 The Oboe BBoard
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Author: rgombine
Date: 2016-05-28 02:00
Just got an email newsletter indicating Legere reed's are shipping in June. Wonder how crazy the pricing will be given the 149 they are getting for bassoon reed's.
Myself, I am not ready to give up my neurotic relationship with Reed making that I've cultivated over the many years!
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Author: Oboehotty
Date: 2016-05-28 17:15
According to a website, this is only the European scrape. The American scrape is no where near ready according to Legere.
Professor of Oboe - Youngstown State University
Howland Local Schools - MS Dir. Of Bands/HS Asst. Dir (Marching, Symphonic)
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Author: sylvangale
Date: 2016-05-28 21:26
I pre-ordered at Bocal Majority, though WW&BW are supposed to carry them too. Legere will sell direct on their website starting in June.
The legere oboe reed is listed at $149.99, I paid $156.98 in total.
There is a post on the Legere oboe reed facebook page with many comments and responses:
https://www.facebook.com/LegereReeds/posts/10154127495266718%3A0
The reed is European scrape and they expect to have an American scrape in 2017.
♫ Stephen K.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-05-28 22:12
To be honest, the American scrape like any other scrape has been done to make natural cane perform in a specific manner for regional playing styles, but that may not be necessary with synthetics which have very different properties to natural cane.
So there's no real reason to disregard the European scrape in a synthetic reed if you're a die-hard American scrape player. While it's based on a European scrape, it may be more universal than you think.
With a lot of plastic products, trying to replicate exactly the same forms as used in making products from natural materials (and vice versa) isn't always the best policy as they all have very different properties and you have to work with the strengths the materials exhibit. Some shapes found in wood products just won't translate well when applied to plastics due to plastics not having the same inherent tensile strength as wood.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating, so at least give them a shot to see how you get on with them.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: JRC
Date: 2016-05-29 22:31
European scrape does not bother me the least. Christoph Hartmann's medium strength reed would work for me or not, that may be the critical question. I was told it will not be personalizable.... I am not sure what that means... I am sure it will be, however, it will void the warranty for sure. I am not sure what the warranty means either. Lot of questions... European scrape does not make the top ten or twenty.
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Author: sylvangale
Date: 2016-06-04 14:43
They're shipping finally. I just got my tracking number for 2 day delivery to Los Angeles. I do hope the reed plays well enough to at least be the ultimate backup reed.
♫ Stephen K.
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Author: mjfoboe
Date: 2016-06-04 18:49
I played the reed (actually with Mr. Hartmann present) at the IDRS NYC conference. I found it too resistant for my style of playing - American style reed.; however, probably more similar to the resistance found in European reeds. Although, the tone was pleasant enough.
Mark
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-06-04 19:10
I only found out Howarth had just got them in stock about half an hour ago, so I managed to buy the last remaining one in this delivery.
I really do hope it will be the answer as I've been struggling the past few weeks with my usual reeds.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: rgombine
Date: 2016-06-04 19:57
It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. The reeds apparently still have significant variability, despite being made from polypropylene. So for $149 investment, you're not guaranteed the same performance characteristics w each iteration. Legere's website makes it clear that they are nervous about liability issues, but maybe some 3rd party will come up w an exchange service. The reeds can't be that tough to sterilize (at least to the same bacterial burden as a handmade reed), and given the cost I would say there plenty of wiggle room for people who aren't happy w their first purchase but are unwilling to take another $149 gamble.
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Author: kimber
Date: 2016-06-07 02:41
Got mine today! I had no trouble adjusting to the euro scrape, but I'm just a casual city band player. I am not a reed maker, many years of trying, many years of matchsticks. It plays as well as any in my usual stable of cane reeds (no match for that ethereal perfectly resonant reed that comes rarely.) Takes a little more air to get the tone going if starting from nothing, but that is probably just a need for practice with it on my part. Pitch is pretty good when supported, flattened noticeably when support dropped.
I'll see how it goes at rehearsal, but am already anticipating ordering a second.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-06-07 04:09
I should get mine delivered sometime this afternoon (around 12 hours time from now) so looking forward to it.
How are the top notes from high A upwards on your one?
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: kimber
Date: 2016-06-07 05:41
Oddly, the B is a little off on my howarth s55 and the A is off on my loree. Both are easily compensated once I got the hang of it. Both Cs and up were strong.
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Author: sylvangale
Date: 2016-06-07 13:22
I got my reed today and it is quite a bit resistant than what I'm used to, I'm hoping that feeling will go away if I practice with it a bit.
