Other practical issues are robustness and consistency. Certain makes of synthetic reed are available for exactly these reasons- one plastic reed is the same as any other and they last significantly longer than any cane reed is likely to. However when they do finally stop working they go from playable to totally unusable almost immediately (hence, always carry a spare). Another factor which favours synthetics is that they don’t need to be damped before playing, so tend to be popular with instrumentalists who have to swap saxes frequently during a gig. However, for the majority of players, cane reeds are the ‘real deal’, give the authentic sound and the search for just the right one is all part of the ritual of playing the saxophone.

 One point about testing reeds. Trying out one single reed of a specific type is useful, but- due to the variations within each box- to get the ‘feel’ of a particular reed type it’s usually necessary to give two or three reeds a blow to really get their character. Whereas your saxophone and mouthpiece are precision engineered from metal and ebonite, reeds are cut from cane and vary noticeably, even within the same box.

   SAXOPHONE REEDS
...another useful excerpt from the YOU CAN PLAY TOO tuition DVD

More excerpts from the tuition DVD:  Introduction,  Breathing,  Mouthpieces

Here’s a quick rundown on the characteristics of the brands we stock:

Rico- Single cut, these are made as basic, student reeds. Though designed for those on a tight budget they acquit themselves well under most circumstances, though lack some of the subtleties of more advanced types.

Rico Royal- Very much the ‘standard’ reed for a large proportion of players. These are filed, relatively bright and (potentially) loud. A lot of players start off their careers using these. They’re something of a ‘blank canvas’, responsive, flexible but without much character of their own- and, as such, work very well for beginners. The majority of more experienced players move on to reed types which suit their particular style of playing- but Rico Royals are good for keeping your options open.

Rico Jazz Select- Cut specifically to play jazz, Rico Jazz Select are bright & fast responding. They are available with or without French filing- this in itself is a bit of a can of worms; the filed version is somewhat brighter & subtone more strongly whereas there’s slightly more ‘fatness’ of tone to the unfiled. The difference is relatively small with the majority of set ups but we have noticed it becomes more pronounced with narrow beaked metal mouthpieces- Jody Jazz DV mouthpieces seem to produce a noticeably cleaner response and are less prone to squeaks with the unfiled. It is worth noting that the quality control & consistency of these reeds is also extremely good. Watch out for the different strength numbering system.

Rico Plasticover- Basically, Rico Royals with a thin black, plastic skin to make them more robust and hard wearing- as well as giving them the ‘immediately playability’ of fully synthetic reeds. Another effect of the plastic is that it evens out a lot of imperfections in the reed’s surface and makes boxes of Plasticovers one of the most consistent reeds available. Sound wise, they work well with punchy, percussive playing- a strong contender for jazz, rock or pop. A favourite here at sax.co.uk amongst those of us who play with amplified bands.

Vandoren Traditional (Blue Box) - These tend to be the classical player’s reed of choice as well as being good all rounders. Full toned, responsive and quite dark, they also work very well as beginner’s reeds in that they are relatively easy to control- a lot of this is down to their very fine tip. Traditionally the classical set up relies on a narrow tipped mouthpiece with relatively hard reeds, thereby maximizing controllability. Anyone moving over from Rico should note that the Vandoren reed range are about a half step stronger than equivalent Ricos.

Vandoren Java- Bright & with quick, snappy response plus great subtones, these are clearly aimed at players with a bright, contemporary sound. They work extremely well for modern jazz, funk and rock playing. With their strong subtones and edge- good for work with electric bands (though see V16s, bellow for some useful information for anyone playing with an amplified outfits).

Vandoren ZZ- The differences between ZZs and Javas is relatively subtle- but noticeable if they are played off against each other. Both reeds are clearly aimed at players within the jazz, blues or even pop field but are designed to emphasize different parts of the core sound. Javas are relatively bright, edgy with plenty of cut to them (as I said above, a good choice for jazz/funk and the like), ZZs- though still fairly bright- facilitate a big, somewhat husky tone. There’s pleasing fullness and ‘boom’ here which is very satisfying to work with. One warning though, these reeds do not seem to like respond well when overblown, these are not an ideal choice for use in a loud, inadequately monitored situation.

Vandoren V16-  to all intents and purposes, the same as Javas but with one important difference- they are thicker. These reeds are designed to respond well when played hard and loud. Whereas most reeds will become uncooperative if pushed too much, these are specifically cut to avoid these issues.  An ideal choice for anyone playing over a heavily amplified or just likes to put a lot of air through their horn without it ‘stalling’.

Hemke- are pitched as being suitable for both classical and jazz work these reeds. Having said that they play rather brighter than I, personally, had expected for a reed cut for classical work. In other respects these seem quite similar to Vandoren ‘blue box’ clean tone and controllability seem to be the main features.

Marca- are available in two different cuts, Superieure, for classical work, and Jazz (self explanatory, really). The Jazz follow a fairly similar design philosophy to LaVoz reeds- quick responding but cut to facilitate the fatter, mellower end of the spectrum. A strong option for anyone looking for a vintage type of tone, rather than something brighter, edgier and more contemporary. Superieure’s adhere to the normal cut favoured by classical players.

Alexander Superials- There are three different cuts of these reeds to choose from; Classique- a standard classical cut, Superial and DC (their website- www.superial.com has a useful little chart comparing the design of their reeds with other popular makes). Expensive, yes- but set against that is the fact these reeds are extremely consistent- if you’re used to having to reject a proportion of reeds in any given box the almost zero reject rate of these effectively covers most of the price difference. And they come in a very nice box. Do note that because of this, these are the only reed type we don’t sell individually.