 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Shostakovich
Date: 2017-09-04 06:33
I'm a big fan of the legere European signature clarinet reeds and have been using them exclusively since they came out. I'm aware that they are based on soprano saxophone reeds.
Apparently Ricardo Morales uses legere soprano saxophone reeds for his solo work (at least in the adverts) ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0BmXMoPFHs ).
If the sax reeds feel similar to the European cut, I think it might be a good way for me to save a few dollars. Any thoughts/experiences with synthetic saxophone reeds on clarinet? I intend to put one in with my next order.
Cheers.
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2017-09-04 06:43
I find the soprano sax reeds more diffuse-sounding and less responsive (stuffier) than the Euro Signature clarinet reeds on my mouthpieces. YMMV
Karl
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Author: Shostakovich
Date: 2017-09-04 12:51
Thanks for your thoughts. I wonder if that could be down to variation in reed hardness - I wonder if a No. 3 clarinet reed is as hard as a No. 3 sax reed.
But I'll give it a try.
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Author: echi85
Date: 2017-09-04 16:30
I've heard good things about using soprano sax reeds on clarinet from a few people now. One of my colleagues told me he prefers them over the Euro cut reeds. I have yet to try them myself, but it seems there's something there to look into.
I am a Legere artist. When I contacted them about the strength of these reeds, they told me they run a quarter strength harder than the Euro cut reeds. A friend of mine told me a 3.25 soprano sax reed on a B40 lyre seemed about right. The 3.5s were too hard.
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Author: Shostakovich
Date: 2017-09-05 03:04
That is an extremely useful insight - I find 3.5 Euros effective, but moving up to 3.75 gives me the stuffy, poor response described by Karl. Sounds like a 3.25 sop. sax reed would be appropriate in that case.
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Author: seabreeze
Date: 2017-09-05 03:41
How do cane soprano saxophone reeds work on clarinet? Have any of you tried them?
Post Edited (2017-09-05 03:49)
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Author: Shostakovich
Date: 2017-09-06 12:48
I have not tried cane sax reeds unfortunately - I've read elsewhere that they can help produce a brighter, louder, jazzier sound (but that's all second hand information).
I can now share my thoughts on the legere soprano sax reeds, however, as the 3.0 I ordered arrived much earlier than I expected.
I'm very, very impressed:
Dimension-wise, the reed widths are identical, with the sax reed having a much shorter stock. The European cut appears to have a slightly steeper ridge in the heart. The soprano sax reed feels as though it is made from a less rigid plastic (I put this down to me ordering the "standard" version, rather than the "studio" edition). A consequence of this is that the tip of the saxophone reed is slightly thicker than that of the clarinet reed.
I'm achieving a comparable tone with the saxophone reed, and articulation is just as easy and clear as the European cut clarinet reed. I think the saxophone reed has the edge when it comes to dynamics, I can play softer and more loudly without losing timbre while using that reed.
I'll probably keep buying soprano sax reeds now, as they are $20 cheaper for me per reed, and appear to perform well.
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Author: HANGARDUDE
Date: 2017-09-08 16:58
Seabreeze,
I personally have not tried a cane soprano sax reed on a clarinet, but have heard a saxophonist friend(and only a beginner on clarinet) playing one. He was using a very soft reed (Vandoren ZZ 2.5) on a stock Buffet mouthpiece and a B12 plastic horn. While I wouldn't say his sound suits classical, or 'legit' playing, it was decent enough for the jazz repertoire.
Josh
Post Edited (2017-09-08 17:04)
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Author: Jordan Selburn
Date: 2017-09-09 09:31
Conversely, I recently tried a Legere European Cut clarinet reed on a soprano sax. The horn and mouthpiece were borrowed, and before buying boxes of soprano reeds trying to see what would work, I slapped the clarinet reed on to see if I could make do. It worked so well that I used it for the run of show.
Jordan
Post Edited (2017-09-09 11:08)
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Author: donald
Date: 2017-11-05 14:28
Just played a concert as Principal clarinet of the Auckland Chamber Orchestra, couldn't find a reed for Beethoven symph #8 and ended up playing a Legere Signature Sop sax reed on my Vandoren M30D.
The conductor (former principal clarinet of the APO) afterward congratulated me on my sound, and recieved many compliments on the Minuet/Trio mvt.