I want to take my knife to it and scrape it :D
Even with the resistance the reed still plays the lowest range and I was even able to get out the highest Ab which I can't hit on my real reeds.
The intonation is good overall, the reed does want to sag in 3rd octave, but good support helps prevent that easily enough.
Handmade reeds are definitely much better, I love a free flowing reed, which this is definitely not. I so look forward to what Legere does in the future with oboe reeds. To have this kind of reed in an American scrape with strength options would be amazing.
♫ Stephen K.
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Author: rgombine
Date: 2016-06-07 21:52
So my comment above not withstanding, I couldn't resist the temptation to see what these were like. I find mine much too resistant. Tonguing is tough also. Very surprising to me as most European playing to me sounds very light and effortless. I assume there are adjustments I can make in playing style to accommodate. Any suggestions from folks who are accustomed to a short scrape? Better still from someone who has played on both styles and has some first hand insight into the differences?
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-06-08 01:26
Right - I just gave mine a quick play-test with a tuner and the top notes are bang on, so they've definitely addressed that issue since the trials.
It's a very responsive reed and all the notes from the low Bb to altissimo speak cleanly and easily.
Only I find the tone very dark and I'm just concerned how hard I'll have to work in a band or orchestral setting. So I'll get a chance tomorrow at a rehearsal to see how it performs in anger.
It hasn't got the sparkle my cane reeds have, but I'm not disappointed with the sound. I'll experiment with different embouchures to see what works best. The resistance is a bit higher than my cane reeds, but not unworkable.
If it all works out well, then I'll order another one as they do suggest you get more than one and rotate them regularly to prolong their playing life. As they cost around ten times that of your average reed, accidents permitting, I hope they last around ten times your average cane reed lasts for.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: mjfoboe
Date: 2016-06-08 07:28
Sounds as though it would be a good back-up/emergency reed. Rain or shine, dry or wet, hot or cold.................
Mark
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-06-10 11:41
I think that tonal darkness they impart will work very well on cor if you like that sort of thing - just waiting for them to launch their cor reeds now.
They have been experimenting with them as you'll see in one of their videos, so it shouldn't be too long especially as cor reeds are on the whole less 'picky' than oboe reeds.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-06-11 15:17
Attachment: legere 001.JPG (492k)
DISASTER! Just completely trashed my reed when I went to turn it 180° in the socket - my thumb slipped up the reed and bent it over splitting it all the way up to the tip. See attached photo of the now deceased reed.
So that was an expensive lesson to learn as that's £130 down the drain. Shame reeds aren't covered by insurance as a mouthpiece that costs the same price would be covered for accidental damage. But mouthpieces aren't considered as consumables like reeds are - synthetic or otherwise.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: jhoyla
Date: 2016-06-12 23:16
Design flaw, Chris?
This doesn't sound like the sort of thing you would do with a normal reed.
I have used similar O-ring type staples in the past and found them very "sticky". If this is a serious issue perhaps we can get Legere to fix it?
J.
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Author: matt_lin18
Date: 2016-06-13 03:15
Chris, that is awful to hear and hurts to look at.
Because the reed is almost all synthetic, it''s probably hard to grip on to. Usually if I turn the reed, I'm gripping on the thread which is easier to hold on to.
I ordered my Legere reed from Forrests Music on Friday. It should be arriving tomorrow and will update with feedback + playing sample.
It was $149 total with free 2 day shipping. They're still in stock if anyone is interested. I also asked them if these reeds were returnable and they said yes - it is plastic so it can be sanitized properly. They do not allow returns on their cane reeds.
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Author: Oboehotty
Date: 2016-06-13 07:16
I just got mine today and played part of a rehearsal on it. It's not bad...a little lacking in depth/darkness for my taste as an Amercan/long scrape player, but not bad by any means.
I too nearly killed my Reed twice as the o-rings are not very pliable. In fact, my lowest one actually already snapped. I too find it hard to,grip the Reed when trying to turn or take it in or out.
Playing wise - I did not find it too hard. A little constricting but not too hard. I was able to blend easily with my section mate.
I do,th I we should tell Legere about the o-ring Isis and the issue with gripping. Otherwise, a prertty decent product.
