 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: patrica
Date: 2016-05-13 21:29
Hi All,
I have been rotating two signature reeds for 3 months (playing at least 2 hours everyday) and I am not sure how to decide when is the time to discard the reeds. Is it like cane reeds eventually it feels soft and not responsive? Could you guys share your experience regarding the life time of these reeds?
Many thanks!
Post Edited (2016-05-13 22:04)
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Author: kdk
Date: 2016-05-13 21:55
patrica wrote:
> Is it like cane reeds
> eventually it feels soft and the tip will be not flat? Could
> you guys share your experience regarding the life time of these
> reeds?
>
I don't use synthetics enough to have run into an end-of-lifespan issue for them, but my standard would be when the reed no longer performs at the level I need it to. I would also have new stand-bys to which to compare the old Legere and would replace it if a new one felt significantly better.
I can't help wondering about your criteria for discarding old cane reeds. I'm not sure what you mean by "the tip will not be flat."
Karl
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Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2016-05-13 23:06
While I don't regularly use synthetics either, it might be useful (although it's not my post) if people quote their responses in "hours played," and cite the way they use them (e.g. cycling them [with how many other reeds]). Quoting a figure in days/weeks/months can be misleading given the differing amount we each practice [in hours] in these larger time frames.
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Author: patrica
Date: 2016-05-13 23:36
Yes, I totally agree! Thank you!
WhitePlainsDave wrote:
> While I don't regularly use synthetics either, it might be
> useful (although it's not my post) if people quote their
> responses in "hours played," and cite the way they use them
> (e.g. cycling them [with how many other reeds]). Quoting a
> figure in days/weeks/months can be misleading given the
> differing amount we each practice [in hours] in these larger
> time frames.
Post Edited (2016-05-13 23:41)
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2016-05-14 00:15
I don't cycle through them. I play between 5 and 15 hours a week and one Legere standard reed usually lasts me about 3 months.
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Author: Wes
Date: 2016-05-14 02:51
Playing every day, 5 to 10 hours a week, $3 Vandoren V12 reeds each last me at least a month, although I don't keep records. Usually, I get all reeds in a box to play by breaking in and adjusting them. I like the sound and response, so why would one spend much more in the long run for synthetic reeds?
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2016-05-14 03:49
Hi Wes,
I really like to use synthetic reeds for pit work and summer outdoor band gigs. However, a good V12 3 1/2 is really the best for more demanding wind band gigs. With a Borbeck 16, I'm at my best.
Average length of time for a Legere' is about 3 months for me. While I've tried my hand at adjusting them, my ATG just can't work the magic it does on a cane reed.
HRL
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2016-05-14 05:07
If I leave a Legere on the mouthpiece, it warps. You need to take it off to wipe out the mouthpiece after you play, anyway. If I put my clarinet down for a while, I always loosen the ligature.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Wes
Date: 2016-05-14 07:46
Hi Hank!
Lets go to lunch sometime! I believe that reed usage is easier here where I live. I do these outdoor concerts in downtown Los Angeles frequently on a V12 reed with no dryness problems. Today was one but the traffic was tough.
Wiping the reed off after playing and returning it to the mouthpiece, I can pick up the clarinet the next day and play without wetting the reed. So goes it! Good wishes!
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2016-05-14 15:35
Wow, some interesting results here.
Wenzel Fuchs had a Legere that was going on a year and the only that stopped that run was him accidentally closing the lid of his reed case upon the tip.
I've been using one for about five months now with no sign of it wearing at all. I would say though that if you play four or more hours a day (and just use the one reed), within a week it will soft almost a full half strength and stay around there the rest of its existence.
Being a pliable substance, there is the tendency for them to take on a contour. So if you are a biter, or just use a lot of "energy" in your embouchure, they will bend down closer to the tip.
As for cost, let' go through that again. If you buy a box of Vandoren V21s for about $45 dollars, break them all in and get a month of rotation out of the box, you spend about $540 a year on reeds. If you buy a Legere for $35 dollars and get a year out of it, you've spent $35 in a year on reeds.
The trick is to get great results out of Legere. If you can do that, you're golden.
....................Paul Aviles
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Author: TomS
Date: 2016-05-14 22:40
I have "worn out" a number of Classic Legere ... they get mushy. I've recently started using the Signature's more and with 4 reeds being rotated for about 3-4 months, they have slightly lost some resistance and edge (good!), so, if anything, improved.
Tom
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