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Re: Time to rail against mouthpiece makers

Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2018-08-11 00:39

Dear Mr. Behn,

Thank you so much for your input! I do agree that there are a vast number of other details that make up the whole picture. BUT, there is a starting place that the gross numbers such as they are (different measuring systems) can provide that helps guide our ETERNAL search.

I would try to emphasize that this is a LEGERE use issue more than a cane use issue which is a more forgiving material.

Let's look at the weirdness of Legere to underscore the issue. No one that I know or who I've heard of, uses the Legere reeds that are cut to actual French reed specs to any great satisfaction. There are the "Signature" Legere which are made of a more "brittle" type of plastic that work great for a lot of great performers but they use the soprano sax reed or the ones that are basically soprano sax cut reeds that are just a little longer stock (European Signature cut). I have had very good results with the German cut Legere, but in the end, the above Signature versions are the best.

So those of us who need to cater to the characteristics of this plastic reed need to be a bit more wary about what direction to go with mouthpieces since there are re-stocking fees if not just a wholesale waste of time and effort.

"gavalanche20" gave a real world example above of how the gross dimensions do NOT tell the whole story and yet I would say he was within a half strength which is acceptably close.

My contention is that we (players and mouthpiece providers) are entering this new phase of talking to each other whether we want it or not. The Legere advantages will begin to out weight the Vandoren advantages (as lovely as they are) more and more as more of us make the switch. The primacy of the mouthpiece over the reed will become more of an equal partnership and matching the mouthpiece to the reed will be more common.

We just all better get ready.

....................Paul Aviles

Post Edited (2018-08-11 02:25)

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