Reeds Reed choice

thehunt · Nov 12, 2008

Hi everyone, had a revelation yesterday. decided to change from my Rico Royals to a Rico select jazz unfiled 3m reed. The difference when i played was outstanding, it seemed just to be so smooth. This may seem a crazy question but can anyone tell me the differences as to why one reed will play better than another? I had upgraded my mp as i thought this would help me play better but i put this reed back on my plastic yamaha mp and it was fine. Thanks

TomMapfumo · Nov 12, 2008

Hi thehunt! (I hope that's not rhyming slang BTW)

Rico Jazz Selects are up there with the best if you reed posts on various fora. I have played them almost exclusively for a while (unfiled) and found them very consistent and with a lovely sound. On Alto I moved to Alexander DC's and Francois Louis purely on sound preference. On Tenor I played RJS 2M's, but now prefer Francois Louis, which are filed.

Its partly a quality issue (the above are generally very consistent quality) and partly a sound issue (I have moved gradually from unfiled to filed, and to less percussive reeds - RJS filed are somewhere in the middle IMO:

Jazzier: Marca Jazz - FL - DC - RJS - LaVoz - V16 :Rockier

I last played Rico Royals when I initially played soprano sax and found them to have poor consistency, and preferred ZZ's at the time. For all I know they are great, but it is not what I have read/heard from others.

It will be an interesting journey to find the reed that feels/sounds/plays best for you.

Kind regards
Tom 8)

thehunt · Nov 13, 2008

well tom, i import meat for a living and my first name is Phil, so normally get called "Phil the meat" Are you named after a peruvian village?
Anyway back to serious stuff, i have a grading today (No 2 ) Jazz tenor so feel confident with my new reeds. Your right it is a bit of a journey. I bought a Meyer 7 mpc which initailly i thought was good but i made a mistake. The mouthpiece is lovely but too bright. I think i'll try an ebonite model with rico jazz reeds. what do you think. :w00t:

TomMapfumo · Nov 13, 2008

Hi Phil!

Good luck with the exam - this time last year I did my Grade 3 Alto sax & Flugelhorn exams.

Mouthpiece wise the following should calm it down a bit -

1. Lebayle Jazz chamber Ebonite.
2. Brancher Large Chamber Ebonite.
3. Rico Graftonite A Chamber.
4. Jody Jazz HR*.
5. Morgan Vintage. (only available from Howarth & Co.)

I have recently tried 1. 2. & 4. and all can calm a set up which can be a little bright. I have been trying several out to get the right sound and have narrowed it down to a V16 Ebonite, Francois Louis & Lomax NY, which I will be making a decision on tomorrow. 1 had a very good sound, just too mellow for my taste but it might be right up your street. PM me for any further info - be happy to help.

No, not named after a Peruvian village, but part of the title of a Grade 4 jazz cornetet piece by Don Cherry.

Bye for now and good luck - I'm off to practice Nutty, Five Spot after Dark, and Entering, and improvs thereof.

Kind regards
Tom 8)

PaulyT · Nov 13, 2008

thehunt wrote:
well tom, i import meat for a living and my first name is Phil, so normally get called "Phil the meat"

Funny that, cos I've heard that Pete "TAZ" often gets called "Pete the Meat" for some reason.... Strange cos I think he's a veggie so how would that of come about do you think??? :whistle:

young_col · Nov 13, 2008

Just reading this thread and thinking I was getting really annoyed yesterday with only one fading Rico Royal 2 1/2 left and the others not blowing at all well - and not liking the ordinary Vandorens. Then the postman arrived with the couple of Rico Jazz Select 2Ms that Tom sent me to try. (Many thanks indeed Tom, will PM you!). So this afternoon I shall give them a try and report back - that is after taking the wife shopping. This is a real problem with retirement - playing sax and being generally very active means I am far too young to claim to be too infirm to push a shopping trolley.
Colin

thehunt · Nov 13, 2008

Hi Tom, thanks for that info, i'll see if if i can trial some more mpc's. I do certainly like to play more mellow blues and jazz. I have not really got round to playing rock yet only started in Feb this year but play every day. Better get back to this meat business. Lot of hungry people out there.

young_col · Nov 13, 2008

Well I gave the RJS about an hour's blow. Takes a bit more breath than I am used to but fuller tone than the Royals. Also I find vibrato comes easily (thought for a moment I had a breathy Ben Webster sound, even on alto, but then reality came back) and can bend notes quite readily. More practice needed but first reaction -- there's lovely now.
Colin

thehunt · Nov 13, 2008

well i got through the grade two exam today, think it went well. Fluffed my clapping but then i do tend to blow my sax and not hit it. Young Col am glad you like the reeds, i also found i had a more breathy sound but maybe that was me running out of puff!!
taking it easy tonight.
Tom i will order some other mpcs to try, lets see how they combine with the rjs reeds. Have you changed your photo since this morning. Going more for the peruvian look i see!! Well you do say you like to tease us cockernees, least we can do is repay the compliment. Are you welsh or south american? >:)

young_col · Nov 13, 2008

Well done thehunt on Grade 2. I've decided (well, for now) not to do grades. You don't still have to do the singing do you?

thehunt · Nov 14, 2008

Hi young Col, yes you still do have to do the singing, does not bother me though. I'm going to prepare my grade three now over a longer period as i want to play other types of music. God i slept well last night... :w00t:

Moz · Nov 17, 2008

Young Col wrote:
Well done thehunt on Grade 2. I've decided (well, for now) not to do grades. You don't still have to do the singing do you?

You're joking! You have to sing?!! And clap?!! Any dancing at all?

I don't do grades and previously had no particular reason for not doing them; I have now. Don't make me sing, you wouldn't like me to sing!

:cry: :cry: :cry: I am just awful at it.

Moz

thehunt · Nov 17, 2008

it's not as bad as it sounds. I do believe for grade 5 you have to dance !! I'm sure you have scatted many a time so the singing bit is not too bad. Good luck :w00t:

young_col · Nov 17, 2008

I sang in a school choir on TV once in some Christmas thing, when I was about 10 (was that really nearly 50 years ago!!), and I was flat then. After my voice broke I gave it up entirely; we all sound good in the shower , but I wouldn't even scat live!

Hey Moz, you're near Liskeard. We used to go to Dobwalls railway theme park near there every year when my family was young. Brilliant! Gather it's changed now.

YC

Moz · Nov 17, 2008

Young Col wrote:
I sang in a school choir on TV once in some Christmas thing, when I was about 10 (was that really nearly 50 years ago!!), and I was flat then. After my voice broke I gave it up entirely; we all sound good in the shower , but I wouldn't even scat live!

Hey Moz, you're near Liskeard. We used to go to Dobwalls railway theme park near there every year when my family was young. Brilliant! Gather it's changed now.

YC

Col

Never went there myself although it's only a few miles away and now I never shall as it is being turned into a holiday village with new lodges and things. Could be worse, couold be another bloody golf course.

Moz