Review and blindfold test: Légère Signature Series clarinet reeds

ByBret Pimentel

A few months ago, I posted about plastic reeds, and reported some of what I had read on another woodwind blog about the Légère Signature Series and Forestone clarinet reeds.

For reasons unknown to me, the post from which I originally quoted has been removed, but there are similar thoughts expressed in a more recent post.

Anyway, I got a kind offer from someone at Légère to send me a few samples.* They asked about my current cane reed preference, and sent three reeds in different strengths close to what I currently use.

Goodies via Canadian mail

As I mentioned in the previous post, I have used Légère reeds (not the Signature Series) on the largest clarinets, but have not, until now, experimented substantially with the smaller Légères.

I am pleased to report that the Signature Series are highly playable reeds. In fact, they respond nearly identically to my current cane reeds of choice (a popular, leading brand).

I mention response first because I think it’s the most important aspect of how a reed plays, but of course the question on everyone’s mind is tone. I have been playing the Signature Series reeds exclusively for the past week, and I find the tone of these reeds to be clear, dark, flexible (but not overly so), and characteristic of good cane reeds.

The reeds are very well-balanced. Since the reeds I received are of different strengths, I don’t think I can comment conclusively on consistency from reed to reed, but they strike me as having identical playing characteristics other than a predictable difference in resistance between the strengths (which isn’t always the case with cane reeds).

With the usual traffic of students and colleagues in and out of my studio, there have been a number of raised eyebrows at the sight of a plastic reed on my clarinet. In casual demonstrations, the consensus is that these sound like the “real” thing.

Here’s my exhaustive list of what I find to be different between the Légères and my cane reeds:

  • Inside my head, there seems to be a little more articulation noise with the Légères. However, after recording myself, I’m convinced that it’s not audible to a listener. Still, perhaps it will push me to further refine my tonguing.
  • The flat side of the reeds seems slightly more slippery than cane, which means I have to take a little extra care to get them positioned just right on the mouthpiece.
  • The plastic, at least in my studio in January, feels just slightly cool against my lip. I find this minor thing to be vaguely pleasant.
  • That’s it.

I would tend to choose the Légère over cane reeds in doubling situations and in my teaching studio, where the advantages of stability and non-warpage are clear. I also wouldn’t hesitate to use them for ensemble playing. As I do have a solo recital coming up, I’ve been doing a little soul-searching about whether I will use the Légère in that situation. At this point, I think I can find and adjust a cane reed that will outplay the Légère by a small (very small) margin. But in a pinch I would gratefully fall back on the Légère, and I think no one would be the wiser. I think these are worth keeping on hand for just such an eventuality, even if you’re not convinced that they’re right for normal performance situations.

On the Légère website, you can take the blindfold test with Richard Hawkins playing the Légère against a cane reed. I figured I might as well offer my own blindfold test, so you can gauge whether the difference is audible with a clarinetist rather less accomplished than the esteemed Mr. Hawkins. Can you tell which is the plastic reed?

Sample A:

Sample B:

See the answer

I understand that Légère is in the process of releasing a Signature Series reed for tenor saxophone, which I am anxious to try as well. Since they are releasing a tenor reed and not an alto reed (yet?) I assume that the saxophone Signature Series is geared more toward jazz players.

*In the interest of full disclosure:

I received three reeds from Légère at no cost, but I was not asked to do anything, including writing a review, in return. I am reviewing the reeds in what I believe to be an unbiased manner. (Phew!)

Similar Posts

  • Doubling reed tip from Lawrie Bloom

    ByBret Pimentel

    Lawrie Bloom, solo bass clarinetist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, starts this video talking about his reed break-in process, but spends some time toward the end (start at about 2:45 to cut to the chase) talking about his strategy for doubling clarinet and bass clarinet in a symphonic setting.

