Man, really great playing. I was here for the reed review but by the time you started improvising on My One And Only Love (I think?) I was just listening for the musicianship. Keep making music.
Really good review and awesome playing. Got my 2,5 today and really like it so far. The 2,75 was is little to hard for me. I usually play Vandoren ZZ 3 and a Jody Jazz DV Chicago 8* on a Yamaha 82 Z silver.
Hey stumbled on your channel looking for synthetic reed reviews, will definitely give you a sub. I tried an American cut in 2.25 and it was just a little too wild and easy so I think I'm gonna try to jump up to 2.5 and give it a shot. You have a great sound!
I recently started using legere reeds (this year) and I was surprised how well they played. My setup is yanagisawa soprano and my mouthpiece is a Theo Wanne, Shiva size 8, my ligature is a Rovner versa, my reed is Legere size 2. The legere gives me the best sound out of all the reeds I've used. My favorite used to be a Frederick Hemkee and I used to think they were the best for soprano sax. Plus the legere reed sounds great on my other soprano mouthpieces like my Bari, Dukoff, Selmer, Vandoren, Yamaha.
@@schmittmusicsaxophoneshop4451 i was skeptical too but after exploring with them especially on my soprano I'm sticking with them from here on. Plus my biggest issue i had with cane reeds was chipping on the tip of the reed because I keep my reed slightly above the tip of the mouthpiece also bringing the ligature as forward towards the tip of the mouthpiece which when the reed made contact with anything it usually chipped and that's a nightmare. Plus now I have no use for the reed geek
Nice playing, and solid review, thanks! I’ve been playing on synthetic reeds for many years - Fibracell Premiers - and love them. They feel and sound like the real deal, completely flexible in allowing shaping of sound and they last forever it seems (until they’re done, in which case they literally just stop playing/vibrating! No warning!). This has happened to me in many gigs right in the middle of the gig (of course; couldn’t happen during practice could it? Lol) anyway it’s very annoying and as much as I love them I have to be able to rely on my reed to play during key moments, so been looking to switch for awhile now. I’ve tried a number of different synthetics, didn’t really like the feel of any of them, (slippery plastcky feel, just too weird and a distraction). I tried Legere’s Signature when they came out, but had a heck of a time trying to play in tune, at least on my Tenor, something I’ve never had a problem with using either cane or synthetics before that. And they were bloody expensive! I can use them on my bari and they’re ok, but I was expecting my socks to be blown off for the $$, and they really didn’t do that, I don’t think they even sounded as good as the old Fibracells. Long story to say, I’ve kind of circled all the way around to Jazz Selects, which are great sounding and feeling but rather short lived. I’m going to give these American cuts a shot here on my Tenor - my toughest test (SA 80 Series II, Guardala MB II mouthpiece). I do have a quick question for you: what neck are you playing on your Series III? I saw the brace underneath, realized it’s not a selmer neck...
Thanks for the response! Yeah, I have had some of the regular Fibracells in the past, but I don't think I've tried the premieres. I'll have to check them out! And I've had the same result with Jazz Select - I love them, but I do go through them a little quickly. My neck is actually original, but it has some extra bracing I had to have put on after pulling down my neck about 15 years ago, to keep it from happening again since it was weakened by the damage. Dumb younger me regrets that one. :) Thanks again!
Really sounded good Dave! I think they came up to a Jazz player´s preferred sound. But 40 dollars-if one accidentally brushes the tip against something, that 40 dollars is gone. I used Legere Signature for the last 5 years when I toured a lot, and they eliminated so much stress. I knew I would have a good sound and the same sound every night. I am back on cane now because adjusting reeds to work on different mouthpieces is a hobby. But if i started on the road again I would go back to Legere.
Nice! Yeah, it can definitely be an expensive mistake if you break the tip. That being said, it certainly does take a lot of stress out of finding a good reed. Thanks as always for the feedback!
