Reeds Reed/Mouthpiece pairings

[bsmith81]

Ok, I've got an Otto Link 7* mouthpiece, and i recently bought some Rico Jazz Select reeds.. the thing is that when I put them on, they stick out past the sides of the mouthpiece. Especially towards the tip. Do I need to trim the width to make them fit flush with the base of the mouthpiece, or does this not really matter? Are certain brands of reeds wider/narrower than others, or is the width standard across brands?

Thanks - B

 

[Bobby G]

I've never had reeds so wide they protrude beyond the rails of the mouthpiece, so I don't know if they need trimming. Because of the accuracy involved if you were to trim them, I'd say you're most likely not meant to. Usually I find the opposite - when I put a reed on any of my mouthpieces, the edges of the rails are visible beyond the sides of the reed, or at least flush.

I've measured reeds against each other, and there are differences in the lengths of various brands, but usually it's the unshaped part that the lig fits over that is a bit different, the 'playing' part of the reed is about the same. On filed reeds, with the cross-cut, where that cut is can vary from brand to brand, but not by more than 1 or 2 millimetres. I've never noticed any difference in reed widths, though, but I've never really measured them.

Do the RJS play ok on the Link mpc?

Cheers, Bob

 

[bsmith81]

IN the past, i've bought rjs 2M and they play very well on it, it's just a bit uncomfortable on the lip, and sometimes i get some air leakage through the side of my lip. I tried some rjs 3M's, and 3H's and they didn't perform well for me, and i could really feel the reed edges. As a reference, if I throw the same reeds on my C*, or a cannonball 7 mpc, they fit perfectly. So i guess i just need to find a better fitting reed for the Link.

 

[Jules]

I've got a feeling trimming your reeds would really mess things up or you.

 

[frank_johnson]

H i B, and welcome!
I've got a Lawson 6*B and encountered the same problem with Rico Royals. I found them difficult to place accurately and had problems with a no. 2.
However, I bought a selection of 10 individual reeds from J, Myatt, ranging from 1.5 to 3.5 and surprisingly I've ended up with a
RJS 2S which I can play for an hour and gives, overall, the best sound. Yes, it does protrude at the sides by the tip, but not as much as the Royal. Like you I am a"born again" player.
Frank

 

[fecklesseric]

I use an Otto Link 6* with RJS 2M reeds, and I've never had this problem. This is on alto though.

Not doubting what you're getting, just reinforcing that something strange is going on!

 

[impulse]

Some people play quite happily with a tenor reed on the alto and have no problems with the sides sticking over a bit. Gives a little darker tone but as soon as the sides are trimmed ......nothing!