Bleeding Lips and Legere

[gophersax]

I've been using the Legere synthetic reeds for tenor for nearly 5 months now. During the first week, after practicing for an hour and a half or so, the reeds would begin to cut my lips. I first noticed this when I found that the reed was tainted with a slight red coloring of blood, and was very surprised to say the least. So it's been five months, and playing a few more times (I know I know, but I wanted to try) using the reed, I've found that now it 'only' leaves deep red indents in my lips, in effect, cutting them without making them bleed. Is this a good thing? Progress perhaps? Or should this not happen in the first place?

[FooF]

hmm... normally a reed shouldn't cut your lips...

if the edge at reeds corners a to sharp you can soften them with a blade without much tone change.

if it is your lips which get stuck between reed and mpc, it harder to resole...

good luck !

[sax_appeal]

I had a similar problems with a Legere 3 for alto, except that it never drew blood. It did cause pain and break the skin however, the pain of which was increased in following practice sessions where the reed would sit in the grooves it cut into my lip and vibrated.

I rounded the edges slightly so they would not be as sharp, but I have stopped using Legeres altogether now.

[sessionsax]

I have a new batch of Hartmans that do the same thing. I am trying to sand them on the edges considering that they are 20 bucks a piece. I think that this is unexcusable in a reed this price to have such poor quality control.

[1saxman]

40 years ago when the notorious 'Fibrecane' reeds came out, they would eat your lower lip up in one gig. Turns out they were made of fiberglass fibers. They shaped the reed just like they would a cane reed, and the thousands of cut ends of fiberglass strands were like needles. There may be something similar going on with these new synthetic reeds.

[1saxman]

Okay, I picked up a couple Legeres to try (#2 and #2 1/4, tenor, Studio Cut) and I like them. I'm thinking I'll start the night on the #2 then go to the #2 1/4 later. My idea about the fibers cutting the lip is not valid. The material is not fibrous. In fact, it's semi-transparent. They have molded in a pattern to the vamp of the reed so it doesn't feel slick like an old plastic reed, and that could possibly cause a more tender player some trouble, but not an old 'leather-lip' like me.