Reeds Soprano players -- what reed/reed-strength do you use?

[Moz]

Still I am trying to find a short cut to my perfect mpc reed combo. I spent 4 years getting the sound I want on my tenor and I'm getting too old to do that process again.

I'd do a poll thingy but I would have to put in all the options.

So, if you play soprano what is your:

Experience with sop?

Reed maker?

Reed strength (as it applies to that reed)?

Cheers

Moz

 

[TomMapfumo]

Hi Moz!

I have always played 6 tip soprano mouthpieces and always been happiest with 2.5 strength reeds.

Originally I played a Berg 60/1 which was pretty good and I preferred ZZ 2's to V16, Java & Rico Royals in either 2 0r 2.5.

Since getting my BW Curved Soprano I play either a V16 S6 or Brancher J15 mouthpiece (6) and Marca Jazz 2.5's beat the ZZ hands down IMHO.

I would recommend trying Francois Louis reeds - I use them on Alto are I rate them higher than Alexander DC's.
I like a pure sound on soprano but with some depth and complexity, and am not that keen on more percussive reeds.

Recommendations from me are, therefore, Marca Jazz, Francois Louis Excellence and Alexander DC's - not that keen on Rico/Vandoren options, which now double as baffle fodder for my V16 metal Tenor.
I personally find that anything with a 3 in seems too hard to blow comfortably, and don't want to develop a hernia, or go ridiculously out of tune.
So, for me, its a 6 facing/2.5 reed combination. On Alto I very between 7 and 9 facing/2.5 reeds & on Tenor an 8 facing/ 2.5 reed combo.

Apologies for any longwindedness, and hope its helpful.
Kind regards
Tom 8)

 

[daveysaxboy]

Size M La voz on my EZ Link 7* and curved Goodson soprano sound's the best for me,great, full sound.

 

[Pete Thomas]

2.5 Rico Plasticover on a Selmer Soloist (E)

 

[spike]

Bari HR 66 with RR 2 but as soon as I can get my wheels down to the music shop I'll swop it for a 68.
I haven't set foot in a music shop for over a year.

 

[littleplum]

A Legere studio cut strength 3 plastic clarinet reed on a yani 7 mouthpiece.

I bought the reed for the clarinet but it was too hard but opens the sound of the sop up.

 

[Jules]

Yamaha Custom 6 with Rico Royal 2.5s. though I've been listening ot loads of Jan Garbarek of recent and have found that the combo of a Runyon Delrin Quantum 6 and LaVoz Medium Soft makes a great "Garbarek-ish" slightly folkie tone...

 

[jonf]

Bari gold 0.64 with RJS 3S for me. Sometimes also use a Yanagisawa HR 7, same reed.

Hey Jules, I thought you didn't much like the sop, save when played by Jan G? What sort of sax have you got at the mo'?

Jon

 

[thomsax]

[No message]

 

[mfox]

2.5 alto superials

 

[Jules]

Whatever I can grab in my lunchbreak (though that's soon going ot chance courtesy of il Padrino).
Actually- I do end up going back to my folkie roots when I pick up the soprano. I love Celtic music (spent the back half of the 1980s playing in loads of sub-pogues bands- mainly flute and blues harps) and treating the sop as a variation of the wooden flute, Irish pipes or fiddle was sort of legitimized when I discovered JG.

JonF wrote:
Bari gold 0.64 with RJS 3S for me. Sometimes also use a Yanagisawa HR 7, same reed.

Hey Jules, I thought you didn't much like the sop, save when played by Jan G? What sort of sax have you got at the mo'?

Jon

 

[Linky Lee]

Yamaha 4C with Vandoren ZZ 3

I like a small mouthpiece and hard reed on soprano.

I tried some other pieces and mixed up reed strength etc. The only thing I found that I preferred was a Yanigasawa 6*, still quite small with a slightly softer reed. But I didn't feel for the increase in quality it was worth the money.

 

[greg_strange]

Walstein model ss-p straight soprano with E. Rousseau SJ6 Studio Jazz mouthpiece, Rovner MkIII/C1RVS ligature and Rico Royal 2 and 1/2, and Rico Select Jazz 3 reeds. The last couple of weeks I have been playing a Yamaha 4C mouthpiece which is proving to be a bit more user friendly than the Rousseau SJ6.
Regards,
Greg Strange.