ChatterBank3 mins ago
Plastic reed for Saxaphone ,low pitched
I have a Soprano Sax and having trouble with cane reeds drying out or breaking, decided to try Plastic
I have a plastic 'BARI' soprano 'soft' reed. It is Half tone flat (Concert A instead of Bb) The mouthpiece is already as far down as the inside stop, so I cant raise it that way and I cannot change it. Can the pitch be raised by trimming? There is no musical instrument section here so if anyone reading this can ask a musician friend I would be most grateful. The reed wasnt cheap yet all the can reeds play in tune.
Thanks in advance...
I have a plastic 'BARI' soprano 'soft' reed. It is Half tone flat (Concert A instead of Bb) The mouthpiece is already as far down as the inside stop, so I cant raise it that way and I cannot change it. Can the pitch be raised by trimming? There is no musical instrument section here so if anyone reading this can ask a musician friend I would be most grateful. The reed wasnt cheap yet all the can reeds play in tune.
Thanks in advance...
Answers
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Answer from my sax-geek friend is no, you can't clip a plastic reed. You might, however, want to think about a Plasticover reed, which is a plastic coated cane reed and one which he says has a lovely, bright sound.
At the end of the day, you should buy what gives you the best sound and the most satisfaction to play. If that means you're buying fresh reeds every...
At the end of the day, you should buy what gives you the best sound and the most satisfaction to play. If that means you're buying fresh reeds every...
22:33 Wed 11th Nov 2009
I find with mine that the mouthpiece has to go hard down over the cork to get it in tune, further than with the alto. Plastic reeds are great. I use a Legere on clarinet - not cheap, but it's consistent for the short space of time I'm using it. I have heard, however, that plastic reeds can soften a litt as they warm up and this throws the tuning out.
You can certainly change the pitch by trimming and clipping cane reeds, but I know little about how to do it, and I've never heard of it being done with plastic ones. I'm off to band practice in a a little while, so I'll ask one of the guys there who runs the sax department in our local music shop.
If you have problems with drying out, invest a few quid in one of those reed holders with a lid on them and a little tube of 'vitalizer' integrated into the design. I often take reeds out of mine a day or so after playing to find the reed still damp.
What reeds have you tried? I'm currently using Vandoren ZZ on a BG plastic mouthpiece on the soprano, and on a Lawton mouthpiece on Alto. They play pretty much straight out the box, and I find Vandoren a good, consistent reed, although I know plenty of players who swear by various other brands.
You can certainly change the pitch by trimming and clipping cane reeds, but I know little about how to do it, and I've never heard of it being done with plastic ones. I'm off to band practice in a a little while, so I'll ask one of the guys there who runs the sax department in our local music shop.
If you have problems with drying out, invest a few quid in one of those reed holders with a lid on them and a little tube of 'vitalizer' integrated into the design. I often take reeds out of mine a day or so after playing to find the reed still damp.
What reeds have you tried? I'm currently using Vandoren ZZ on a BG plastic mouthpiece on the soprano, and on a Lawton mouthpiece on Alto. They play pretty much straight out the box, and I find Vandoren a good, consistent reed, although I know plenty of players who swear by various other brands.
Answer from my sax-geek friend is no, you can't clip a plastic reed. You might, however, want to think about a Plasticover reed, which is a plastic coated cane reed and one which he says has a lovely, bright sound.
At the end of the day, you should buy what gives you the best sound and the most satisfaction to play. If that means you're buying fresh reeds every few weeks, well, that's the way it has to be.
At the end of the day, you should buy what gives you the best sound and the most satisfaction to play. If that means you're buying fresh reeds every few weeks, well, that's the way it has to be.
Hi Saxy, many thanks for all the trouble you've taken. Well first point, the mouthpiece wont go any furthert it has reached the ridge inside the ext. tube. The cane reeds I have are mostly Vandoren, with a few Rico. I bought a new Vandoren mouthpiece 4C to go with the new reed which is a BARI. I could not go to a Bari mouthpiece, far too expensive. Perhaps the plastic reed should only go with a Bari mouthpiece but that doesnt make a lot of sense as any cane I put on easily plays concert Bb but the plastic one wants only A and you have to bust your chops to get that half tone more. Thanks anyway, I might clip it anyway as it plays a little soft.
Well, best of luck with the clip - let me know how you get on.
Whilst there's no reason to necessarily use a Bari reed on a Bari mouthpiece, it's a known that some types of reeds work/sound better on particular mouthpieces. I wouldn't have thought buying the mouthpiece to suit the reed would be the best thinking, though. Better the other way round.
If you go to http://www.reeds-direct.co.uk , you can send for a brochure which, apart from listing all their reeds at very good prices, contains a lot of information on brands and types. It's well worth getting for that alone.
Whilst there's no reason to necessarily use a Bari reed on a Bari mouthpiece, it's a known that some types of reeds work/sound better on particular mouthpieces. I wouldn't have thought buying the mouthpiece to suit the reed would be the best thinking, though. Better the other way round.
If you go to http://www.reeds-direct.co.uk , you can send for a brochure which, apart from listing all their reeds at very good prices, contains a lot of information on brands and types. It's well worth getting for that alone.
Forgot to mention - it could also be worth trying out a few different ligatures, rather than go to the expense of a mouthpiece.
It's like fixing car engines - start with the cheapest fixes and only try the pricier ones if the cheaper ones don't work. So: reed, ligature, mouthpiece, then (but it shouldn't need to come to this) instrument.
It's like fixing car engines - start with the cheapest fixes and only try the pricier ones if the cheaper ones don't work. So: reed, ligature, mouthpiece, then (but it shouldn't need to come to this) instrument.
You should get back to organic reeds. When it comes to quality of pitch and sound, nothing is as promising as organic reeds. All great artist in the world use the organic ones. But sometimes, there are issues with the durability of the reeds. Instead of switching to artificial ones, you should look for the most durable organic reeds.
I find Gonzalez reeds good in quality of sound as well as durability. Of course, you cannot expect the same results as the plastic ones but still, they have a very considerable lifetime.
If you really want to purchase reeds of superior quality, you should check this website. https:/
I find Gonzalez reeds good in quality of sound as well as durability. Of course, you cannot expect the same results as the plastic ones but still, they have a very considerable lifetime.
If you really want to purchase reeds of superior quality, you should check this website. https:/
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