Thanks! I think it's a different shape of cut. Seemed a little bit thicker at the tip, and a little more material up front in general. I really like how they play!
All their prices seem to have gone up. Not sure I want to pay that much. I’m a current legere signature user and I split the tip on one of my signatures it was my mistake but I may not be replacing it with another legere.
Hi Dave! A very nice and interesting sound! I am currently playing with a Legere Signature 2.5 on an Otto Link. Would you suggest switching to the American Cut, knowing that my goal is to obtain a darker sound? In case, always 2.5 or 2.75 ? 🤗 thanks man, cheers from Italy!
Hi Mauro! Thanks for the input! I'd definitely at least give it a shot. I feel like I had more projection, but it was a little darker for me. And I still go a little softer than I'd normally do, so I think 2.5 is just right for me. Thanks!
i want to try American cut on tenor I've tried signature but I feel stuck between 225 & 2.5 the 2.25 almost plays itself but can't take intense playing & 2.5 resistance is a bit much & low end is tough trying to switch from 3 rico plastic cover! any suggestions what strength American to try?
Hmm...if I had to guess, I'd say a 2.5 in the new one, as they say they don't run as hard as the Signature. But I'm not positive, so far I've only tried this one.
Great review David. I own a Legere signature and I like it, althought there is a missing element from cane that I cannot completely put my finger on. I mostly use it as a backup reed, although it´s brilliant for that purpose. Also, on their own website Legere states the American Cut is brighter than the signature, which would be bad news for me. Was that your experience?
Hi Javier, yeah, I will at least keep this as a backup, but we'll see how it goes once I settle in on it. I guess it might be a little brighter for some, but I was surprised that while I could get brighter than the signature, I could alto get darker than the signature. It was more flexible for me. But reeds are SO personal, so your results might vary. Thanks!
I have played on Signature reeds on my alto sax for 2 and a half years and I like them, but I always felt there was something missing from the sound and they would go duller after a while of playing on one. Maybe they were a little darker. minutes of playing. Not the American Cut and it plays better. I am not really into a bright sound but I was surprised I actually really like these. Its bright but not over bright, richer sounding and easy to play. I play on two mouthpieces a Selmer Soloist E and a Selmer Claude Delangle mouthpiece. If I play in a classical style, I can get them to sound a bit darker, but push it and get brighter without being overbright, over edgy or harsh in anyway. On the Selmer Soloist E I played on Signature 2 reeds and often found it a little resistant, so maybe 2 was slightly harder for me on that mouthpiece, but its the lowest strength on the Signature, but I tried a 2 American Cut and it was better, low notes were easier and I noticed low notes on the Soloist are a bit resistant and it overall played better, but I might try a 1.75 strength which could work better. I even played a 2 on a Selmer Claude Delangle mouthpiece. On it the reed has a rich brighter tone with good projection the 2 may have been a little soft and probably need a 2.25 strength to really test how good it is, but it may be a little bright for me on this mouthpiece but again that could be also needing to go up a quarter strength. You have to try them to find out for yourself, but personally I like them a lot.
@@DynamixWarePro thanks for the reply. Great info. I will have to try the American Cut at some point. Also, I´m not American so it might behave differently for me...hah! :D
@@schmittmusicsaxophoneshop4451 I noticed one more thing I should have mentioned. With these reeds, they don't always sit well or play the best with some ligatures due to them having a thinner heel that cane reeds. To fix it, put on a BG Reed Performer patch on the Legere reed table just below the vamp where the heel starts. I did and they played better after that. Tried them with a Francois Louis Ultimate Brass, BG Duo Gold Lacquer and a Selmer one screw silver plated ligature and they played better with all of them after adding the patch to the reed.
Congratulations on your information and review, today I play with a legere studio cut n 2, which would indicate the american cut model ?, thank you very much.
I know people who do that, but I didn't feel like I needed to. That being said, I think rotating through a few of them (a different one each day) did seem to be a good way to keep them playing well.
