mainly used them to tone down a higher baffled piece I was using at that time.

 

[bandmommy]

They're all I use on alto and tenor. I've tried other brands/cuts but always go back to Hemke.

 

[Ozawa]

I always use them on soprano, and sometimes on alto. They're darkish-sounding, long-lasting, and respond consistently at any dynamic.

For me, crafting a characteristic legit/classical saxophone sound is super easy with Hemke.

Imagine a La Voz-inspired vamp applied to a Rico Royal filed blank.

They are absolutely intolerant of inadequate air support, making them a poor choice for beginners.

 

[SaxBass55]

I used to use them quite a bit on Baritone and still do at times.
For me they are a slightly darker playing reed without the stiffness of other darker type reeds.
In some ways similar to Rico Royals I find.
I mainly used them to tone down a higher baffled piece I was using at that time.

Like B Flat I also find the sound with Hemkes to be darker in contrast to Vandoren V16s and ZZs.
For me I also find Hemkes to sound darker than Rico Royals.

 

[Bozman]

I like them. Like Vandoren Blue Box, but not as hard.

 

[jski2011]

if I am going to use cane Hemkes are the ones I like, use them both on alto and tenor, I go back and forth between these and Legere synthitics

 

[Mike T]

A Rico by this other name would sound as sweet.

 

[MM]

Easy to play, nice sound, but I find they are very short-lived.

 

[Ambaryerno]

I've found them much more consistent from reed to reed than RJS or Vandorens. While there's still some I wouldn't use as a performance reed, I don't think I've ever had a flat-out BAD reed from a box of Hemkes. Everything has been at least playable as a practice reed.

 

[Ozawa]

I've found them much more consistent from reed to reed than RJS or Vandorens. While there's still some I wouldn't use as a performance reed, I don't think I've ever had a flat-out BAD reed from a box of Hemkes. Everything has been at least playable as a practice reed.

Agreed, especially on soprano sax!

Once in a while, a mediocre Hemke for alto comes along. They get thrown into my fishing tackle box full of duds. Sooner or later, the effects of aging turn almost all of the duds into decent reeds.

Incidentally, this seems to work with all of the D'Addario-sourced reeds; not so much with Vandoren or Gonzalez.

 

[sxplr06]

I've just started to use them for the first time on tenor and love the dark, focused sound.

 

[Scott E]

Hemke 3 reeds are my favorite Soprano reeds. I also play Vandoren Blue, Java Red, and Rico's on Soprano but I've had the easiest time with Hemke for some reason.