    Mr. Bloom recommends using slightly softer reeds than usual to compensate for the fact that the reeds will be somewhat drier than optimal, and using a mouthpiece cap whenever possible. Read More “Doubling reed tip from Lawrie Bloom”

  • Follow-up: Hercules woodwind stands

    ByBret Pimentel

    A few months ago I did a review of the Hercules DS538B dual-saxophone stand with flute/clarinet and soprano saxophone pegs.

    I had some concerns about the stability of my flute on the flute/clarinet pegs, but got some advice in the comments section that the DS602B peg (sold separately) might be better. In the meantime, I’ve gotten to like other aspects of the stand well enough that I decided I needed a smaller version for one-saxophone gigs, so I recently picked up the DS530BB stand, which holds one alto or tenor saxophone and includes no pegs (though it has sockets to accept up to two). Most of my comments in the previous review apply to the DS530BB, so I’ll just provide a couple of photos:

    Despite my poor photography, you can gather that it folds up to just over a foot long.
    Despite my poor photography, you can gather that it folds up to just over a foot long.

    It also includes a bright yellow drawstring bag, and the string makes it a little easier to carry if you’ve already got your arms full of instruments.

    The DS602B “Deluxe” peg, which Hercules indicates is for “French/German Clarinets and Flutes,” is quite good. It works for my clarinets and oboe as well as the standard combination pegs that come with the DS538B, and works much, much better for my flute.

    I tried to demonstrate the stability difference between the standard peg and the deluxe peg. You can see it a bit in the photos below, but I think I failed to really capture the improvement in the deluxe peg. Read More “Follow-up: Hercules woodwind stands”

  • New endorsement deal

    ByBret Pimentel

    I am pleased to announce that, after several weeks of exciting and productive talks, I have signed on for an endorsement and development deal with an up-and-coming reed manufacturer. Here’s the official press release:

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    April 1, 2010

    Bret Pimentel Signs On As First FLAVOREEDS™ Artist

    FORT WAYNE, Indiana.—FLAVOREEDS™ Flavored Clarinet and Saxophone Reeds, Inc., is pleased to announce the first in what it hopes will be a series of “fruit”ful relationships with professional woodwind players in developing and promoting its new professional line of premium cane instrument reeds.

    The first FLAVOREEDS™ Artist to join the roster is multiple woodwind performer and educator Bret Pimentel. Dr. Pimentel has performed with such acts as Dave Brubeck, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and the O’Jays, and is currently Assistant Professor of Music at Delta State University. He is an experienced performer on all the major woodwind instruments, and expects to bring this expertise to bear in consulting on new and current product lines.

    “As soon as I made a verbal commitment to the company, I forwarded them some thoughts about their new Papaya-Mango Bass Saxophone Reeds™,” Pimentel said in a telephone interview. “I found them to be a little overpowering in the papaya department, with not enough mango. I’m working closely with FLAVOREEDS™ to better balance the flavors.” Read More “New endorsement deal”

  • Vadala doubling book review

    ByBret Pimentel

    Improve Your DoublingI spotted this new review of Chris Vadala’s Improve Your Doubling: Advanced Studies for Doublers on jazzreview.com:

    Featured Book: Improve Your Doubling: Advanced Studies for Doublers [update: link dead]

    I reviewed the book myself a couple of years back.

    The jazzreview.com review is by Peter Westbrook. He gives some nice perspective on woodwind doubling:

    The practice grew out of the need for players to cover parts on more than one instrument in the big bands of the 1920’s and 30s, and spread to the pits of Broadway shows and the TV staff orchestras at NBC and CBS. Saxophonists were initially expected to double on the clarinet until it was largely replaced by the flute in the 50’s, as it saw more acceptance in jazz. The 60’s brought new colors, adding oboe and bassoon parts for doublers—or triplers—to deal with, until players such as the legendary Romeo Penque appeared on the New York studio scene prepared to play every woodwind instrument known to man, often in quick succession, a situation further complicated by the re-emergence of the clarinet on the 1980’s. I counted over 20 instruments stacked up in front of the five-piece reed section of the Maria Schneider Orchestra at a recent concert.