@@schmittmusicsaxophoneshop4451 thanxs for getting back. Will probably buy another anyways. It's been a week now using these reeds and I'm happy so far. Thanxs again.
I'm not sure if they need it, but they do seem to break in a little bit as they're playing, but it's hard to tell if it's just me getting used to the feel of them. That being said, players that I know who use them full time do say that they like to break them in a little bit before they play well, so I tend to believe that's the case. Thanks!
Wow interesting. I'm still debating between the american cut and the signature series for tenor. Leaning towards American Cut after this review.
Yeah, they definitely won me over with them! Thanks for watching!
Nothing wrong with the sound and power. Love it!!!!
Thank you!
Man, really great playing. I was here for the reed review but by the time you started improvising on My One And Only Love (I think?) I was just listening for the musicianship. Keep making music.
Thanks so much for the comment, sorry I just saw it. :)
Really good review and awesome playing.
Got my 2,5 today and really like it so far. The 2,75 was is little to hard for me.
I usually play Vandoren ZZ 3 and a Jody Jazz DV Chicago 8* on a Yamaha 82 Z silver.
Great review and great performance! Definitely you got really soulful tones out of that synthetic reed. Very promising!
Thanks a lot!!
Hey stumbled on your channel looking for synthetic reed reviews, will definitely give you a sub. I tried an American cut in 2.25 and it was just a little too wild and easy so I think I'm gonna try to jump up to 2.5 and give it a shot. You have a great sound!
Thanks so much, and thanks for the sub!!
I recently started using legere reeds (this year) and I was surprised how well they played. My setup is yanagisawa soprano and my mouthpiece is a Theo Wanne, Shiva size 8, my ligature is a Rovner versa, my reed is Legere size 2. The legere gives me the best sound out of all the reeds I've used. My favorite used to be a Frederick Hemkee and I used to think they were the best for soprano sax. Plus the legere reed sounds great on my other soprano mouthpieces like my Bari, Dukoff, Selmer, Vandoren, Yamaha.
Yeah, especially on this new cut, I've been really surprised at how well they do. Not sure if I'll fully switch to them, but it's tempting!
@@schmittmusicsaxophoneshop4451 i was skeptical too but after exploring with them especially on my soprano I'm sticking with them from here on. Plus my biggest issue i had with cane reeds was chipping on the tip of the reed because I keep my reed slightly above the tip of the mouthpiece also bringing the ligature as forward towards the tip of the mouthpiece which when the reed made contact with anything it usually chipped and that's a nightmare. Plus now I have no use for the reed geek
I have been using the Legere classic reed strength 3 for a number of years and it works fantastically well with my Vandoren Optimum mouthpiece.
I use a shiva 8 on a rovner versa X with legere 2.25 on tenor. I absolutely love it, can’t wait to test the American cut
Nice playing, and solid review, thanks! I’ve been playing on synthetic reeds for many years - Fibracell Premiers - and love them. They feel and sound like the real deal, completely flexible in allowing shaping of sound and they last forever it seems (until they’re done, in which case they literally just stop playing/vibrating! No warning!). This has happened to me in many gigs right in the middle of the gig (of course; couldn’t happen during practice could it? Lol) anyway it’s very annoying and as much as I love them I have to be able to rely on my reed to play during key moments, so been looking to switch for awhile now. I’ve tried a number of different synthetics, didn’t really like the feel of any of them, (slippery plastcky feel, just too weird and a distraction). I tried Legere’s Signature when they came out, but had a heck of a time trying to play in tune, at least on my Tenor, something I’ve never had a problem with using either cane or synthetics before that. And they were bloody expensive! I can use them on my bari and they’re ok, but I was expecting my socks to be blown off for the $$, and they really didn’t do that, I don’t think they even sounded as good as the old Fibracells. Long story to say, I’ve kind of circled all the way around to Jazz Selects, which are great sounding and feeling but rather short lived. I’m going to give these American cuts a shot here on my Tenor - my toughest test (SA 80 Series II, Guardala MB II mouthpiece). I do have a quick question for you: what neck are you playing on your Series III? I saw the brace underneath, realized it’s not a selmer neck...
