 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Rev. Avery
Date: 2004-02-17 19:52
Hi,
I'm presently using Gonzalez reeds and really like them. However, I noticed that Richard Hawkins and Chuck Hedges use Legere. They are two people I respect for their work and artistry. Plus, I recently picked up an early Eddie Daniels' mpc faced by Richard that's super!
So I'm wondering if there are any folks who have recently or who are presently using Legere that would be willing to offer up their thoughts on them. I have read some past posts on them but would appreciate current input.
Thanks
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Author: Bradley
Date: 2004-02-17 22:45
Well....Hawkins I've been told likes Gonzalez the most out of actual cane reeds. I've heard that a lot of his students use Gonzalez. He even has a mouthpiece he made for Davie Cane specially called the Richard Hawkins DC1 that you can get from Phil Shapiro and it was made to be used with a Gonzalez 3 1/2.
Bradley
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Author: diz
Date: 2004-02-17 22:49
Did you actually do a search?
I just did - well, surprise surprise - there are hundreds of listings on this very topic.
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Author: Rev. Avery
Date: 2004-02-18 00:27
Just got an email today from Ricard in reply to mine. He said he uses Legere and has been for 5 years and that he loves them. He didn't say whether he did or didn't use other reeds. Didn't think to ask him. I saw him referred to on the Legere site and thought I'd ask him about them.
"Author: diz (203.42.75.---)
Date: 2004-02-17 22:49
Did you actually do a search?
I just did - well, surprise surprise - there are hundreds of listings on this very topic."
Thank you Diz. I appreciate your constructive, helpful, and very insightful response.
Did you notice the dates?? That's why I asked if there are any folks who have recently or who are presently using Legere that would be willing to offer up their thoughts on them. I was curious to meet those that might be in the process of making the switch over now so as to get their impressions.
Didn't mean to start a debate or upset folks. If any would like to reply, please email me off line.
Please end this topic post.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2004-02-18 03:01
As far as I know, they are regarded as superb synthetic reeds. Many players claim to have them as backups, a few have won auditions (and various contests) on them. They are very popular in the military where the environment can change and I would rather have a synthetic reed for an outdoor 'thang' than a cane one.
I had one a long while ago, and it was very good. However I tended to produce a LOT of excess saliva (I guess because my mouth was so used to having cane soak it up and evaporate). I'm going to get another one soon. I was just waiting to see what mouthpiece I end up with. Now it's a Greg Smith so I'm going to be ordering my 3.5 legere soon.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: William
Date: 2004-02-18 15:13
I've known Chuck Hedges for many years, not only as a world-class jazz clarinetist, but also as a repair technician who had an uncanny feel for adjusting key heigths and spring tensions to facilitate the smoothest action I have ever known on clarinet or saxophone. I have always respected his clarinet artistry and his ability to always play musically and seemingly never make a mistake no matter how complex his solos become.
However--having said this--his recent tone quality has "not been the same" since he switched (at Larry Combs' suggestion) to the Legere reed. My wife and I went to Milwaukee one evening last Fall to hear Chucks' "Swingtet", and, although he still plays technically and musically as good as ever--if not better with age--his normally rich and mellow sound has become a bit "hollow" and weaker to my ears with the use of the Legere reed. And, for that matter, I heard Larry Combs in an IMS clinic during which he demonstrated certain playing principals (flawlessly, BTW) on his Opus clarinet and Richard Hawkins mpc with a Legere reed. His presentation was most informative and well done, except for his tone quality which was, again, simply "hollow" to my ears. He even apologised saying that, while it was nice to always have a reed (Legere) in his case that he knew would always work, he "would never use that reed in the (Chicago Symphony) orchestra".
While I am currently using Legere reeds on my bass clarinet and saxohones and like them, I have not found success using Legeres on my soprano clarinets, except for pit orchestral or out-of-doors gigs where a cane reed sitting on the peg too long would dry out and become unplayable during a quick switch. Legere reeds respond well and are always "ready to go", but to my ears, they just do not sound as good as cane on soprano clarinets.
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2004-02-18 15:28
(Disclaimer - I get no promotional renumeration for Legere or Hawkins and no compensation other than selling them products)
Richard Hawkins gave a master class for the Atlanta Clarinet Association about a year ago on mouthpiece design. I thought that I would go and have some of the mysteries of mouthpieces become more clear to me but came away with the feeling that it is more art than science because there are too many dependent variables that interact in the dimensions and shaping of the mouthpiece chamber, table, lay, and tip opening, etc.
I complained to Richard that I had tried Legere reeds on my own Kaspar mouthpiece and several others but did not like the results, but wished that I had an emergency set up using a Legere reed in case everything else failed at performance time. Richard said that he made a mouthpiece that played well with Legere reeds and he would let me try several. The result was a pleasant surprise using a Legere reed and his mouthpiece. This is not to say that other mouthpieces will not work well with Legere reeds but for me it took a different mouthpiece to get satisfactory results - probably my own playing mechanics! I still prefer cane reeds for most performance settings but for outdoors I use Legere.