Shawn
Professor of Oboe - Youngstown State University
Howland Local Schools - MS Dir. Of Bands/HS Asst. Dir (Marching, Symphonic)
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Author: rgombine
Date: 2016-06-13 07:40
It's funny. I find mine really dark, super resistant, and a little flat as I fatigue. Like to the point thant I'm not sure I will really be able to use it. Playing styles? Production variability?
Wrt to the o-ring issue -- as long as I moisten the rings before putting it in the instrument I have no trouble.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-06-13 12:31
The fit in my reed socket is bordering on the tight side - the problem is my fingertips are very slippery so I lost my grip on the reed when rotating it.
I have trouble gripping plastic carrier bags in supermarkets to open them as my fingertips are that slippery when dry they just slide on the plastic. As these reeds have a smooth surface with no shoulder and no cork or binding as you have on cane reeds, that was it - it all happened so quickly there was nothing I could do.
I normally grip reeds at the base of the binding and the top of the cork to gain purchase when rotating them, but Legere oboe reeds have a taper there instead.
The worst part is these reeds cost around twenty times the price of my usual reeds - it's bad enough trashing a relatively inexpensive £6-7 cane reed compared to a £130 reed made worse by the fact I only had it a few days and only around a couple of hours of playing on it.
Maybe I'll wrap some binding around the next one to give it some grip, but that's not really feasible on a sharply tapered tube as the binding will only slide up. But it'll be a while before I get another one due to the price - they're not that far off what I charge to service a clarinet, so I'll have to service more clarinets first to save up enough.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2016-06-14 17:45)
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Author: matt_lin18
Date: 2016-06-14 01:50
Got my reed an hour ago.
Disaster strikes! The reed is stuck in my oboe and I've been trying to get it out for the past 30 minutes. Any tips?
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Author: Wes
Date: 2016-06-14 05:09
While it would be interesting to try a Legere American scrape oboe reed, I was not so impressed by the few plastic bassoon reeds that I've heard. They just did not have a sound that seemed focused to me. However, I was very impressed by Mr. Legere, a good person.
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Author: ckoboe777
Date: 2016-06-14 10:51
Author: matt_lin18 (---.dyn.everestkc.net - (SureWest Kansas Operations, LLC) Overland Park, KS United States)
Date: 2016-06-14 01:50
Got my reed an hour ago.
Disaster strikes! The reed is stuck in my oboe and I've been trying to get it out for the past 30 minutes. Any tips?
Is it a Legere? I don't know about Legere reeds, but you could use a cloth to gain traction between your fingers and the cork.
-ckoboe
Post Edited (2016-06-14 10:55)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-06-14 12:17
There isn't much to get purchase on as the part of the reed above the socket is tapered. Maybe use a corner of a non-slip mat (used under chopping boards in kitchens) or something similar that gives good grip.
The plastic is very slippery, so please be careful as you don't want to trash your reed like I did.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-06-14 19:50
Attachment: legere 001.JPG (691k)
I just wrapped some amalgamating tape around the reed just above the socket and that offers better grip. See attachment.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: matt_lin18
Date: 2016-06-15 21:20
It took me about an hour to get my reed out with some pliers. And yes, it was a Legere reed, ckoboe.
I ended up mutilating the staple pretty bad and ripped off the top O-ring. After I finally got it out, I sanded it down with some sandpaper and removed all the O-rings except for the bottom one. Even though it's really tight, it doesn't seal if the O-ring isn't on.
Cork grease doesn't really help. It all goes into the reed well of the oboe and completely comes off of the plastic.
I emailed Forrest's and they said that the Howarths do tend to have a smaller reed well than other oboes. Even though the picture of the Legere reed on Howarth's website shows it fitting perfectly inside an XL.
Overall - it's an okay reed for practicing at home. The tone quality of the reed isn't something I want others to hear. The middle notes from C-Eb sound quite muffled and quacky. High register likes to sag but I could play up to high G quite easily. Low notes respond well.
You really don't have to wet the reed either! I left my oboe standing for a couple hours, came back to play it and the reed responded on a low C without moistening it. I definitely see how it can be useful for pit musicians.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-06-15 21:41
Out of all the oboes I have, my S5 (from 1995) has the widest diameter reed socket. My Selmer Signet has the narrowest.
But I have tried more recent Howarths and they definitely have much narrower reed sockets compared to mine.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: rgombine
Date: 2016-06-16 01:01
I have not had problems w the reed fitting my 1980-era Loree, plastic Selmer Signet soloist, or my Howarth XL.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-06-17 14:01
Attachment: fedex.jpg (71k)
Now that's excellent customer service and a half - I had a call from Guy Legere himself on Tuesday evening following an email I sent his company and this morning a brand new reed arrived via FedEx (see attachment).
