 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: colvospass
Date: 2022-09-16 02:18
In late June I got a 3.50 European Cut clarinet reed. When I got it and tried it, I was blown away. The response was incredible, yet I could put a lot of air through the horn without it closing up. My articulation was so much better that suddenly developing a clean double tongue seemed in the realm of the possible. I thought my life had changed! Over the next few weeks I played it a few hours (not too busy during the summer) and gradually it seemed like not such a miracle. It seemed to be taking much more air and embouchure pressure to get the sound started. I attributed it to the fact that I wasn't in tiptop shape, but lately I began to wonder if the reed had changed. I set it on the flattest surface I could find, and it appears to be very slightly bowed--only the butt and tip contact the surface. Is that its original contour? If not, did I do something to make it change? It was never played more than an hour at a time, for a few hours a week, and always stored in the original plastic container. After that first amazing impression, I am not ready to give up on Legere, but I would like to be able to have confidence that it is going to be more of a reliable constant. Is that a reasonable expectation?
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2022-09-16 02:31
I'm surprised that you got amazing results right up front. You are quite lucky that you found the correct strength on one go! It took me many months of moving across various strengths to arrive at a good place.
I'd recommend rotating through at least four at a time to allow the reeds to "rest." Then, I have been using a La Voz style plastic reed guard (the more you shove the reed in, the tighter the grip on the reed) with great success.....throw out those Legere coffins.
And to answer the question of shape. They are plastic and are subject to heat and pressure as any other plastic. As long as you are not a "biter" per se, then they should hold their shape well enough while being rotated out. If the problem is that they "collapse" within a certain period of time in one sitting, the strength is still too soft. Don't forget about the 5 reeds per year that Legere will exchange as well as a liberal refund policy through Amazon.
..............Paul Aviles
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Author: NOLA Ken
Date: 2022-09-16 05:13
Paul:
I've seen a number of people speak positively about the La Voz plastic reed guards. But I don't recall seeing anyone comment positively on the La Voz/Roy Maier aluminum reed guards that are of the same design but a different material. Is there a problem with the aluminum models? I stopped using mine on the assumption that there exists some problem that I don't know about. They provide a nicely flat surface (esp. good for Legeres), but I've often wondered if the flat aluminum surface also prevents the reed from drying well and promotes mold growth. Your thoughts?
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2022-09-16 05:29
NO, not at all!!!
It's just a matter of my NOT knowing there still is an aluminum version (I'm sure the aluminum would give you a bit more "flat forming" action). The original ones I knew and loved were aluminum but I lost those over several moves and many years.
With two non-reactive materials there should be no mold involved whatsoever. Just wipe your reeds off before storage.
Thanks for the heads up.
................Paul Aviles
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Author: NOLA Ken
Date: 2022-09-16 19:06
I don't believe that the aluminum ones are still made. I have several left over from an earlier life decades ago. I always liked them when using them back then. I see them come up for sale on that auction site regularly, so they are still around. I was just curious if there was a problem with them, as I haven't seen any discussion of anyone still using them since I returned to playing. On the face they seem like the perfect solution to maintaining the flatness of Legere reeds.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2022-09-16 20:16
Yup, I was seeing the same thing regarding them no longer being manufactured anymore. I truly regret having lost track of mine. They would indeed be perfect.
............Paul Aviles
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Author: colvospass
Date: 2022-09-16 20:33
I think I have one of the aluminum LaVoz cases around somewhere. I'll dig around!
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Author: Larry Langsam
Date: 2022-09-16 21:43
I have been using aluminum reedgards for many years. They work fine for Legère and cane reeds. I bought mine in the 60s. I don't know when they were discontinued. I like the reedgards because they are ez to tuck inside the clarinet case. I believe you will find that the plastic reedgards from Leblanc work just as well--I have many of those. They are quite inexpensive. Still, I prefer the aluminum reedgards to plastic. They are more durable, look nicer, and are probably better for the environment.
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Author: Paul Globus
Date: 2022-09-16 23:49
The plastic, 8-reed reed case from Vandoren, VRC810, works perfectly for Legere Euro Signature reeds. Most music retailers carry them. Here's a link to the Vandoren web page:
https://vandoren.fr/en/accessories/
The cases are also available from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Vandoren-VRC810-Clarinet-Soprano-Saxophone/dp/B0002D0O8I/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2DV0B2MPA21LR&keywords=vandoren+clarinet+reed+case&qid=1663357495&sprefix=vandoren+clarinet+reed+case%2Caps%2C90&sr=8-3
This case is compact, durable and inexpensive. I have several of these cases and I've had them for years.