    Read More “Vadala doubling book review”

  • Review: D’Addario Select Jazz alto saxophone mouthpieces

    ByBret Pimentel

    I like mouthpieces that are easy to play, especially in terms of response and tuning. But I also really like something easy to replace; I don’t like the idea of a mouthpiece that is so expensive, variable, or rare that if I drop it I can’t just order a new one, have it in a few days, and expect it to play like the old one.

    A few years back I did a fairly detailed review of the Rico Reserve clarinet mouthpieces (in two parts), and have been happily using the Reserves as my main clarinet mouthpieces ever since. The Reserves are, in particular, astonishingly consistent from specimen to specimen, presumably due to the very precise tooling that obviates the need for hand-finishing (which sounds cool but ultimately means a relatively high degree of variability).

    The pro-line products formerly released under the Rico name are now D’Addario Woodwinds products, and they now include some alto saxophone mouthpieces, the Select Jazz series. I was pleased to hear from a contact at D’Addario Woodwinds who sent me some samples to try out.

    My point of reference is the various Meyer-ish alto mouthpieces I have played for about the last 20 years, most recently the V16 series from Vandoren. I used the A6/medium chamber for a number of years, but more recently switched to the A6/small chamber, which gave me a little more bite in my sound that works well for me in louder situations (like big band lead playing, or blues gigs here in the Mississippi Delta) without having to strain as much.

    The new D’Addario Select Jazz alto mouthpieces are currently available in three flavors, the D5M, the D6M, and the D7M. Larger numbers in the middle correspond to larger tip openings (details at D’Addario’s website). I got a couple of each to try. Each one says “medium chamber” on the box, so maybe D’Addario is considering other chamber sizes. At the moment street price seems to be a little higher than the V16s, but still basically in the same class.

    If you read the second part of my Reserve mouthpiece review, then you won’t be surprised to see that the Select Jazz mouthpieces are extremely consistent. Check out the very even and symmetrical rails and tips.

    L-R: two each of the D5M, D6M, and D7M. Click for higher resolution.
    L-R: two each of the D5M, D6M, and D7M. Click for higher resolution.

    As mentioned in a couple of other reviews, the Select Jazz mouthpieces have an unusually tight fit on the neck cork, and they chewed up my aging cork a bit. Cork grease!

    The mouthpieces have individual serial numbers, like the Reserve clarinet mouthpieces. When I asked about this during my clarinet mouthpiece review, the Rico/D’Addario rep told me there might in the future be some way of registering your mouthpiece online, maybe to access some kind of members-only content. I haven’t seen anything happen along these lines, so maybe there’s a more logical explanation, like that the numbers are just for quality control.

    Here is a sound clip of each of the six mouthpieces I received, plus my two V16 mouthpieces for comparison. For all the sound clips I used the same inexpensive fake-leather-type ligature, but different reeds, a D’Addario Select Jazz filed 3S and a filed 3M, depending on which worked best with each individual mouthpiece. The V16s and the Jazz Select D5Ms worked better with the 3M reed, and the Jazz Select D6Ms and D7Ms seemed to prefer the 3S reed.

    D’Addario Select Jazz D5M, specimen #1

    D’Addario Select Jazz D5M, specimen #2

    D’Addario Select Jazz D6M, specimen #1

    D’Addario Select Jazz D6M, specimen #2

    D’Addario Select Jazz D7M, specimen #1

    D’Addario Select Jazz D7M, specimen #2

    My old Vandoren V16 A6M

    My old Vandoren V16 A6S

     

    The differences are minor at best, and really in a pinch I could make any of these eight mouthpieces work, but here are a few observations:

    • The Select Jazz mouthpieces have noticeably more stable intonation than the V16s, especially the D5M. This is a bigger deal than tone, which is more malleable and more subjective.
    • The Select Jazz mouthpieces are, again, very consistent. This is the killer feature of D’Addario’s mouthpieces. I found the two D5Ms to be virtually interchangeable in terms of tone, response, and tuning, and the two D7Ms too. One of the D6Ms (#2) has, to my ear, just a tiny bit of an edge that I find unpleasant. I suspect that this one is slightly “off,” but the difference between the two is still quite minor compared to the differential in hand-finished production mouthpieces.
    • I do still want something with some edge to it, and the V16 small chamber still feels like is has more of that than any of the seven others, but not by much. The Select Jazz mouthpieces seem to have a bigger core and body to the sound, plus a bit higher volume, so I’m thinking it may be an acceptable tradeoff as far as making my presence known among the electric guitars.
    • Overall, I find the Select Jazz to respond better both down low in the staff and up above it than the V16s do. I didn’t play any altissimo in the sound clips, but I find the Select Jazz to have a slight advantage in that register as well.
    • The D5M and, to a lesser extent, the D6M, seem to be the best fit for my style and needs. The D7M doesn’t work as well for me—it has the louder but more spread tone and less-stable intonation you might expect from a larger tip opening—but it’s still one of the best mouthpieces I’ve played in that category, and it’s really only slightly large, not nearly as extreme as the tip openings offered by some other makers.

    I think the Select Jazz D5M is going to be my new mouthpiece. (I’m keeping a D6M in my case for now too until I can try them both on a loud blues gig, but so far the D5M has worked well for small-group jazz.) The combination of solid intonation, pretty-but-gutsy tone, budget-friendly price, and amazing consistency make this a solid, versatile, and practical option for a working saxophonist. They are great for educators, too—they are easy to recommend to students because they are so easy to play and because they are so reliable in quality (much less need to order a half-dozen on approval and hope there’s a “good” one in the bunch). A great all-around, no-nonsense alto jazz mouthpiece.

    I look forward to more offerings from D’Addario Woodwinds, perhaps alto mouthpieces in other chamber sizes, or mouthpieces for other saxophones.

  • Review: PiezoBarrel “Wood” clarinet pickup

    ByBret Pimentel

    I’m a little late to the party here after Chris Mothersole’s recent article in The Clarinet, but I recently acquired a “PiezoBarrel” wind instrument pickup and wanted to share my experience.

    The PiezoBarrel pickup is a way to electrify wind instruments, for amplification and for the application of electronic effects, such as guitar effects pedals. There are a few models of PiezoBarrel with different tonal characteristics, and the “Wood” model seems to be optimized for clarinets.

    I have experimented with electronics previously using the Little Jake pickup, on bassoon, bass clarinet, and English horn. In those cases installation involved drilling a small hole into a metal bocal or neck, and soldering on a small adapter to accept the Little Jake. I considered pursuing the same approach with the clarinet, but had some apprehensions about drilling into a wooden barrel.

    While trying to work up the nerve to proceed, I discovered that the PiezoBarrel is available pre-installed on a clarinet barrel. (It can also be purchased separately if you want to take on the do-it-yourself task or have your repair tech handle it.) I found this to be a surprisingly affordable option, so I placed my order through PiezoBarrel’s eBay store, figuring this would at least be a way to test-drive the pickup before installing on one of my own barrels.

    On arrival, I found the provided plastic barrel to work quite well with my instruments, so my wooden barrels get a reprieve for now. If I choose, I can later use the same pickup with many other instruments, if I install adapters (available from PiezoBarrel) for mounting on wood or metal.

