V16 2 3/4 is a ???

[MM]

Please answer this for tenor and alto. I have pieces that seem to work with the V16 reed and I like tonal quality of this reed. Also the good ones seem to last. However, the 2 1/2's are too soft, by a little, and the 3's feel much harder. What alternatives do I have in other brands? Right now I'm sending down the 3's, at least on tenor. Thanks.

Strength-wise a Gonzales 2 1/2 is about there for alto, but there are somewhat more legit sounding. On tenor, the Gonzales 2 3/4 were too soft and the box of 3's I recently bought were even softer!

[bronzZoot]

Welcome to the world of Vandoren reeds! Where inconsistency rules supreme! Just kidding, all brands of reeds are like this.

I'm pretty sure Vandoren does not produce quarter size reeds and yes, I've also found that Gonzalez reeds are a little more legit sounding, more similar to the Blue box Vandoren's than the V16s or Javas.

I use Gonzalez reeds exclusively and here's what I've found. I currently have 2 boxes of 3 ½ s, 1 box of 3 ¼ s, and 2 boxes of 3s. Just like all other brands of reeds, the 3 ¼ box contains reeds that I would fit into the 3 category and others that are harder that the 3 ½ s. I don't think quarter sizes solve all the world's problems, but I think they work really well if you aren't sure if you need 3s or 3 ½ s.

Just my 2cents.

[BlueNote]

I've found that the ones which sound the worst at the beginning sound damn near the best if you play on it a LOT. Some take longer to break in than others.

I used to use 2 1/2 reeds, then I bumped it up to 3, and it naturally took me a while ot get adjusted to it. After I played on the 3s for a while, I bumped it up to a 3 1/2, which took about 2 days to get adjusted to. Then, finally, I bumped up the strength to a 4, and it wasn't that difficult of switch.

Try sanding down the 3s if you haven't yet. Or just get used to putting more air through the horn and use the 3s.

[gary]

Give Vandoren "ZZ" #3's a try.

[sinkdraiN]

I share Bluenote's opinion. The V16s last. I play V16 3 on a .115 facing and they work great. ZZ and laVoz are the type of reed you can just put on and play right away. They qquickly become soft though. V16s begin on the harder side but settle after the first day and remain consistant for a long time.

[Mike Ruhl]

Sinkdrain and Gary said what I was going to say. Either stick with the #3 V16s for little while until you get used to them, learn to modify them to suit your needs (a valuable skill to have anyway, and the V16s are the ultimate reed to work on, being such a thick reed), or try the ZZ #3.

And I agree with sinkdrain's assessment of V16s and LaVoz reeds. I play either #4 V16s or La Voz hard on my Hite 128 (.095" tip) tenor mpc. For me, the V16s have been very consisntent and long-lasting reeds. La Voz play great right away, but don't last near as long. I haven't tried the ZZs yet.

[Vortex]

You don't break the reed in, the reed breaks you in.

But on that note, either sand down the 3's or clip the 2.5's. Trying Java's and ZZ's would be a good idea too (I find Javas to be slightly harder than ZZ's). You can also push the ligature farther back on the mouthpiece for more resistance with the 2.5's. Of course, any of these changes will likely have some effect on the tonal quality of that reed. Give Alexander DC 3's a shot as well, if you haven't already.

[dirty]

I've found that V16's are a little stiffer than ZZ's which are a little stiffer than Javas. I personally like the V16's the most, and I thought they were a little stiff when I switched from ZZ, but I liked the sound. I just played them until they felt right.

[MM]

Yeah, I am still sanding down the V16 3's for tenor. For alto the 2 1/2 are closer to what I want, so am still alternating them with Gonzales 2 1/2. ZZ's quickly wimp out for me and don't quite have the response and brightness or buzz I want. Even worse for Java's. V16's are sometimes said to have a LaVoz cut, but LaVoz's seem to be a 1 gig reed for me. No cane reed has ever lasted me as long as a good Vandoren.

Clipping doesn't a softer reed doesn't work for me.

[MM]

Dirty, what size sax are you talking? ZZ's seem to run soft on tenor but hard on alto, over several boxes over about a year.

[dirty]

This is for tenor.