 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: WeberBrahms
Date: 2015-02-10 02:31
I got my first Legere reed (3.5 for use on an M13 mouthpiece) in the mail today, and have been playing on it for about 20 minutes now.
I still think that for performances, I'll always prefer a cane reed that I've conditioned and trust. Honestly, the sound I get from the Legere is pretty darn good, though, and it was a pleasant surprise.
Anyway to get to my point, I think that I'm going to use this a lot for practicing because it seems that it will always respond the same.
I was just wondering if anybody else does this, or if anybody thinks it's a good or bad idea. To anybody who has done it, have you found it any more difficult to adjust to the eccentricities of the various cane reeds you've conditioned after using the Legere for awhile?
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Author: TomS
Date: 2015-02-10 02:50
Are you using the Legere Signature on your M13?
I use a Classic cut #3 or #3.25 and occasionally Signature and Quebec on my M13s. Lately I've been sanding the reed about 1/2 mm narrower, with the Classic. This gives it a little more center and allows more side-to-side adjustment room.
Other than that, a good V12 3.5 or maybe 3.5+ works well.
I play a fairly easy setup ... not a lot of air pressure required.
I like the warm, compact sound and "hold" that the M13 has ... I prefer it to the M13-lyre (at least this week ...).
Each Legere model has it's own unique usefulness.
I actually prefer the Legere sound over cane reeds. Once you find the right Legere for your MP and adapt to it, you will appreciate it more, and find cane harder to return to ...
It does take a while for the Legere reeds to break-in (believe it or not!) ... so give it a couple of days ...
Tom
Post Edited (2015-02-10 02:52)
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Author: fskelley
Date: 2015-02-10 03:34
I had wonderful experiences on various Legeres, mostly Classic, spent hundred$ on them. I ultimately abandoned them because they DIDN'T stay the same over time. So in the long run the good times were too few, too far between, and anything but reliable. Surprised me as much as anybody. More "bad reed" playing sessions than not.
Perhaps I will return to Legeres or other synthetics one day and have a better experience. I am playing very differently (better technique) than in those days. With cane reeds I now, on average, have a much higher percentage of playing time on good reeds. But that's only with ATG balancing and a lot of water over the dam (experimentation and anguish). Still a work in progress.
I'm telling you all this because, I found it meant nothing that one of my new Legeres played nicely the first day, or even the 3rd or 7th day. I expected them to last many weeks (at least) or months and never change. Sadly that was not even close to being the reality.
My lengthy Legere stories are here on BBoard for the searching. Cure your insomnia pronto.
Stan in Orlando
EWI 4000S with modifications
Post Edited (2015-02-10 03:39)
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Author: WeberBrahms
Date: 2015-02-10 04:09
i figured the legere would change a little over time, but nothing like cane reeds.
i believe what you guys are saying, though. i'll be practicing a couple of hours every day for the next 5 days or so, so i'll find out soon enough.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-02-10 04:17
There was a linked video recently of the Berlin Philharmonic's first clarinet player saying that he used this one Legere reed for a year and the only thing that stopped him from using it more was a reed holder mishap that broke the Legere and he was very disappointed.
............Paul Aviles
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Author: TomS
Date: 2015-02-10 09:20
As I type, I am sitting with two new Legere Signature reeds in front of me, fresh from Muncy Winds today ... thought I'd try a couple of #3 strength, see how they are on some more open and resistant MPs.
For the 1st 30 minutes, not impressive ... edgy, stuffy, uneven. For, the next 30 minutes they are starting to loosen up, more uniform, less edge, better articulation. Sit them aside in a warm room, eat dinner and come back in 2 hours Now better than before, and with a sweetness surrounded by a warm covering starting to emerge ...
In a couple of days they will improve more and stabilize, with a slow decline in response over several weeks. I rotate about 4 reeds and after a while, move a new one in the mix and put the one that is getting the mushiest in storage.
They work! Just be patient. Success is mostly by finding the right combo of MP and reed cut and strength. So, your M13 and strength of Legere Signature might not be the best combination for you.
Tom
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Author: WeberBrahms
Date: 2015-02-11 02:07
The reed is a perfect strength for me with the M13, actually. I'd go down to 3.25 if I were using it with my M13Lyre.
