Reeds and reed cases.

Brands

There are very many brands and types of reeds out there. Vandoren and Rico are among the most popular and most widely used amongst saxophonists. Popular reed brands inlcude:

• Vandoren
  • Blue Box
  • ZZ
  • (Java and V16 Not made for baritone!)
• Rico
  • Orange Box
  • Select Jazz
  • Rico Royal
  • Grand Concert Select
• Gonzalez
• Marca
• La Voz
• Fibracell
• Hemke
• Mitchell Lurie
• Legere
• Maccaferri
• Rigotti
• Brancher
• Plasticover
• Bari (Synthetic)
• Alexander
  • Classique
  • DC
  • Superial
  • New York

It is important to note that reed strengths are NOT equal between brands. For example, a Rico strength 3 reed is not the same hardness as a Vandoren strength 3 reed. Vandorens generally run much harder and a Vandoren 3 is much closer to a Rico 4. The most ideal method for trying a new brand of reeds is to try multiplle reeds from several strengths to make sure an incorrect strength is not causing inexact assesment of the reed, or that a bad reed in the box does not affect judgement. Most people find that the reed strengths are not exact within the same box as well, and the way a reed plays may dramatically change after it is played a few times and "broken in". Most players agree that not all of the reeds in a box will be playable, although the amount used and how long they last varies dramatically person to person.

Reed production

When dealing with reeds it is important to know a bit about what exactly they are and where they come from. Reeds are made from a very specific plant (cane) that grows very tall. They are generally cut and dried for long periods before they are crafted and machined into the proper shape and cut necesssary for playing. Most reed cane is grown in a particular area of France. Each reed brand and variety has its own particular "cut". Variations in cut can mean different thicknesses at different parts of the reed, a different curve at the tip of the reed, different lengths of the filing on the reed, and other variations that all effect the way a reed vibrates and sounds. Each reed has different anatomical parts and make up, each can be designed and altered to modify the sound and vibration of a reed. Below is a chart outlining the different parts of the reed.

Storage and cases

How reeds are stored and dried after use greatly affects their performance. Reeds are made from plants that have water and other nutrients traveling through them. When reeds are moistened the saliva tranvels through the grain in a similar fashion as to when the reed is cane. After the reeds are played and allowed to dry, the removal of moisture can cause the wood in the cane to warp. Changes in weather and humidity can also cause havoc and cause warpage as well. Once a reed warps it can greatly reduce the playing quality and richness of the reed's sound. A warped reed can also crack, and otherwise be kept from playing well.

There are several steps you can take to prevent warping reeds. The first is to make sure that when the reed is drying after it is played it is drying on a completely flat surface. This is where reed cases come in handy. Reed cases range from $3 plastic holders to finely crafted wooden cases with glass plates to place the reeds on. Glass in an extremely flat and even surface and works well for allowing reeds to dry. The plastic cases that the reeds come in are generally not the most ideal storage for reeds, although some brands' are better than others.

The next step to controlling a reed and preventing damage and warping is to control the humidity of the reeds. Many reed cases feature carbon charcoal sticks to wick out extra moisture or sponges that can be wetted to provide additional moisture to keep the reeds in a constant humidity. Recently several companies have also released special plastic "pouches" that control the humidity inside. Vandoren has recently begun sealing their reeds individually at the factory to have greater control over the humidity of the reeds before they are sold. The humidity control pouches can be very expensive, there is much cheaper solution. A simple ziplock baggie can be used to store the reeds. This allows the reeds to dry out very slowly and to retain moisture in the reeds.

Another solution that some saxophonists turn to is keeping their reeds constantly wet, never allowing them to dry out at all, and thereby never allowing them to warp. This is often achieved by having a bottle or some sort of container filled with water that the reeds are stored in. There are several potential problems with this approach! First of all there is a health risk. Keeping organic reeds submerged in water for long periods is basically asking for mold and bacteria to grow. There have been several cases of saxophonists developing infected tonsils from reeds that were unclean. The plastic baggie approach is a much safer way for controlling humidity without encouraging possibly unhealthy pathogens to breed on the reeds, as the reeds are allowed to dry eventually. If you do choose to keep your reeds always moist you can prevent anything from growing on your reeds by adding a small amount of mouthwash (listerine) to the water you store your reeds in. The alcohol in the mouthwash will keep the reeds sterile, and the mintyness will probably improve the reed's taste. On a side note, Do not indulge in flavored reeds! These are really susceptible to having unpleasant things growing on them.

No matter how you store your reeds, they will eventually get dirty and rather ratty looking. Simply rinsing the reeds in room-temperature water to remove the dirt and grime that has built up can greatly revitalize a reed. DO NOT use soap. If you need to take a further action you can also use Hydrogen Peroxide, that can be purchased at most pharmacies over the counter. Simply pour a small amount of hydrogen peroxide into a dish and allow the reeds to soak for 1-2 minutes. You will see the reeds fizz. I recommend soaking your reed case as well, make sure to rinse all of your reeds and case with water after soaking them in hydrogen peroxide. This process can greatly clean the reed and revitalize it.