Paul
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Author: Tom H
Date: 2022-09-17 01:37
I've only owned 2 Legeres-- both the regulars (not European Cut). I ruined the first one by trying to shave it down. The one I currently use is a half strength lower than the 2.5 Vandorens I use (recommended by the music store). I just keep it in a standard reed holder (after rinsing and drying) and pretty much practice it daily 30 minutes. Hasn't changed at all since I bought it 4+ years ago. You always know how it will play. I would not use it for playing concerts/rehearsals. I have not noticed any warping yet.
The Most Advanced Clarinet Book--
tomheimer.ampbk.com/ Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001315, Musicnotes product no. MB0000649.
Boreal Ballad for unaccompanied clarinet-Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001314.
Musicnotes product no. MNO287475
Post Edited (2022-09-17 04:42)
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Author: super20dan
Date: 2022-09-17 02:19
yep legere reed warp! had 4 go bad so far but they went almost a year before going warped.
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Author: Jarmo Hyvakko
Date: 2022-09-18 16:24
I am also storing the legeres against a flat surface to get them straight again. I am circulating 10 reeds and get even one year's lifetime to them. The bending of the reed is a huge problem with cane reeds and it may happen even during one playing session. With legeres that hasn't disturbed me. As you know, they make furniture out of plywood, so if you bend wood effective enough it doesn't come back straight!
I also think that legere coffins are bs and total waste of plastic. I am also a fan of lavoz reed guards, i store my eb, basset and bass reeds is them, but i would be very careful not to push the reeds too tight in them. I am afraid that it may cause a soft point to the reed where it bends easier and thus the whole reed becomes softer
Jarmo Hyvakko, Principal Clarinet, Tampere Philharmonic, Finland
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Author: manuel78
Date: 2022-09-20 18:35
I've found that, although plastic reeds promote theirselfs as very stable and consistent, they vary as much as cane reeds, but in different situations.
Where I live has a great thermal amplitude, and plastic reeds tend to be much softer when the weather is hot. This thermal amplitude also seems to affect the integrity of the reed, that doesn't dilatate or contract the same amount thouout the hole reed. That results in sone kind of bending.
My conslusion is that, a great manufactured cane reed made with good wood is not only better sounding that any plastic reed, but also more stable and consistent.
Also, I consider them to be very expensive. I mean, it is a product whose raw material is bought at the hardware store, it can't cost the same as a box of reeds that have been cultivated for several years.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2022-09-20 19:08
I would have to respectfully disagree with pretty much most of that.
For a time, I lived and played in Orlando Florida both in VERY hot and humid rehearsals (with NO air conditioning) as well as outdoor venues in the direct sun and suffered no "thermal amplitude" of which to speak. In fact, I think that even though cane did love the humidity, I had an easier time with Legere because I always knew how they would play from day to day, hour to hour. If you get your cane to be more consistent then plastic you REALLY need to share what you do to break-in your reeds.
Now consider cost in an equitable scenario: A Legere reed easily lasts a year. I usually have four to eight going in rotation at a time but that is about $272 US dollars per year (at most). Using cane, I am at a box a month which puts me at about $408 for V21 (on average). Depending on the actual outcomes the math may be close but NOT really in favor of cane.
..........Paul Aviles
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Author: manuel78
Date: 2022-09-20 19:23
I understand, that has been my experience overall. My math is that, a plastic product that is made massively by injection and then vamped can't cost the same as 10 reeds that has been cultivated, hervasted and aged for several years (that is if what reed manufacturers tell is true). You cannot charge the same ammount for a product that is completely different, just because it has the same function.
I play Gonzalez GD, at Thomann they are 29 €, I use around 7/8 boxes a year, which is 232€. For me, it works. I have 10 reeds to try and choose. Usually one or two are amazing (and they are the reason why I would not use the plastic ones), in total I keep six or seven good ones, the others I have to work on or end up discarding.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2022-09-20 20:19
There are many clarinetists that prefer cane over Legere. There are good reasons. For example cane is (and probably always will be) more forgiving than plastic. So pitch adjustment on the fly, vibrato and all other such operations have more options. Then, as good as Legere have gotten in the last ten years (and they have progressed notably), plastic does not "yet" manifest the amount of overtones you get from cane. Many premiere clarinetists (more in Germany perhaps) have gravitated toward Legere but the majority are still using cane for reasons of fullness and projection.
The amount one charges for a product has a LOT of different reasons many that can be contradictory. One that you see throughout life is......the more you charge for something, the better the product appears to the consumer. If you can get them to buy it.
However, with the evolution of the Legere over time, you can see and feel the difference in the material and how it interacts with the overall dimensions and how that changes the performance. So Legere has indeed put in a LOT of research and development dollars in material and time. That alone is a factor in the equation of getting a return on the dollars already spent.
One single reed costs a little more than a box of ten cane reeds - granted. But you get a predictable level of performance for a MUCH longer time than you would EVER get from cane.....just to name ONE advantage.
And there are plenty more.
..............Paul Aviles
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