I was asking more about whether or not people have a hard time adjusting to the variances/eccentricities of cane reeds after using a Legere for most practicing. I'm wondering if I'll end up messing up my embouchure, ultimately. We all know that we generally end up doing a lot of slight adjustments when going from cane reed to cane reed. I didn't think that would be necessary with the Legere.
Anyway, I played on the Legere again today, and I love how it responds exactly the same today as it did yesterday. We'll see if it starts changing on me soon enough. I'm betting that it will be more on my end if it does.
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Author: TomS
Date: 2015-02-11 02:20
Your Legere will improve somewhat with the first few days and you will also adapt in tiny ways to encourage it's best performance ... hang in there ...
Tom
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Author: pplateau
Date: 2015-02-14 04:50
I'm wondering if the bloke who said he tried Legere's (mostly Classic he said) and never found they worked for him at all was talking about the SIGNATURE???
The Signature I find to be a significant improvement and a wonderful reed to have in your stable. Works for me 95% of the time, so much so that I rarely return to my favorite cane.
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Author: fskelley
Date: 2015-02-14 06:04
That would be me... I purchased perhaps 15 Legere Classics over a period of 3-4 years. At a couple of points Legere replaced reeds for me as I reported they became unplayable (before my days of clipping, sanding, or boiling them- do any of that and you're on your own- as it should be I suppose). And they included at least one Signature. It went into my rotation, was OK but did not stand out among its cheaper siblings (exhibited the same deterioration of play), so I was never tempted to shell out the extra $10 or so over the Classic and buy more Signatures.
Believe me, if that Signature had played better for me, I would have been a very happy camper.
Probably 75% of my new Legeres played great for me for at least a day or 2. Eventually I was hardly able to enjoy it since I knew it would be short lived. No placebo effect here- a new Legere would be way better than an identical one a month old that I'd played a half dozen times in my rotation. And in no time the new one would fade into cruddy play like all the rest. I remain mystified as to why, when "everybody" else reports super long life of great play. It could only be HOW I play it (my technique ruins them? I respectfully doubt it), or WHAT I play on them and HOW MUCH (that also seems pretty far fetched- aren't some of you playing Rose Etudes hours per day on these things?)... my gospel solos with a healthy (unhealthy?) dose of altissimo- 45 to 60 minutes of solid play per session- surely couldn't in comparison be that severe a duty cycle for a reed (I'm speaking and thinking as an engineer now), could it? Or maybe it is. It's about the only thing that makes any sense to me. Or maybe there's a pollutant in my house here in Orlando that primarily affects Legere plastic.
In fact- I want to know about this. Any of you regular Legere players, please tell me if you are accumulating hours of play on these reeds including mid to high altissimo (in the range from A6 ![[A6]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/a6.gif) to C7 ![[C7]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/c7.gif) ) every day, and they're continuing to respond in that range just fine day after day, week after week. And I mean that a reed that's already done at least 10 hours, will play this range fine for a solid continuous hour session. That never happened for me on a Legere, I would have danced a jig in the street. Or, if your play routine is not this severe- try it for a few sessions, and tell me either A) your reed dies like all mine did, or B) no problem. Not sure what I'd do with B, but at least I'd know more than I know now. Thank you very much...
Stan in Orlando
EWI 4000S with modifications
Post Edited (2015-02-14 06:54)
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Author: TomS
Date: 2015-02-14 08:33
The Signature seems to articulate a bit better than the other cuts, and also has more center to the sound ... more center sometimes to the point of a brittle quality. This reed really adds more ping and projection to my M13 MPs and to my M30-lyre (which I normally use VD blue box).
I'd like to try an M15, which I hear is even more "covered" but also articulates better ... (?)
Every now and then I run through my shoe box full of MPs, maybe even play a different one for a couple of days ... but always return to an M13 for "polite" playing in small ensembles ...
I don't know why there is such mixed luck with Legere ... maybe something with an asymmetry in some embouchures or more pressure that damages them or something ... sounds like a study and white paper is due ...
Again, I don't use Legere for the stability or life, I like how they sound and work for me.
Tom
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