 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: ClarinetRobt
Date: 2017-05-18 18:38
With the Legere Euro Signature being the 'it' topic on the BBoard, I have a question concerning strength. Last week I bought a couple 3.75 Euro Sign to replace the 3.75 I retired. I noticed the new 3.75s notably softer than its predecessor. Anyone notice the same trend? Or do I have an outlier?
I have a 4 that I used the 'hot water' trick on and it plays beautifully. It was originally a tad hard for me. Any comparable trick for strengthening my 3.75s other than clipping the reed (I'm not a fan of clipping reeds. Seems like they're never quite the same.) I have been just raising the 3.75 reeds above the mouthpiece tip, which helps, but response becomes a touch sluggish.
Suggestions other than swapping out for 4s? I realize the answer is probably 'no'.
~Robt L Schwebel
Mthpc: Behn Vintage
Lig: Ishimori, Behn Delrin
Reed: Legere French Cut 3.75/4, Behn Brio 4
Horns: Uebel Superior (Bb,A), Ridenour Lyrique, Buffet R13 (Eb)
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2017-05-18 19:41
There is some variation among Legeres of the same strength. If you bought two, were both too soft?
I've been going back and forth between 3.75 and 4, depending on the music and the physical setting. I haven't rad of a way to make them stiffer, but they can be lightened a little if they're too stiff by sanding the backs lightly.
I had thought that softening them in hot water only lasted for a short time.
Karl
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Author: ClarinetRobt
Date: 2017-05-18 20:32
Karl:
They both are equally softer (feel more like a 3.5?). The 3.5 I've never used in my case even feels stiffer than my new 3.75. But who knows...these new 3.75 might have come from the same batch.
My drama is more existential than my new 3.75 'are too soft' for me. I'm improvising a cadenza for "Viktor's Tale" tonight and I was clever enough to include the Rhapsody in Blue gliss within the cadenza. On my softer 3.75, I can do the gliss like butter, but my crazy altissimo notes suffer in intonation...hence my reed to is soft. If I use my 'hot water' treated 4, I have good altissimo, but my smear can be, choppy sounding...I'm just not as consistent with my execution. Perhaps I'm relying my on my softer too much to get the effect I want? Ugh.
I'm using the 4 tonight and the HS audience will probably not be too critical. I'll git'r'done no matter what.
I contacted Legere and asked if anyone else has noticed the latest batch of 3.75s being too soft. I'll let you know what they say. if anything.
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Author: Filettofish
Date: 2017-05-19 01:14
Unfortunately I don't have a fix for soft Legeres other than what has already been mentioned, but I too have encountered some inconsistency in the way these European Signature reeds are graded for strength. Having played a few different strengths, I've found that the 3.5s I've tried are MORE resistant than the 3.75s, but not quite as resistant as 4s. I'm pretty much sold on 4s for symphonic/classical type playing, but still find it interesting that others have found 3.5 Euro Signatures to be more resistant than 3.75s.
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Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2017-05-19 02:33
Did I miss it above?
Why not move the Legere reed ever so slightly up, so a hairline of it resides above the mouthpiece tip, no differently than we do with cane reeds in a similar situation when we find them too soft.
I know position of Legere's has been shown to be critical--perhaps more so than for cane reeds...but have you tried this?
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2017-05-19 02:46
WhitePlainsDave wrote:
> Did I miss it above?
>
> Why not move the Legere reed ever so slightly up, so a hairline
> of it resides above the mouthpiece tip, no differently than we
> do with cane reeds in a similar situation when we find them too
> soft.
Robert did mention trying this in his original post. It does make the reed more resistant, and I've heard of lots of players who do it. I've always found that letting the reed hang over the edge of the tip rail seems to dull the tone a little, just as too thick a tip rail can do. YMMV.
Karl
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Author: Justin Willsey ★2017
Date: 2017-05-19 18:42
I generally just move on (or try an exchange) if a Legere is too soft. As far as noticing a similar trend, I have recently encountered a few soprano sax Signatures (which I play on clarinet) that are surprisingly soft. The company will soon make harder strengths in those; I asked if the existing strengths are now made softer to "make room," so to speak, for the harder ones, but was told no.
As far as European cut goes, there has been a lot of consistency for me.
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Author: ClarinetRobt
Date: 2017-05-23 19:54
I heard back from Legere, Canada. Their customer service is exemplary. I'm sending my "too soft" 3.75s back for a complete swap. They confessed the reeds might be mis-labeled. They are going to retest the reeds I purchased from Amazon and see if this is the case.
The customer service rep is going to send two new 3.75s (from a new batch), plus they're going to send me a 4 for free. I'll keep y'all posted to what they find out.
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