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Author: kdk
Date: 2013-10-28 19:24
When I teach I sometimes use a Legere to avoid trying to demonstrate with a dry cane reed. I have several old Signatures - #3-1/2 and #3-3/4 - that I've never been fond of for sound but responded on other mouthpieces I've used. I've been playing very recently on a new mouthpiece. The #3-3/4 Legeres I have were too soft for it, so I ordered a #4 Legere as an experiment.
I actually find the #4 to be slightly more resistant than I want for playing cold in the middle of a student's lesson, but I am amazed at the difference in sound quality between this new one and my old ones. The tone quality the new reed allows is much better focused, more highly colored and denser-sounding (for whatever any of those descriptions are worth) than any of my older Legeres.
My next obvious step is to try a new #3-3/4 to see if it represents the same tonal improvement over my old ones but with a little less resistance. So my question to regular users of Legere Signature reeds is, have they changed recently to account for this difference in sound, or is the difference a sampling issue? For those who use Legeres, how many do you buy at a time and how variable do you find them? How many must I order - are they reliable enough to tell from one, or do I need to buy several in order to get one like the #4 I just bought? Apart from consistency of sound, are they consistent enough in strength for me to assume that, if this #4 is a tad too heavy, all #4s will be equally resistant?
Please try not to take this thread in a general pro-or-con-synthetics direction. I don't really want to know if you *like* Legeres, but only about their consistency and any recent changes you've noticed, if any, in their playing characteristics.
Thanks,
Karl
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2013-10-28 21:56
You can decrease the strength of a Legere by dropping it into boiling water for about 5 seconds, which decreases the hardness by 3/4 to 1 number. For a 1/4 number decrease, try 2 seconds. Go slow. If 2 seconds isn't enough, do it again for maybe 1-1/2 seconds
Of course use kitchen tongs to get the reed out of the water. I usually drop the reed on a paper towel and press on the tip to keep it from wrinkling, but with 2 seconds, it shouldn't matter.
John Moses, who's a Legere Artist, can certainly tell us more.
Ken Shaw
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Author: kdk
Date: 2013-10-28 22:05
Ken, I've read about this (I think on Legere's website?) but never actually tried it. Does the reed need to be fully immersed or only the vamp?
Karl
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Author: Jerry
Date: 2013-10-29 01:55
Three of us in our ensemble tried Legeres recently. One stuck by them. She found a "good one." Her tone with the one she has is as good as with a cane reed. I say "good one" because in my narrow experience with them they are not consistent. I was originally sent a 3.5 which was way harder than my 3.5 VanDorens. I sent it back to Canada (for $7) and Legere informed me that they tested it and found it was out of spec - it was at least a quarter harder than marked. I, personally, don't get as good a sound on either the 3.25 or 3.5 that I currently own as I do on "average" cane reeds. So it is either the inconsistency of the reeds, or the difference in set up and player that makes them variable. It is difficult to know - except in my experience I found that these reeds can be less consistent than I expected them to be.
Jerry
The Villages, FL
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Author: pplateau
Date: 2013-10-29 02:27
I have found the two Legere "Signatures" to be very focused and more consistent than the older ones. Albeit a bit stiffer than the corresponding cane reeds by VD or Rico Reserve classics. Also I find they "accumulate" saliva to the detriment of my tone a bit. Overall though they are a very good, "go-to" when I don't want to fuss with a cane.
Is there a newer than "Signature" model now available?
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2013-10-29 02:28
I play Legeres and have for about 12-13 years now. The "original" reeds have been my favorites. The Signatures are great, but cost more and don't provide enough of a difference for me to continue using them. However, the last few non-Signature reeds I've gotten have not been "the same" as they had been. All I know is if they come in the newer packaging they seem softer. YMMV.
FWIW I love Legeres and haven't regretted the switch.
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