[Keith Ridenhour]

I played a crappy gig tonight. I brought my LA alto to the gig for the first time and expected to kill!! I played it last night outside at friends house with a Cd and nailed the heads of the tunes (never heard them before) and did killer solos. Now tonight I had a heck of a time keeping in tune with the guitarist (was hot and dry) and when I tryed to switch from alto to tenor (had to , alto just wasn't working on the tune) the tenor reed had dryed out and warped on the piece. It took me a set to get my tenor tone back and where Iwanted it to be but it was frustrating. I finally also moved to my right to get out of the way of the guitarists amp. I didn't have my sound bouncer so I was playing to the moon as far as sound feedback to hear. Bummer, like I said I expected to kill on the alto and my tenor tone has gotten fatter this week from playing the alto. Any tips from you pros?? K

 

[saxmanglen]

Time to revisit Plasticovers :shock:











or NOT

 

[martysax]

Time to revisit Plasticovers :shock:

or NOT

NOT!

I learned a trick years ago that usually grosses-out people on this forum.

I seal the mouthpiece caps with tape to keep the moisture in. Play the pieces hard, then cover the piece and reed with the sealed cap.

Always moist and ready to go!

 

[newlifesax]

I regularly gig with tenor, alto and soprano. Until I switched to synthetic reeds the same problems bugged me to. Throughout the course of the year (in E. Texas), we do quite a few outdoor shows. Summertime is particularly bad for drying out and boogering up reeds.

Tried Plasticovers and they were a little bright for my ear. Having said that, I love my Fibracells. Pick up the axe and blow. That's my 2 bits worth.

New Life Sax

 

[saxmanglen]

.

 

[Finnerski]

Have your mouthpieces that aren't being played at the moment in a cup of water. At least your reed won't get dried up and warped.

 

[Dave Dolson]

I have three horns on the stage when I play . . . soprano, alto, and clarinet. The two saxophones have cane reeds and I try to play at least a chorus on both horns each tune (not two solos but in the ensemble mostly) just to avoid the drying and warping that happened to you.

I don't use clarinet that often and have found a mouthpiece that plays great with a Fibracell synthetic reed. No drying or warping - ready to go anytime. DAVE

 

[playitfunky]

I can wet a reed and slap it on my mouthpiece so fast I would just slam the bkup reed on in between songs. I can do it in less the 30 seconds for sure. you should be able to take reed off, wet it, press the tip down on table on mouthpiece if its warped to sort of iron it out, or use bkup reed etc, slam that baby back on there and get going. I only play in one band, its a blues/soul thing. I don't play a lot of alto but when I switch I just tell singer to waste some time to let me get ready.

 

[playitfunky]

Have your mouthpieces that aren't being played at the moment in a cup of water. At least your reed won't get dried up and warped.

This doesn't really sound like a good idea to me, but whatever works for you.

 

[Carl H.]

Fibracells for general playing is a nice alternative, if you have mouthpieces which will play with them. For pit gigs I will lick my thumb and rub saliva on the reeds to keep them from drying out.

 

[Dr_sax]

If I have to change alot I use good old rico plasticover. But I prefer real cane reeds.

 

[RootyTootoot]

I'm hardly a "working sax pro" but i do swap around between horns when teaching and it's something i've experimented with so i hope you don't mind me adding my 2d.

Dave's solution (above) would be the most practical for me because i really don't like plastic reeds. Even if the reed is wet there is a definite "warming up" stage b4 tuning stabilises IMHO and i don't see a way round that as far as the body of the instrument is concerned. . Re the warped reed issue i flatten a warped reed by sucking on the m/p to create a vacuum which flattens the reed against the tip and rails. So my solution in the situation you describe would be take m/p off neck/lick reed/suck on m/p a couple of times to flatten reed/repalce on neck/play.

 

[playitfunky]

I'm hardly a "working sax pro" but i do swap around between horns when teaching and it's something i've experimented with so i hope you don't mind me adding my 2d.

Dave's solution (above) would be the most practical for me because i really don't like plastic reeds. Even if the reed is wet there is a definite "warming up" stage b4 tuning stabilises IMHO and i don't see a way round that as far as the body of the instrument is concerned. . Re the warped reed issue i flatten a warped reed by sucking on the m/p to create a vacuum which flattens the reed against the tip and rails. So my solution in the situation you describe would be take m/p off neck/lick reed/suck on m/p a couple of times to flatten reed/repalce on neck/play.

I don't really see any other practical way to do it other then your way or to re wet, flatten reed tip, put back on mouthpiece. I guess if you are slow at doing this is it something you could practice, but musicians are laid back, we just smile and say HEY MAN I NEED TO FIX MY REED, YA DIG? The suction method you describe does work also. Doing that also should show whether you have a good seal between the reed and the mouthpiece table.

 

[saxxsymbol]

i use fibracells and a korg aw 1 microtuner clipped to each horn to tune onstage with my mic off and during the show. i also run my mic through a small yamaha amp and speaker to have my own personal monitor i can control so i can hear myself and control my own reverb then send the signal to the sound guy.

 

[saxxsymbol]

saw warren hill live and he kept his mouthpiece on his neck in a glass of water to keep his reed wet on his other horn.

 

[aikisax]

I'm not 'working' nor a 'pro' but how about glueing a piece of sponge inside the mouthpiece cap so that it contacts the reed, not at the very tip, and then wetting the sponge at reguler intervals (like dipping the cap in a glass of water before placing it on the mouthpiece). Like the FL caps.

Then before playing blow air over the reed while holding low Bb (no sound) this should moisten the inside surface of the reed while assisting in rapid temperature stabilisation.

Sorry if I'm trying to teach granny to suck eggs.

 

[playitfunky]

saw warren hill live and he kept his mouthpiece on his neck in a glass of water to keep his reed wet on his other horn.

That just doesn't seem practical to me but like I said whatever works. I don't have enough of a problem with reeds to go through all that. My 400 dollar barone neck and 400 dollar Jody Jazz Mouthpiece will not be sitting in a cup of water on stage at a gig.

 

[RandyJ]

35+ years of full time playing, small, thin kitchen sponge cut into strips, just moistened and laid against reeds before slipping the cap on.

 

[milandro]

the Fracois Louis ligatures come with the so called smart-cap which is felt lined to keep reeds moist and protected

 

[stoneridge]

Legere synthetic reeds do the trick for me.