Klarinet Archive - Posting 000013.txt from 2003/05

From: "Keith" <100012.1302@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] legere, no i don't want shopping advice!
Date: Thu, 1 May 2003 18:23:46 -0400

Hi Rebecca,

I went to a lecture by Guy Legere himself at Oklahoma Clarinetfest at
which he spoke of the development of his reed. Essentially, there is
more science in it than in the others. He did several things (I recall
that you're a science nerd too...)

1. Measured a lot of good cane reeds of all grades. The thing I found
most interesting about this was that the thickness and profile was very
similar between hard and soft reeds. The difference is in the stiffness
of the cane (where the cut was taken, how the cane grew etc). So when we
scrape a hard reed to make it softer we are not mimicking the
manufacturing process at all; a hard reed needs a stiffer cane not a
thicker cane. From this he deduced an "ideal" reed profile.

2. Measured the resonant frequency of a lot of cane and the "old"
plastic reeds. This is the natural vibration frequency of a reed when
you set it into oscillation unconstrained by mouthpiece, ligature or
embouchure. I believe he damped the cane reeds. The interesting finding
was that the resonant frequency of the old-style plastic reeds was WAY
lower than those of cane reeds. So he selected a material that would
give a much higher resonant frequency - though it is still not quite as
high as a cane reed. [I do find the altissimo notes less easy on a
Legere, but use of a Spriggs floating rail ligature, which has minimum
constraint and damping, does improve this a lot, and the resonant
frequency argument was the basis for me trying this].

3. Designed a manufacturing process that would shape these reeds
accurately and consistently - not trivial, since they are far tougher
than cane, and will blunt a reed trimmer. Don't even think of clipping
the end of a Legere!

He would not reveal the material, but as a materials scientist myself I
suspect that (at least in part) it is a copolymer whose degree of
polymerisation is controlled by the heat treatment. Remember that
Legeres can be softened about a quarter grade by dipping in boiling
water for one second, and also that they soften a little during the
first hour of playing.

Glad it works for you, as it does for me. You'll probably encounter some
prejudice from the ignorant. I had one "fellow" clarinettist resign from
an orchestra because they said I couldn't be a serious clarinettist if I
play on a plastic reed! And some band directors have been heard to
forbid their players to use one. But there are Luddites in every age.
This is not the same as saying that some of the best players find a
slight difference in tone between Legere and cane. In my case, I feel
that the consistency of Legeres means that at most times in most places
I make a better sound on a Legere.

Keith Bowen

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>Date: Thu, 01 May 2003 19:53:22 +0000
From: "Rebecca Brennan" <rjbrennan1221@-----.com>
Subject: legere, no i don't want shopping advice!
Message-ID: <Sea1-F69P9XGOlaYCKT0001178f@-----.com>

>This morning I got a Legere reed (thank you Nancy!) in the mail. When
it was
finally time for band class I tried it out and I was totally amazed,
which
brings me to my question...

>What sets the Legere reed apart from all the other synthetic reeds?
What
makes it sound so good? I MUST KNOW!!!

>Between the mouthpiece change and the Legere reed, I sound like a whole

different clarinetist!

>-Rebecca

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