    The package I purchased included the plastic 65mm barrel, with a screw that can be used to close the hole (so the barrel can be used as a “normal” barrel). It also included the PiezoBarrel pickup unit, which is a cylinder just over 2cm in length and about the same in diameter (or just under 1 inch). It screws into the threaded hole in the barrel. It also includes an audio cable, with a 1/8″ end that plugs into the PiezoBarrel and a 1/4″ end that plugs into your effects or amplification. There were also a few extra adapters, such as for installing into my own wooden barrels, and a small screwdriver for adjusting the PiezoBarrel’s output volume. (This is something you would adjust once if needed, and then adjust volume for performance using your amplification system’s volume controls.)

    Installation was as simple as putting the barrel on my clarinet, screwing in the pickup, and plugging in the cable.

    PiezoBarrel package contents

    PiezoBarrel installed on a clarinet, front view

    PiezoBarrel installed on a clarinet, side view

    The PiezoBarrel doesn’t require an external preamp. It can be plugged directly into a PA system or something like a guitar or keyboard amplifier (using the included cable), or can be routed through effects units of your choice.

    Most pickups will impose some amount of “character” on the sound of a wind instrument. (For a more purely “natural” sound, use a high-quality external microphone instead, though this raises potential problems when working with live effects or on noisy stages.) However, I find the PiezoBarrel’s sound to be surprisingly close to natural on my clarinets.

    For baseline comparison, here’s me playing, recorded with a conventional microphone:

    And here’s what it sounds like through the PiezoBarrel:

    Here are some examples using effects, from the Boss GT-1000CORE guitar multieffects unit. All have a little added reverb. For simplicity, they do not have any noise reduction or added EQ/compression, which I might do to sweeten them for a real performance or recording situation.

    Overdrive plus chorus:

    Delay:

    Distortion:

    Pitch shifter:

    In my opinion, this is an excellent system for electrified clarinet—easy, affordable, and of suitable quality for performance.

40 Comments

    1. So did I, especially on the slurred interval leaps. (and I guessed right—I’ve been playing legere tenor reeds)

      Reply

    3. I agree. I expected the cane to be the richer sounding one, which is why I was surprised when both the intonation and tonguing were better on the Legere. Very fascinating. I play saxophone, and these reads are a lifesaver for me, but I didn’t realize the extent of the tone difference on the Clarinet.

      Reply

      1. I love the sound and response of the Legere reeds. I suspect that I would have to buy 2 or 3 boxes of high quality reeds and do some work on the best couple to get two reeds comparable to any 2 Legere reeds.

        So maybe the Legere’s are only “just as good” as the best cane reeds that have been optimized, But with the Legere’s, once I get the series and strength right, every one is perfect.

        I have Baritone sax Legere Classics that I have played for 3-4 years, although I have chipped a few by accident. I’m using the newer models now and so far, they show no signs of wear.

  3. I also guess wrong on the blindfold test! They both sound great, but with the Legere I notice a richer core / less of the upper partials in the sound as compared to the cane recording.

    For me personally, that makes me happy because if I could really hear a better sound with the cane, I don’t know if I could keep playing my signature. But alas, I feel even better about playing it.

    Reply

  5. I didn’t guess at all but more importantly to me, the quality of the tone in clip [# – edited!] is better.

    Being a Signature player I was a bit afraid that this is the cane reed so the answer was a relief!

    This need not in itself be important because it might have been a less than optimal cane reed. Question then, is the cane reed what you consider a good one?

    Cheers, Niklas

    Reply

  6. Hi Niklas,

    I hope you don’t mind that I have edited your comment so as not to give away the answer.

    “Question then, is the cane reed what you consider a good one?” This is an excellent question and one that I didn’t really address in the review. The cane reed was the best that I had at the time in a pretty average batch of broken-in reeds. I considered looking for a really excellent one for the side-by-side comparison, but it seemed to be a better real-world test if I used what I had immediately at hand.

    On a related note:
    As I mentioned in the original post, I thought it was likely that I could find/adjust a better cane reed for my recital, and keep the Légère on hand as a backup. This is indeed what I ended up doing. The cane reed that I chose felt/sounded better to me than the Légère, but only by a very small margin, and I do still believe that no one but me would have detected the difference.

