Reeds reed strength

Hello all I am hoping one or two of you pros can help me.I am using a rico jazz 2 hard reed on my tenor the 3s is a little to hard and the 2 medium, to soft, the question I have is which strength Alexander reed is the equivalent ? , and also which vandoran many thx.
 
thx Jay.Colin i have a yamaha 4 c mouthpiece on it at the mo i really need to find out what the Alexander equivalent is,have seen a box of ten on ebay for 19.99 i think you can choose any type .
 
yes thx Jeanette,my question now is what strength to go for , should i go for the same strength?


The problem is they can vary anyway. If you use Howarths you can order individual reeds to try bit pricey but you can order a couple of strengths Mine came within a couple of days.

Jx
 
Hi Tom,
I use 2.5 Alexanders and with the PPT they are a very easy blow. I can't get on with Vandoren (blue box) as they tend to feel much stiffer so I would recommend going down half a strength for Vandorens.
 
All of this becomes completely unnecessary if you learn to adjust/tune the reed to the m/piece by sanding or scraping it.........(ducks to avoid thrown objects)....... but it is true!
Once again, check out Adjusting Saxophone and Clarinet Reeds, or ref ATG System, to see the results of sanding

Johnboy.
 
Hello all I am hoping one or two of you pros can help me.I am using a rico jazz 2 hard reed on my tenor the 3s is a little to hard and the 2 medium, to soft, the question I have is which strength Alexander reed is the equivalent ? , and also which vandoran many thx.

If only the question was so simple...
Most comparison charts don't work because on each facing different reeds behave differently.
They are there for a general idea.
About Alexander, following some email correspondence with the company, I recently gave them a chance.
In the RJS2H ballpark I would bet on Alexander NY2 or DC2.5.
NY are more similar to RJS. A good DC is a wonderful reed.

First boxes I bought (5 reed tins, from the States) were very good.
Next box (10 reed tin from the UK) was rubbish.

Reedsdirect will stock the new 5 reed tins. Email them; they might have them but not yet on the website.

Eventually I use Leuthner reeds, a small company that did not disappoint me yet (after 3 boxes)
 
All of this becomes completely unnecessary if you learn to adjust/tune the reed to the m/piece by sanding or scraping it.........(ducks to avoid thrown objects)....... but it is true!
Once again, check out Adjusting Saxophone and Clarinet Reeds, or ref ATG System, to see the results of sanding

Johnboy.


Fancy writing a review/resource on the subject?
 
No need, all of the evidence is out there. All you need to do is to get a reed about half a strength harder than you normally use, which for me is a 2.5, and follow the instructions in the articles.
I have been sanding reeds for many, many years. That was the way it used to be done by the 'Old Timers'. It has never mattered which brand I use, as long as I work them until they played easily from 'A' down to low 'D' (which for me is the critical note), with no change of air pressure or embouchure. I use a very relaxed embouchure, which I find gives me good control over tone/effects and is effortless to play ( I don't subscribe to the 'Must develop a jaw aching, strong embouchure, brigade), Over the last few years I have been using the 'ATG System' which makes the whole process a doddle!

Johnboy.
 
While you are here....
What is the best not intrusive way of flattening the bottom of the reed without taking much material away?
Reed works great but sometimes it swells a bit in the wrong place.
 
Gawd knows! I've never had the problem. all I can say, is to clamp it really tight and keep the lig. as close to the end of the table (chamber end) as possible. You could try using a piece of plate glass and very fine wet & dry paper, but you will the be removing material from the whole length of the reed, making it thinner at the tip (hmmmm).
I've never seen how the 'Reed Geek', can possibly work. If you remove material from the 'Table' only, then the reed will have a step or peek in the middle, and not be flat along its length!

Johnboy
 
What is the best not intrusive way of flattening the bottom of the reed without taking much material away? Reed works great but sometimes it swells a bit in the wrong place.

I bought the Vandoren glass reed resurfacer a year or so ago for this very purpose - to flatten bulges from swelling in the centre of reeds. It is gently abrasive and works very well. It is almost impossible to remove too much from the reed floor unless you deliberately press with ridiculous force and rub for a very long time. It is also easy to keep the tip of the reed off the abrasive surface, so you don't go rubbing parts of the reed you don't want to. I don't doubt that fine emery paper on a flat surface would work as well and cost less, but the Vandoren looks like it will last forever and only requires an occasional wash under a tap to remove sawdust.
 
lol Colin. Thank all of you for your help. Aldevis I have bought 2 vandoran reeds a zz 2.5 and a v16 2.5 tried both, there ok but in the tin,I also bought the Alexander dc 2.5 as recommended by you, and I have to say WOW ,its for me I knew it straight away, it still needs breaking in, however I was so confident with it I used it to play in public the very evening I first tried it. Will keep you all up to date with its progress.
 
I just got 1 to try along with a couple of vandorans, its had 4 hours approx use now and is just getting better and better.I guess it just suits my embouchure, my only regret now is why did i not try one when i was learning to play on an alto, i must have tried everything but lol.
 

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