The Doctor
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Author: Rev. Avery
Date: 2004-02-18 19:10
Thank you so much for the great replies ![[hot]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/hot.gif) I do appreciate it.
My first introduction to Legere reeds was listening to my first Hedges CD not too long ago: Just Jammin'. I was really taken with his sound and that's when I found out he uses Legere -- plus a great clarinet, a crystal mpc (O’Brien maybe?) and a whole lot of years playing. But none-the-less I love his sound.
However, maybe there is some studio enhancement in there that might not be in a live performance. I've not heard the Legere reeds other than on recordings.
I did do the sound test on the Legere site. Richard Hawkins plays two different pieces. I was able to tell immediately which one was the Legere reed. Maybe because I've listened so much to Hedges. In the test I liked the reed in the low notes, but not quite as much on the highs. I have reed (and have been emailed) that they sound a little thin in the higher notes. I was wondering if that's why they've introduced the Quebec cut. It's supposed to be darker sounding.
I had also read about the saliva problems. I wonder if that's for all players or just specific to some?
With all that said, I do LOVE the Gonzalez reeds. According to the tone tests that Tom Ridenour describes in his ATG system, the Gonzalez reeds are really balanced very, very well. (Thanks to the sample box Mr. Shapiro so graciously sent me.)
I'm not looking to change per-se, but with two people like Richard and Chuck Hedges endorsing the Legere my interest was really piqued.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2004-02-18 19:42
Quote:
but with two people like Richard and Chuck Hedges endorsing the Legere my interest was really piqued. Ah . . . the science of marketing! "Well, Larry Combs, Pete Fountain, Richard Hawkins and Eddie Daniels use leblancs . . . therefore leblancs must be the best!" Or in your case, "Larry Combs, Richard Hawkins and Chuck Hedges use Legere's, therefore legere reeds must be excellent!"
I love the world of advertising. Most of the time I can ignore it but sometimes it gets to me . . . and the result can be good, like buying a Greg Smith Mouthpiece, or the result can be bad, like my three years subscriptions to five magazines that I don't even read anymore ![[frown]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie2.gif)
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Rev. Avery
Date: 2004-02-18 20:58
That's not what I was meaning to imply at all.
What I meant was: in the world of reeds that have been around a long time, for Legere (which is relatively new to the world of reeds?) to have these type endorsements it might be worth my looking into.
Since I don't know much else to use as a basis to go by I thought I'd also ask here too. But, it seems the archives need to be thoroughly searched (one must read at least hundreds first) and then, maybe only then, can a question be asked -- but please beware that there are old-timers here who've read the same dumb, repeated questions before.
And it has to be a product that has no endorsements because, of course, that's a bad thing. These evil musicians whom we love are getting money from these products through their endorsements. And, of course, since all they care about is money they're willing to shaft us so they can get money.
I guess it is pretty ignorant to think that Hawkins and Hedges (and others) might have some credibility and character to actually believe in what they're endorsing. And how ignorant to think that they might actually believe the product might increase one’s joy and love of playing the instrument. I’m sure they don’t care about that. They just love marketing to make money.
And of course, if I were them I wouldn’t do such a thing as that. I have too much character to do that. Instead, I’ll just make people feel dumb on the Clarinet BB. That way I can show everybody how much more character I have than -- well, Larry Combs, Pete Fountain, Richard Hawkins and Eddie Daniels or Larry Combs, Richard Hawkins and Chuck Hedges.
I think I'm going to read all the posts from now on. All the ones I think are irrelevant or repetitious or endorsement connected or just something I’m not interested in reading -- I'm going to make all these people feel really dumb by replying and telling them exactly what I think – because that’s what matters. And I'll do it on a public forum so they'll really feel dumb. That way they'll want to post again and be made to feel dumb all over again. After all, it really is a great feeling to get torn down publicly in front of hundreds of people who might read these posts.
But, why should I care about how they might feel? What is important is what I think and they need to know that! It wouldn’t be right of me to just simply not reply. They need to have their day feel a little worse than it might already. Why be a source of happiness to someone when I can make them feel dumb? Yes, that’s what I’ll do!
I can't wait until I've been around here long enough so that I can start making these dumb, stupid new posters feel and know how dumb and stupid they really are. I know I'm missing out on a lot of fun. Plus, I’ll feel better about myself knowing that I’ve passed onto them my wisdom and knowledge.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2004-02-18 23:08
lol. You took my post the wrong way! I already posted above that I liked the one I tried and will be purchasing another, and what I thought their good uses would be. I was just pokin a little fun in my second post trying to show that what's good for the goose isn't always good for the gander! Anyways, when you try them let us know how YOU like them.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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