    Reply

  7. After listening to :20 of sample A, I then played sample B. I was absolutely sure that Sample A was [edited] within ten sections, the difference to me was not even subtle. I am surprised by the several who picked wrong. I use Legere and Hahn reeds on soprano, alto, and tenor saxophones, therefore feel I am fair in judging a product category of which I am familiar. I continue to use my cane reed of choice on my R13 Prestige. In this test, the [edited] produced the more rich, complex, and desirable tone.

    Reply

  8. I have been using a Legere reed on bass clarinet and was so impressed I bought a reed for soprano clarinet. I mainly like the way I can pick up an instrument and play without worrying that the reed has dried out. It gets abused on my practice clarinet by being left on the mouthpiece and put away wet etc. Not things I would risk with reed.

    Reply

  9. I thought that clip [# – edited!] sounded happier (in the sense that the player seemed to be having a easier time of it). Either cut shows a delightful tone, sensitivity and good intonation. The [# – edited!] cut does seem woody and natural. In tests such as these where both results seem professional, the small differences could easily be explained away by player variations and not equipment. I would be much more likely to ask the player which he preferred. Only he can know what his ideal sound is. We can only know what our goals are, and any two artists have different desires. The musician here says that he could get a slight edge with a well adjusted cane reed. For me the consistency and peace of mind that the Legere offers would be more than enough to go with the synthetic choice. I have not yet tried the Legere but I probably soon will.

    Reply

  10. I have only recently discovered the Legere reeds, and they seem easier to play with in that they seem to have a consistent even sound, unlike the cane, which can vary according to whether it is dry or wet, or whether it is evenly spaced to produce a good sound overall. The Legere reeds seem to give a good sound first time with hardly any additonal effort, which is relative to the cane reeds.
    I think I will try the Signature Series.

    Reply

  12. Okay, so we all agree that the right hardness of Legere reed can sound just as good as a cane reed, and be considerably more consistent. Let’s discuss the drawbacks.

    They aren’t adjustable. If you don’t know which hardness us right for you, you can easily spend $100 for a few useless pieces of plastic that will just sit in your case. I have yet to find a distributor that will allow me to try them before purchasing. Let’s face it, the wrong Legere reed feels and sounds awful. I feel that this experience is what keeps most skeptics away.

    My other complaint is that they do have a break-in cycle. The first several hours on a new reed sound and feel awkward, and the moment it get soft, it’s unplayable.

    And how about value. As I mentioned, finding the right reed for you will break the bank. The price one one reed is the same as a box of cane reeds but I’ve never had one Legere outlast a box of cane.

    This being said, I use Legere reeds on bari sax and bass clarinet. Everyone should. And all those wrongly sized reeds in my case? I pass them over the guys next to me who are struggling with their warping cane reeds an they thank me.

    For the middle reeds, I soak them 24 hours a day. Say what you want, they play just as consistently as a Legere, they’re completed adjustable, they last 6 months of constant playing, and they’re cheap.

    Clarinet and soprano, I just suck it up and deal with a few wrinkles here and there like everyone else.

    Reply

    1. “If you don’t know which hardness us right for you, you can easily spend $100 for a few useless pieces of plastic that will just sit in your case. I have yet to find a distributor that will allow me to try them before purchasing. Let’s face it, the wrong Legere reed feels and sounds awful. I feel that this experience is what keeps most skeptics away.”

      Mike,

      Did you know that Legere (the factory) will happily exchange your “wrong-strength” reeds for different strengths until you get it right? You just email, send the reed you don’t like back and they send out a new one of a different strength at no charge. And with a smile. I was very impressed.

      I’ve tried to do the same with Harry Hartman reeds, and they won’t even respond to my emails.

      Bob

      Reply

  14. I’m shocked too! :) Still can’t believe I went wrong … Very impressed.

    I have a question for anyone playing bass clarinet, which is better; Legere Bass clarinet reed or Tennor Sax Signature reed?