In this day and age, it's nice that there are companies that still have the human element and stand by their products as well as honour their customers.
So this more than generous gesture has restored my faith in humanity by a huge margin.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-06-17 15:09
First thing I did with my new reed was wrap some amalgamating tape around it to offer the grip I need. If the recent conversation between myself and Guy Legere is anything to go by, then they'll be looking into fitting some kind of grip tape or tubing to their reeds to make it easier to rotate and remove them from the socket.
Bear in mind this is still very early days as these reeds have only just gone onto the market, so any customer feedback on them will only go towards improving things. I do hope these reeds will be a success as being an oboe player, any help when it comes to having a reliable reed is welcome.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: rgombine
Date: 2016-06-17 16:44
I am glad they have been responsive to you. I have two contacts into their customer service folks but am still awaiting a response.
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Author: jhoyla
Date: 2016-06-20 09:14
O-rings probably require a silicon-based grease, not regular cork-grease or lanolin. Alternatively, just lick the staple before you put it into the reed well. I would definitely steer clear of petroleum-based greases. such as lip-salve.
I would try leaving only the bottom O-ring, and wrapping the rest of the "cork" with teflon tape, as little or as much as your oboe needs. This should seal and provide the mechanical stability you need for playing.
I had a lot of experience with nissen tubes, and sucking the tube worked better than grease.
J.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-06-20 13:02
Guy Legere did say it's best to wet the staples before fitting them.
And I second the use of silicone grease over any other types of grease as they can destroy or perish the O-rings - silicon grease is used by gas fitters for the O-rings in boilers as it won't perish them, so is readily available from any plumbers' supplier or hardware shop. Howarth used to supply tubs of silicone grease back in the '90s/early '00s with their student instruments.
I tried my Legere reed in a fairly recent XL and it fitted fine.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-06-20 17:39
But not saliva with cork joints as saliva contains an enzyme (amylase) that will break down starch. I see so many older players licking tenon corks and sax crook corks and it makes me cringe.
But it won't harm plastic or silicone rubber.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: sylvangale
Date: 2016-06-23 13:40
The Legere reeds are adjustable! Kinda... (Note: you could kill the reed though).
I decided that the reed was far too resistant to really be of any use and figured I would make an attempt to soften it up.
I used this diagram as a reference:
https://www.crookandstaple.com/pages/how-to-adjust-oboe-reeds#.Ulu_5J69KK3
I was going to use sand paper, but I decided I might as well give the knife a try. It does flake off plastic kind of like a reed though in very small amounts.
At first I tried scraping the gully area of the reed and found the reed to be dead. No more sound, outside or inside the oboe... dead.
Then I scrapped some more toward the base of the gullies by the u-scrape and the reed came back to life.
I scrapped the gullies more towards the tip and then scrapped the base gullies as the lowest range got a bit muted (it didn't seem to help the low range speak any better though). I decided to quit while I was ahead and at least now the reed is now not nearly as resistant as it was.
It still does not vibrate freely like I would like, but now I don't feel like I'm going to die trying to play the reed. Still have full range and haven't affected intonation much, the timber of the lowest notes is more muted now though.
♫ Stephen K.
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Author: rgombine
Date: 2016-06-23 15:43
The folks at Legere suggest using a reedgeek if you are going to try and adjust the reed. I haven't yet had the nerve to.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-06-23 17:20
I put my new reed through its paces last night at a pretty intense rehearsal and I'm really pleased with the tuning and response over the entire range.
The tone is still very dark and hasn't got the sparkle as cane reeds and I did get fatigued with the constant playing at f and ff as I'd normally do when there's no let-up, but the tuning was good and easy to adjust throughout. My main concern was the pitch would drop when the reed gets warm through playing as plastics tend to soften when they heat up, but that didn't happen.
It was really humid last night as a spectacular thunderstorm was imminent and I had some trouble with condensation, but that was only as I didn't have much time to mop out as I would normally.
I'll possibly look into getting a ReedGeek if they're recommended as I feel it could do with being a fraction softer, but maybe that will happen with more playing (as my bari reed had eased off after playing), but only if it doesn't ease off. But I could do with a bit more brightness as I did feel a bit lost in the overall sound of the band instead of cutting through when I needed to.