When this combination was first suggested to me I thought it was a crazy idea, but now I'm waiting for a parcel from Muncy with some more Legere sop reeds so I have backups etc. In theory I only use this combination for teaching, but in reality I have ended up performing on them several times this year- the reliability and stability (not drying out/warping etc during performance) makes it so tempting (and I am severely "time poor", making the adjusting of cane reeds a real luxury).
Just my 10c
dn
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Author: echi85
Date: 2017-11-05 22:16
What strength reeds did you use on your M30D? I've been using the European cut reeds for a year now but am looking at trying the soprano reeds.
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Author: donald
Date: 2017-11-06 06:11
I find the Legere Signature Sop sax 3.25 a tad on the light side, and the 3.5 a little too dull in sound- so use the 3.25 and try to restrain myself a little! I've just ordered a couple of them so when they arrive I will be able to say 1) how consistent they are from reed to reed, and 2) how much my original one MAY have softened over the last year of use.
dn
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Author: HANGARDUDE
Date: 2017-12-19 09:47
Donald, just to give us an idea how do these Legere Sig. sop. sax reeds compare in strength to cane reeds, what size of cane reeds do you use on the M30D before? Thanks!
Having tried the Euro cut Bb reeds myself, while I agree that they are certainly better than any Legere Bb clarinet reed I've tested before, I have difficulties controlling the altissimo and upper clarion registers. However, I'm having increasing success with the tenor sax Sig. reeds on bass. And with the positive reports on this thread, I'm considering giving the sop. sax Sig. reeds a go, even though I'm fairly happy with the Gonzalez FOFs I currently use. Oh, GAS!
Josh
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Author: donald
Date: 2017-12-20 07:51
Kia ora,
I usually find that Vandoren V12 3s are mostly a little soft- but when I can find one, or adjust a harder one, to suit I get a fuller tone quality. Vandoren "blue box" 3s tend to be a better fit strength wise, and have a more "springy" feel with a brighter sound.
As I wrote above, this translates to a 3.25 in the Sop sax Signature reeds. I haven't tried dipping the 3.5 I've got into hot water yet...
I'll attach a recording from a recent performance using the Sop Sax reed- this reed was the only reed I used for teaching (and quite a few gigs/rehearsals) from March until a few weeks ago.
The proof is in the pudding- you may not like my sound or my playing, but this is what I managed to come up with on that day (in quite a crappy acoustic). It's an edit from an Auckland Chamber Orchestra performance of Ibert: Capriccio for 10 instruments. I've included various bits so you can hear the clarinet as a soloist, in the group texture, blending etc
I know people have mentioned before that they find their pitch low on Legere reeds, my experience is that the reed doesn't really make it's best sound when you are "pushing up" pitch wise. You might say this applies to ALL REEDS, but I think it is doubly so for Legere. It's taken me time to get used to playing with a shorter barrel and just voicing differently- you can hear that I'm still tending to play a bit lower than my colleagues in this group. For some reason this has been less of an issue in the Bach Musica orchestra (where I'm principal clarinet all the time, in ACO we share).
dn
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Author: donald
Date: 2017-12-20 07:55
Kia ora,
I usually find that Vandoren V12 3s are mostly a little soft- but when I can find one, or adjust a harder one, to suit I get a fuller tone quality. Vandoren "blue box" 3s tend to be a better fit strength wise, and have a more "springy" feel with a brighter sound.
As I wrote above, this translates to a 3.25 in the Sop sax Signature reeds. I haven't tried dipping the 3.5 I've got into hot water yet...
I'll attach a recording from a recent performance using the Sop Sax reed- this reed was the only reed I used for teaching (and quite a few gigs/rehearsals) from March until a few weeks ago.
(darn it, attachment too big, will edit it down later)
Post Edited (2017-12-20 15:54)
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Author: ned
Date: 2017-12-20 08:21
''...and ended up playing a Legere Signature Sop sax reed on my Vandoren M30D.
The conductor (former principal clarinet of the APO) afterward congratulated me on my sound, ...''
Well done. What might have been the conductor's response if you had told him of the switch beforehand?
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Author: donald
Date: 2017-12-20 15:54
Won't let me attach the MP3 (odd as I did this earlier in the thread with larger files which I later removed). It wasn't the best playing ever but had some nice moments... I have definitely found (as have others) that using Legere my pitch is lower than I'm used to, in the last year I've had to use barrels 1mm shorter than usual.
Post Edited (2017-12-20 16:16)
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