 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Jerry McD.
Date: 2004-02-11 14:36
I recently received a Legere bass clarinet reed that I ordered from one of the big on-line music stores (in New York, it was on sale for $10). I played it in a rehearsal on Tuesday and I wanted to share my impressions. First, my vital statistics......
My main instrument is the soprano clarinets but I play a lot of bass. I am a performance major (returning after many years, like many on this board). I think I play pretty well and moving steadily towards professional level.
Instrument: School owned (meticulously maintained by me) 2 year old Buffet Prestige low C.
Mouthpiece: (My own...played for years) David Hite with Rovner ligature
Usual reeds: Vandoren 3.5....after break in and adjustment usually worked down a little
Legere strength: 3.25
I must qualify this by saying that these are only my initial impressions after one rehearsal with basically no practice time on the reed yet....
The strength is pretty close to the Vandoren 3.5 (maybe a smidge stiffer). The feel of the reed in my mouth was little strange because it is not cane, but this was easily adjusted to within minutes of playing. The middle and upper register were very free blowing and easy to play with a good full sound. The lower chalameau register was very 'woofy' and stuffy. This made large intervals out of the bottom register problematic in that the top note was very difficult to control (volume). An example would be G3-G4. This low register took an inordinant amount of air to maintain the sound and pitch. I'm hoping there is a way to adjust these reeds. If anyone has any suggestions please post them. If it was a cane reed that played this way I could most likely improve it in about 3 minutes. The tip strenght felt good and articulation was fairly easy and even throughout the range. The only other very strange thing was if I began to bite (obviously I try not to, but sometimes you have to make pitch adjustments etc.) the reed would rattle like an old window pane. I wonder if that could be remedied with a change in ligature. This reed strikes me as something you can clamp down to the mouthpiece a little stronger than a cane reed and the Rovner is designed NOT to clamp down. Any suggestions?
Overall (with my limited playing time so far) I would rate this reed better than most average Vandorens that I have played. This rating could be much higher if I can get the lower register to blow much more freely (I am 97% certain that it is not the instrument so please no 'check for leaks' comments). Above C4 (bottom of the treble clef C....second space C in bass clef) the reed sings really well. This reed is absolutely a viable alternative for people who switch instruments (as in working in a pit) or are just completely fed up with cane reeds. I don't think this reed quite stacks up to a well-balanced performance quality Vandoren (but they are getting harder and harder to find......that's why I'm trying this reed) but if I can get the lower register adjusted I might change that opinion.
I am very interested to hear other's opinions on these reeds and especially if you can shed light on adjusting them. I am going to check the Legere web site this evening and hopefully that will help.
Jerry McD.
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Author: John O'Janpa
Date: 2004-02-11 14:48
Jerry,
I don't yet play bass (recently won auction on Junker but haven't received yet),
but remember reading in a recent thread, that the Ridnour ATG worked for adjusting Legere reeds. I've never used an ATG either, and I'm not sure if one size fits all.
John
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2004-02-11 15:20
Jerry -
Whatever you do, don't try to scrape down either the vamp or the bottom of a Legere. It raises an unremoveable mess of fibers and makes the reed unplayable.
Dunking the reed in boiling water for a couple of seconds decreases the strength by about 1/2 a number. If the tip strength is OK, you could hold the tip in tweezers and dunk the rest of the reed in a pot of boiling water to soften the upper part of the vamp.
Let us know what happens.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2004-02-11 16:06
I really like the Legere reeds for doubling in pit orchestra...
however, when I am doing the classical gigs.. I find they really don't have the feel and ring on the sound that I like.
I also know a heck of alot of fine players who regard them very highly, but I also find my pitch and embouchure control much easier on can that is adjusted....
As to other suggestions...you may find a fabric Rovener lig a bit bit better in that it can offer a pile of different adjustments in terms of tonal response.
David Dow
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Author: William Hughes ★2017
Date: 2004-02-11 17:26
For my EEb contra alto, I purchased a Legere baritone sax reed at 2 3/4 strength versus the 3 1/2 or 4 Vandorens I had been getting and then working down considerably ala some of Ken Shaw's posts. With my relatively open mouthpiece, I found the best response by moving the Legere futher down from the tip than normal. It has worked well for me (a pure retread amateur) throughout the registers.
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Author: William
Date: 2004-02-11 20:54
I also play a Buffet Prestige RC 1193-2 but use a Grabner mpc and a VanDy Optimum lig with the parallel rail insert. I've had good success using a Legere 3.0 in a recent theater production and a couple of wind ensemble concerts. My general impression of the Legere's is that they play evenly in all registers and are generally "hassel" free compared to cane. However, I feel that I can play louder (oops, I mean project more) with a good cane reed and that the quality of sound in the lower register is more characteristically "bass clarinet".
For cane, I use a VD 3.5 strength but after trying a number of different Legere reeds--2.75 through 3.75, I found that a 3.0 strength worked best Most fellow musicians, conductors, orchestrators and other listeners have complimented me on my "sound" using both cane and Legere, so I guess from the audience perspective, it probably doesn't matter if I'm using VanDorens or Legere. I do find that I must work a little harder to get the same sound from the plastic reed that is possible with the cane. But the Legere reeds are always ready to go--and once started, do not change for the entire gig. So I guess that is the trade-off. Bottom line--I like Legeres' and will be using them for the forseeable future.
(I also use them exclusively on my saxophones, but do not like them on my soprano clarinets--which are my main instruments)
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Author: bob49t
Date: 2004-02-11 21:50
Jerry,
Quite a bit of discussion on exactly this subject on the bass cl group on Yahoo.
Leger do a return/exchange system with strengths in 0.25 increments. Maybe a trial of +/- .25 might prove worthwhile for the lower reg
Like William, I play a new model Prestige bass with a m/p by Walter Grabner. I have played Legere exclusively for the last 2 years.
Getting a few m/p's by Walter was a revelation and made my Buffet jump into gear in all ranges. Low reg is lovely and the transition to other ranges is smooth into altissimo.
Suggest you give WG a phone - He's a sponsor here and makes Legere compatible bass 'pieces.
BobT (just a satisfied customer)
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Author: allencole
Date: 2004-02-13 09:39
I've been using a Legere for on bass clarinet for several years now and have been very happy. FAR better than Bari tenor sax reeds.
I am one of those folks who is fed up with cane reeds on the larger instruments, and the Legere has been a godsend. It has also helped me with the clarion register of my plastic Yamaha bass clarinet. Currently, I'm using a 2.75 with an old Vandoren B45 mpc.
Have also used them on regular clarinet on some doubling gigs, but find the 4 too soft and the 4.25 just a little bit stiff. The boiling water trick sounds intriguing.
Allen Cole
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