One main thing I didn't need to have to hand was my water pot, knives, plaques, pliers, etc. to do any on the job adjustments or having to make sure the reed was soaked and still good to go if there were long periods of inactivity counting bars rests or during the break.
So now it's a case of waiting for the cor reed to come onto the market and pit work will be less of a challenge - only worrying about which instrument you're meant to be playing and negotiating the awkward cuts that are made in the numbers.
And the spilt water pot will be a thing of the past.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Wes
Date: 2016-06-24 22:54
When I looked at the Reed Geek at an IDRS show, it appeared to me that it could have been made from a square piece of tool steel. Lathe users use those tool steel pieces to make lathe tools. Since tool steel pieces are very square with tight corners, I have tried and used them some for single reed scrapers, at a very low cost.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-07-01 14:41
I played my first full on concert using the Legere for the entire thing. What was made apparent is with these reeds I have far more time on my hands as there's no prep to be done as you'd have to do with can reeds - it's very much a 'plug-n-play' thing.
The only things I needed were my oboe, stand, pullthrough, music and music stand and not having all the usual paraphernalia with me such as water pots, plaques, knives, pliers, PTFE tape, abrasive paper, mandrels, wire, spare reeds, ... so no more having to get to rehearsals and concert venues extra early to be sure I have all my main and back-up reeds working and sufficiently soaked.
While my chops may have given out with all the constant playing (and I wasn't the only casualty), the reed didn't let up at all and played in tune and very responsive throughout the evening.
The only note I croaked on was my top Db (in an 8ve leap from the middle Db) which was due to the high humidity levels and my LH1 tonehole having water in it which happened right at the most inopportune moment in a solo. But that was through no fault of the reed.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: rgombine
Date: 2016-07-01 17:44
Just to continue to throw a voice in from the "American Scrape" community: I don't think these reeds are yet ready for prime time for those not accustomed to a short scrape. I'm good for about half an hour on mine, then I'm done. Far too resistant. And anything that requires delicate playing is out of the question. I'm using it to warm up on Bach g minor partita or to play the first few notes of rehearsal if I show up late and need time for another reed to soak!
I look forward to either a lighter strength short scrape reed or a long scrape version. And of course having a Cor reed that you didn't have to keep soaked would be awesome too.
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Author: matt_lin18
Date: 2016-07-03 01:45
The reeds do soften up over time. I usually play American scrape but the European scrape didn't bother me. It might even be a better fit for me because I like to keep my embouchure tight around the reed, whereas American scrape generally needs a more relaxed embouchure.
My Legere reed definitely has gotten softer since I first bought it. It takes a few hours of playing to break in. I did see a synthetic EH reed on Legere's YouTube channel for just a few seconds. I emailed them about it and they said it's not a priority right now.
https://youtu.be/-UmOGBMJhMU?t=1m8s
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Author: EaubeauHorn
Date: 2016-07-05 05:41
Has anyone tried one of these on a Rigoutat? And I didn't see where you can get delivery to the US. I don't know how "tight" my reed well is...it is a late 1990s Expression. I'm willing to give it a try but sort of expect it to make me pass out. But worth the try because I can't find anything for sale that works for me, and my teacher retired from teaching. His reeds were perfect, (very stable) and three years of trying did not change the poor results I got from trying to learn to make them. Others, bam, got it right away, but me....it escapes me for some reason. So have been waiting for the Legere so I can play oboe before I die.
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Author: matt_lin18
Date: 2016-07-05 21:27
The general word about Rigoutat is that it is reed friendly so it should be fine. I have tried the Legere on a few oboes and they have been consistent across all oboes.
It was very very tight on my Fox 300, a bit looser but still tight on my XL. Maybe the unit I got was a defect because multiple people who play XL's say it fits pretty well. There generally has been very little complaints about fitting the reed, most of them are from Loree AK players.
I was still able to get mine to fit by sanding it down. The sides did start leaking though because I sanded it down too much and started opening up. I wrapped some thread around it and that fixed the issue. It brought the two sides of the reed closer so now it's an even better fit. The thread also gives me more grip so my fingers don't slip and destroy the reed.
See the attached picture of my reed.
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Author: matt_lin18
Date: 2016-07-05 21:27
Attachment: IMG_3530.JPG (999k)
The general word about Rigoutat is that it is reed friendly so it should be fine. I have tried the Legere on a few oboes and they have been consistent across all oboes.
It was very very tight on my Fox 300, a bit looser but still tight on my XL. Maybe the unit I got was a defect because multiple people who play XL's say it fits pretty well. There generally has been very little complaints about fitting the reed, most of them are from Loree AK players.