    I tried Tennor Sax Signature reed for 15minutes and I was quite happy with it, so my question is, is Bass clarinet reed better or worse than the TennorSax Signature?

    Reply

    1. Either may be better. Reeds need to ‘mate’ with the mouthpiece facing. A different facing may require the other of the two. I have always used tenor reeds on my bass clarinet mouthpiece.

      Reply

  15. This was a great review. I just ordered a legere contra alto clarinet reed because of the mostly good i have heard about them like the consistancy and durability. For the hearing test i couldn’t really tell much of a difference.

    Reply

  16. Good review, but I actually guessed right – there was a really small difference in sound. The cane, in my opinion, actually had better tone, projection, and smoothness. The Legere really came close, though.

    Reply

  17. I just got my clarinet 5 days ago, and I’m still struggling with how to blow to produce a sound at all, and learned that the strength reed 1.5 and 2.5 that I have aren’t “strong” enough for the high register – right or wrong… I don’t know so I am looking at trying out stronger reeds… and in my research stumbled on Legere and this site. I guessed it right (might be a lucky guess). At around 00:18 the cane reed produces a bit more of a vibration whereas the legere produces a more “stable / smoother” sound, with less “vibration”. Not sure which is “better” sounding.. a matter of taste, but I certainly notice it quite clearly – although without such a close “side by side” comparison where I can replay a certain section, it would probably be much harder to tell.

    Reply

  18. I just went to Legere’s web site and tried their comparison test challenge and I guessed it wrong :(

    On a separate note, I’m curious – how long does this reed last?

    Reply

  19. I am glad to see some recent posts, so that I might actually hear back about this. I have been using a Forestone B-flat clarinet reed for the past 2 1/2 months and love it!! My only complaint with it is that it isn’t as wide as my mouthpiece which makes it a little hard to put the reed on correctly. It plays beautifully, but I am wondering if the Legere might be slightly wider and/or a better fit with my mouthpiece. I have a Genusa “Exellente” GE (star) Z – which has greatly eased my problems with upper register issues. I haven’t seen a review with this mouthpiece combination for either Forestone or Legere – so maybe someone will comment???

    Reply

  20. Abandoned playing for over one year because of 100 hour/week job. Sold and/or gave away Buffets and everything. Quit old job for new 40 hour/week job. Now playing Ridenour instruments (an improvement, I think …) and decided to exclude cane reeds from my life if possible. Used regular cut Legere #3 with Vandoren M30-lyre and later #3.25 signatures. Nicer sound and better articulation. I’ve dug some left-over V12s out of my archives (some still in flow packs) and just can’t use cane reeds again! Life is beautiful with Legere!

    Reply

  21. I did choose the correct sample based on tone difference. I’ve been playing saxophone for over 30 years and have been searching for the “Perfect reed” for a majority of that time. I tried the Legere reed (studio cut) a few years ago and couldn’t find a size,tone or response that I was satisfied with. Recently, at the TMEA (Texas Music Educators Association) convention in San Antonio, TX, Legere had a booth present with an artist performing on tenor sax using the Signature series reeds. I thought I would give the Legere reeds another try since it was a different model than the previous Legere reed which I didn’t especially care for. After being fitted to the best size for me and my set-up (Otto Link 7*), I was amazed at the response from top to bottom of the horn, including altissimo. I do very little classical playing…mostly jazz standards playing with trios, quartets and big bands. However, I believe I have found the “perfect reed” for me. I have always had problems with my reed drying out during performances while another musician is taking a solo or if I’m doubling…not to mention the hassle of rotating reeds, reed clipping and sanding which I really don’t have the patients or time for. However, due to the bold and slightly edgy tone I get, I’m not sure I would use this reed for classical playing but then again classical saxophone doesn’t pay the bills… at least not for me.

