Légère

[Carl H.]

Anybody have a link to a summary of all their different offerings in real world experience? I checked their site and it was just so many words. I have tried their reeds in the past but was not impressed, but I would still like to try their new offerings.

[hakukani]

Maybe not a complete one, and I'm not really a clarinet player, but the legere signature line is impressive enough for me to use them on clarinet, soprano sax, alto sax, and tenor sax. It's the only artificial reed I've ever played that I thought came close to cane.

I played the clarinet double on a gig. The legere was ready to play even though it had sat on the stand for the entire first set.

I'm hoping for the signature to come out for bari sax soon.

[Pete Thomas]

I agree with hakukani, I hated all synthetics, including Legere, until they brought out the Signature. One of those lased me a year, so I became an endorser. But don't let that put you off.

[Larry in CA]

I finally found the right strength Legere reed after three returns and several purchases, as I switched over from Alexander Superials on my tenor sax, I use the studio cut. I had to drop from a 2.5 cane to a 2.0 Legere to get the same "feel" as I had on cane, and I love the Legere reeds now.

[denkii]

Sorry to ask another question in this thread but I was just curious if these last longer then a box of 10, if playing frequently and rotating on 2-3?

[Little Sax]

[...]I'm hoping for the signature to come out for bari sax soon.

In part of an e-mail from Legere, in which they were responding to a few questions and comments - including a question about a Signature version of the bari sax reed, they wrote the following:

In regards to the Baritone Signature reeds, we are currently working on them and hopping to release them at some point in 2012.

[hakukani]

Sorry to ask another question in this thread but I was just curious if these last longer then a box of 10, if playing frequently and rotating on 2-3?

I have been playing on the signature regularly for almost a year now--from when they were first available in the US. I have only had two on my main tenor. I just ordered the soprano, and another clarinet. So, yeah---plus, they need very little warming up (they do 'soften' a bit after about 20 minutes on my mouthpieces). I carry cane just in case, but haven't busted them out.

If you were gigging every night, or playing 3-4 hrs./ day, I'd think you'd want to have a set to rotate. So, I guess, yeah, they outlast a box, and are decidedly more consistent.

edit: I just wanted to add that you MUST get them placed precisely on the mouthpiece. They seem to be VERY picky about postion--regardless of the instrument.

My habit is to warm up at home, and just toot a couple of notes at the gig (my bandleader, Ollie Mitchell is a bit picky about this), so I leave the reed on the mouthpiece after warming up at home.

[Gordon (NZ)]

Warming up on a plastic reed? I wonder what that means...

- Temperature? That would take 1/2 a minute in the mouth.
- Moisture content? Yes, most plastics can absorb a certain amount of moisture. I guess the main difference is that would make the reed more dense, so tend to vibrate slower, or could the absorption make the plastic softer, less stiff, hence vibrate slower?
- The player fine-tuning his embouchure to suit the reed?
- Other?

[GT]

Some of us older types also have to warm our appendages up!

[hakukani]

Warming up on a plastic reed? I wonder what that means...

- Temperature? That would take 1/2 a minute in the mouth.
- Moisture content? Yes, most plastics can absorb a certain amount of moisture. I guess the main difference is that would make the reed more dense, so tend to vibrate slower, or could the absorption make the plastic softer, less stiff, hence vibrate slower?
- The player fine-tuning his embouchure to suit the reed?
- Other?

Yeah, Gordon, the thing is, I'm not sure if it's that my embouchure and throat get 'in tune' with the mouthpiece, or if I become habituated to the effort, but it seems that the reed gets easier to blow after about thirty minutes, then is consistent for the rest of the day (or through the rest of the gig).

BTW, I just got a signature series soprano sax reed--they're as good as the others.

[Chris J]

BTW, I just got a signature series soprano sax reed--they're as good as the others.

Accepting experiences vary, for each of your instruments could you say what cane reeds (make and strength) you would use, and which strength Legere you use instead?

Thanks

Chris

[hakukani]

The chart on the legere site is an accurate reflection of the comparative reed strengths.

[Carl H.]

Would I dare use one of these on my A clarinet, so it is ready to go when I make a quick change? Is the tonal difference between a signature and cane significant?

[Little Sax]

Would I dare use one of these on my A clarinet, so it is ready to go when I make a quick change? Is the tonal difference between a signature and cane significant?

Listen for yourself.

[Carl H.]

Too many processes between the actual clarinet and my ears. I need to hear it first hand to trust what I am hearing.

[Little Sax]

Too many processes between the actual clarinet and my ears. I need to hear it first hand to trust what I am hearing.

I don't have any clarinet recordings (good thing too because you really do NOT want to hear me play the clarinet), but I was recently given a recording of a Mass I played at in October.

So here are a couple clips from that Mass (sop and bari). I was using "normal" Legere reeds. Since then I've started using the "Signature" reeds on Sop/Alto/Tenor (but I hardly play alto).

This was less than two weeks after my knee surgery and I was doped up on Vicodin - barely able to read the music and apparently forgot how to articulate... The recording was done with a handheld voice recorder placed on the other side of the piano from where I stand, so the blend is not accurate. Other than the arranger/singer/piano-player, there was a percussionist, several singers, and me.

This first song in the list here (communion) has an extended intro and I didn't play until after the first refrain:

We Are Many Parts (sop)
Lamb of God (sop)

Alleluia (bari)
Great Amen (bari)
Psalm 18 (bari)

I don't know if these help or hurt the case for the sound quality of Legere reeds, but it's something.

No throwing of any fresh fruit or vegetables please.
...and more importantly, no throwing of any canned fruit or vegetables.

[martinm5862]

Sorry to ask another question in this thread but I was just curious if these last longer then a box of 10, if playing frequently and rotating on 2-3?

How many reeds play for you in a box of 10?

[clarnibass]

Would I dare use one of these on my A clarinet, so it is ready to go when I make a quick change? Is the tonal difference between a signature and cane significant?

That means you need a different mouthpiece too. I would rather use the same mouthpiece for both Bb and A clarinets. Most players do this. If you don't mind using two different mouthpieces, no reason not to try it.

[Carl H.]

That means you need a different mouthpiece too. I would rather use the same mouthpiece for both Bb and A clarinets. Most players do this. If you don't mind using two different mouthpieces, no reason not to try it.

Not a different mouthpiece- I have some very nice pieces which match the instruments well. A different way to keep the ligature and reed from slipping when pulling the mouthpiece off of one clarinet and putting it on another might be in order. I do not believe in squeezing the daylights out of a reed with my ligature.

On my standard setup I switch mouthpiece and barrel between the two, however now that heating season has hit, I have put my good A clarinet away for the winter and am using my backup. The backup needs a nonstandard barrel to play in tune. Generally a good piece of cane does fine, but with the seasonal variables involved at this time of year, finding a good piece of cane is not always an easy endeavor. Having a reed that will not speak at the desired dynamic in the desired register can be a huge issue. Having a high F not speak at pp on the first try is a big issue - horns are in perfect regulation, it is specifically a reed issue. Having 3 beats in which to switch horns doesn't help anything. I've been playing for 25 years and know how to keep a reed prepped for these changes, but I cannot control how the reed is going to change when not being played. It is only an issue in 1 of 10 tries, but that is an unacceptable rate of failure.

[Smokey613]

This week I gave all my other synthetic reeds, including standard and Studio Cut Legeres, to my nephew. ( a 46 year old attorney / hobby sax player )

I am a confirmed Legere Signature convert.