I was still able to get mine to fit by sanding it down. The sides did start leaking though because I sanded it down too much and started opening up. I wrapped some thread around it and that fixed the issue. It brought the two sides of the reed closer so now it's an even better fit. The thread also gives me more grip so my fingers don't slip and destroy the reed.
See the attached picture of my reed. You can see there is a crack right under the thread because I initially had to use pliers to get the reed out. It's on the inside of the reed though and you can't feel it so hopefully it will be okay.
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Author: Aaron Lakota
Date: 2016-07-12 20:20
I wrote a new post with the Title Legere oboe reed review. Sorry for being a bit spammy, just thought my post might interest some other oboe geeks. http://aaronlakota.com/legere-oboe-reed-review/
The reeds sound pretty good for a synthetic reed. The reed was difficult for me to play personally, but I do not use European short scrape reeds. The material itself seems to have great potential for making good reeds in the future. I do look forward to trying the American scrape reeds when they release them. Happy oboe-ing -Aaron
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Author: matt_lin18
Date: 2016-07-12 20:46
The reed was also very resistant for me when I first got it. It does soften up over a few days of playing and resistance becomes almost on the softer side of medium.
Those recordings are great, the clips with your cane reeds sounded a lot more complex.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-07-13 00:28
I find they favour using the short fingerings for altissimo C# to Eb.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Wes
Date: 2016-07-14 07:58
Do these reeds crow the same as cane reeds? Where would one put ones lips to check the crow? Does the crow change pitch when blowing from soft to loud?
Today, I talked to an oboist in a group in which I play the clarinet. She bought one from Forrest's in Berkeley but it was very stiff for her.
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Author: matt_lin18
Date: 2016-07-14 20:48
They crow very similarly to a cane reed. Consistent 2-3 octave C when even crowing on the tip of the reed. If you wanted to crow on the thread, it would be similar to placing your lips on the narrowest part of the reed before the transitions into the staple.
It was very stiff for me too when I first got it. It does need breaking in and becomes rather soft when playing for a couple of hours.
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Author: rgombine
Date: 2016-07-14 20:58
Crow should be checked with lips at the string. In the case of these reeds, crow w lips placed below the blades.
My Legere did not crow.
As you can see from my other comments, I would not recommend Legere reeds if you are accustomed to playing American scrape reeds. They are simply too resistant.
I know that many players will probably be tempted buy one "just to try" as I did. Just make sure you are ok parting with your $150. While the Legere company does allow exchanges on their single reeds, oboe reeds can only be exchanged on a case-by-case basis. I do note that someone in this thread indicated the reeds are returnable if bought from Forrests. I would strongly advise that you independently confirm this information before purchasing.
(Edited after review of Legere web site)
Post Edited (2016-07-15 11:35)
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Author: Aaron Lakota
Date: 2016-07-14 21:15
I decided to try to take my knife out and work on my Legere reed.
I thinned the very very tip of the reed and then the sides of the tip. This seemed to help a lot with the response.
I also took some cane "plastic" out of what would be the window area. it seemed to get the reed a lot closer to what I like to play on. I still feel I need to control it with my embouchure more than I like. I am going to play on it for a couple hours and see where it settles.
I am not advising others necessarily do this, I bought the reed out of curiosity more than having great intentions to use it.
if you do try to work on it a dull knife is actually a little better. A sharp knife catches without removing cane (plastic)
AaronLakota.com
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Author: matt_lin18
Date: 2016-07-15 11:12
Legere has kept in touch with me this entire time, mainly about the reed not fitting my oboe. They emailed me a few days ago that they have made a new Legere reed that has a smaller staple, which is currently being sent to distributors. They offered to replace my original reed for free (which often got stuck in my oboe).
However, I told them I sanded down the reed to fit my oboe and they wouldn't take it anymore. A few days later, I accidentally crushed the reed with my fingers taking it out, the entire staple collapsed on itself. I used it for about 3 weeks for 3-4 hours every day, about 70 hours of playing time which is good. It was quite soft towards the end of its life, definitely the definition of free blowing.
And yes, Forrests does offer returns. I emailed them and they said "Yes, we can take back the Legere reeds. Since they are plastic, they can be sterilized."
I'm immediately buying another Legere reed once I can get my hands on the reeds with the smaller staples. I also recommend sandpaper if you want to make the reed less resistant.
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The Clarinet Pages
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