    Reply

  22. I guessed right on the A/B test, which is no surprise, since I’ve played a Legere Signature reed for a while now. For me, there is a slightly different balance in the overtones with the Legere reed. However, while I prefer a really good cane reed, the reality is that the Legere outshines the average cane reed. And it’s a delight knowing that one can put on a Legere, and being confident that it will work, regardless of the circumstances.

    Reply

  23. I bought two legere for my tenor sax, I play for 1 to 3 hours depending on the day.
    I got six months from the pair and they are now split but one is still playable.
    I kept snagging my reed on things so I am a bit careless.
    I was wearing out a cane at least once per week.
    Tried a test with my sax ($700 new) versus a $5000 sax. Liked the expensive one more.
    Put a legere on my cheap sax and it was prefered to the $5000 sax with cane.
    Mouthpieces the same.
    Have not looked back since. Nice tone and good over the whole range

    Reply

  24. I heard straightaway the Legere was ‘B’. The sound difference is hard to describe but there is slightly less ‘wind’ at the start of a tone, as if the reed is slightly better controlled. I think it is hard to talk about ‘better’ or ‘worse’ it’s just which characteristic one prefers. By the way, don’t try a Legere outside on a really warm day!

    Reply

  25. I have been playing Legere Signature on clarinet for nearly two years. In listening to my own comparisons, I have noticed that note-to-note transitions are quicker on the Legere than on cane (I used to use Vandoren V-12). This was quite clear in Sample B and I guessed correctly.

    The up side is that it does provide quicker articulation and faster ‘snapping in’ to pitch when slurring. The downside is that it is slightly less flexible (pitchwise, not enough to be a problem) and has a little more tendency to chirp/click on fast note transitions…I’m told that nobody but me hears this…

    Reply

  26. Bret (et al)…
    an update on my journey with Legere reeds.
    I have now converted completely to Legere reeds on all reed instruments (SATB saxophone, Bb and Bass clarinets) and very happy with choices. I play baritone sax regularly in big bands and have several reeds that are still going strong after 3 years (the standard cut…the Signature reeds seem to die after 1-2 years). The smaller reeds have shorter life, but none of them less than a year with rotations of 2-3 reeds.
    I have made the leap and thrown away all of my open box reeds, and am selling off my remaining sealed reeds as I write this. The American Cut is now my regular on alto and tenor, and the Signature reeds on most everything else.
    I have had good luck with beginners on clarinet starting on Signature Cut 2.25.

    If you are at all techie and want to learn more about the science behind them, read the patent filed by Guy Legere here:

    https://patents.google.com/patent/US7902443B2/en?q=legere+polymer+reed&oq=legere+polymer+reed

    Reply

  27. SO … 11 years later, I have retaken the test, completely forgetting that I took it before.

    This time around, I guessed 100% correct and could pick out the Legere in 2 seconds.

    Funny thing … I had the opposite reaction. I thought the Legere sounded thin with too many overtones and I much prefer the cane.

    I wonder if it’s because back then I played legere and now I play cane?!?!

    Reply

  28. Well, I did not hear the difference between A and B. After playing Legere Signature clarinet reeds for more than ten years I feel that the tone quality depend more on me and my embouchure. The Legere is mostly the same every day; however it will be a little bent after much playing and will gradually loose a little tension, but not as quickly as cane. I used Bari reed on alto sax in 1980; that was not so bad, but for clarinet the upper register with Bari reed made a strange sound. To improve the cane I guess will be very difficult, but I guess that more research will give still better plastic reeds and the hunt for a good cane reed will be history.

    Reply

  29. I find it curious that people are surprised that a highly engineered process developed after years of continuous improvement (Legere) is superior to a slivers of bark that are completely unique one to the next…

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comments that take a negative or confrontational tone are subject to email and name verification before being approved. In other words: no anonymous trolls allowed—take responsibility for your words.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.