[mike713]

I've been using Zonda and Gonzalez reeds exclusively on tenor for the past 8 years or so, but according to a rep at Pro Winds who I recently spoke to, there is a good chance they will be discontinued entirely. At any rate they have been harder and harder to acquire for some time now...

My question is - does anyone here who uses/used these have recommendations for other reeds that play similar? obviously I'm willing to pay a bit more because these have never been cheap (especially in Canada) but my recent experiments with Jazz Select and Vandoren were extremely disappointing... for context I've been playing 3 or 3.5s on Klum Tonamax 7*.

thanks in advance!

 

[Saxland]

Try the Boston Sax Shop reeds. They play darker than Rigotti Gold and Jazz Select. They are made to BSS specs by Rigotti. I find them more resonant and respond better than Jazz Select reeds. I used to play flat box Zonda reeds until they stopped making them.

Steve Neff did a review of BSS reeds.

https://www.neffmusic.com/blog/2019/05/the-boston-sax-shop-custom-tenor-saxophone-reeds-review/

 

[rek]

I played Gonzalez 627 and RC and recently switched to Robertos, mainly because altissimo is easier yet the bottom still plays well (although not as full as the 627). Compared to Riggotti, Robertos aren't buzzy and have a stronger core. YMMV. I've been meaning to check out BSS but reports of inconsistency have put me off.

 

[mike713]

Thanks for the replies! I have heard recommendations for Robertos but BSS is new to me. Looks like Twigg in Montreal has the BSS reeds so I might give them a try, and maybe the Robertos too.