If a reed does warp despite your best efforts, generally allowing the reed to soak for 5-10 minutes will un-warp the reed. You can also place the tip of the reed on the table of your mouth piece and apply pressure on it with your thumb. Then rapidy flick the back of the reed while still applying pressure to the tip of the reed for several seconds.

Filed versus unfiled

A common distinction between reed brands and types is filed and unfiled. The file is also referred to as a "French file" cut. This generally refers to whether the slope of the cut from the base of the reed to the tip is gradual or if it is begun at an exact line (see pictures to the right).

Some brands of reeds offer both options (Rico Jazz Select, for example). Filing and non-filing can dramatically change the way a reeds resonates. The difference is very subjective, but filed reeds generally have better response and flexibility, and perhaps a darker tone. Unfiled reeds can have a more powerful tone and perhaps a bit brighter.

Check out this blog from Rico for more information on filed and unfiled reeds.

Trimming and shaving

Many people do not like the idea of only playing 60% of the reeds in a box and use techniques to modify the reeds to make them play better. The overall idea is to identify problematic portions of the reed and to shave them down or trim them to improve the resonance of the reed. This is usually done with very fine sandpaper, or special "reed knives". Much time can be devoted to this with mixed results, and it takes a long time before these techniques can be utilized reliably. It is up to the player to decide if he or she would like to invest the time into learning these techniques or simply acknowledge that not all of the reeds in any given box will play incredibly well. Certain brands will have better consistancy then others.

After playing a reed for some time, it can begin to naturally soften which can lead to missed notes, poor intonation and other undesirable traits. It is possible to temporarily harden the reed by trimming off a very small amount of the very tip of the reed, effectively making the tip thicker and therefor harder or more resistant. This can be done with a reed trimmer , and should only be done when the reed is no longer optimally playing, as it can ruin a good reed. The trick to trimming reeds is to trim the smallest amount possible, ideally about the width of a few human hairs. The piece that is trimmed should almost disolve when removed from the trimmer because it is so insignificant. Trimmming larger chunks can ruin a good reed very quickly. You can always trim again but you obviously can not undo an overly large trim. Many people claim that this technique ruins the sound of the reed and leads to a very shallow tone. Trimming will ceratinly affect the sound quality of the reed, as you are not only hardening it and making it more resistant to vibration, but you are changing all of the width proportions on the reed as well.

Plastic Reeds

There is a lot of frustration in the saxophone world regarding reeds, and as such, some people have turned to alternatives that remove the frustration and inherent unpredictability of reeds. This is done by playing reeds made from plastic, or plasticover reeds which are wooden reeds with a plastic coating. Plastic is not an organic substance and does not absorb water in the same manner and cane. Plastic is far, far less prone to warping and will not wear down from regular use. Below are some of the pros and cons of using plastic reeds:

• Pros:
• Less prone to warping and cracking
• Not affected by humidity
• Very consistant
• Lasts for extended periods
• Ideal for outdoor situations (aka Marching / Pep band)
• Consistant from reed to reed.
• Cons:
• The sound is generally very shallow and abrasive
• Each reed is very expensive
• Reeds often need to be broken in for very long periods
• Very few options, brands and types of plastic reeds to choose from
• Cannot easily be altered, shaved or trimmed to fit one's specific needs
• Prolonged use can more quickly wear out mouthpieces, especially those made of softer materials (ebonite, hard rubber)

Almost all professional saxophonists use cane reeds, however it should be noted that there are professional saxophonists who use plastic. Claire Daly, and Nick Brignola are two examples of fine baritone saxophonists who have used plastic reeds. Also, plastic reeds continue to improve with new technologies and manufacturing processes.

Breaking In and sealing reeds

Most people have their own breaking in process and reed selection routine. Some players soak their reeds in a cup of water anywhere between 1 minute and 2 hours before playing a reed. Others take it out of the box, wet it and put it on. If enough moisture is applied for long enough a reed will become waterlogged. Reeds are especially prone to this when they are new. A waterlogged reed has darkened "wet" spots that do not go away until the reed is completely dried out. Some players prefer waterlogged reeds, some find that it makes them worse. The additional moisture in the reed certainly has an effect on the sound of the reed.

Some people also choose to seal their reeds. There are several methods for this. One involves rubbing the reed surfaces, both top and bottom, on a flat surface for a few minutes until the pores in the reed are sealed. Other methods include applying substances to the reed, especially the flat table of the reed to seal the pores. (One substance that is used, for better or for worse is "nose grease"). Either way, the idea of polishing or sealing reeds is to minimize the movement of water and moisture through the reed so that the reed stays conistant and will not change the next time it is played as much.

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