Thanks for the response! Yeah, I have had some of the regular Fibracells in the past, but I don't think I've tried the premieres. I'll have to check them out! And I've had the same result with Jazz Select - I love them, but I do go through them a little quickly.
My neck is actually original, but it has some extra bracing I had to have put on after pulling down my neck about 15 years ago, to keep it from happening again since it was weakened by the damage. Dumb younger me regrets that one. :)
Thanks again!
Really sounded good Dave! I think they came up to a Jazz player´s preferred sound. But 40 dollars-if one accidentally brushes
the tip against something, that 40 dollars is gone. I used Legere Signature for the last 5 years when I toured a lot, and they
eliminated so much stress. I knew I would have a good sound and the same sound every night. I am back on cane now because
adjusting reeds to work on different mouthpieces is a hobby. But if i started on the road again I would go back to Legere.
Nice! Yeah, it can definitely be an expensive mistake if you break the tip. That being said, it certainly does take a lot of stress out of finding a good reed. Thanks as always for the feedback!
@@schmittmusicsaxophoneshop4451 And don’t forget the immutability when it comes to humidity and temperature. I use Legere’s for literally years.
@@Osnosis definitely. Especially in cold, dry, Minnesota, it makes a difference.
You’re tone is tasty man
Thanks a lot!
Good review Dave. Honest assessment I think. Nice playing too with a good variety to put this to the test.
Thank you Paul!
Awesome playing. My ambition is to master that random (but not at all random!) burst you do when you kick off
Thanks a lot! It was a little random :) But glad you liked it.
You have a really nice sound! Can you tell me which mouthpiece you use?
Hey man fab playing but - it would have been awesome hearing a Signature / American Cut / RJS comparisson.
Yeah, that's a good idea. I'll put it on the list to do at some point! Thanks!
Hey Dave! What’s the difference between the Signature series & the American Cut? Sounded great!
Thanks! I think it's a different shape of cut. Seemed a little bit thicker at the tip, and a little more material up front in general. I really like how they play!
All their prices seem to have gone up. Not sure I want to pay that much. I’m a current legere signature user and I split the tip on one of my signatures it was my mistake but I may not be replacing it with another legere.
It is a little more expensive. I would have to see how long I can get them to last.
My thoughts exactly
Hi Dave! A very nice and interesting sound!
I am currently playing with a Legere Signature 2.5 on an Otto Link.
Would you suggest switching to the American Cut, knowing that my goal is to obtain a darker sound? In case, always 2.5 or 2.75 ? 🤗 thanks man, cheers from Italy!
Hi Mauro! Thanks for the input!
I'd definitely at least give it a shot. I feel like I had more projection, but it was a little darker for me. And I still go a little softer than I'd normally do, so I think 2.5 is just right for me. Thanks!
i want to try American cut
on tenor
I've tried signature but I feel stuck between
225 & 2.5
the 2.25 almost plays itself but can't take intense playing & 2.5 resistance is a bit much & low end is tough
trying to switch from 3 rico plastic cover! any suggestions what strength American to try?
Hmm...if I had to guess, I'd say a 2.5 in the new one, as they say they don't run as hard as the Signature. But I'm not positive, so far I've only tried this one.
thank you
by the way your killing it
@@leroyharper4513 Thank you!!
Great review David. I own a Legere signature and I like it, althought there is a missing element from cane that I cannot completely put my finger on. I mostly use it as a backup reed, although it´s brilliant for that purpose. Also, on their own website Legere states the American Cut is brighter than the signature, which would be bad news for me. Was that your experience?
Hi Javier, yeah, I will at least keep this as a backup, but we'll see how it goes once I settle in on it. I guess it might be a little brighter for some, but I was surprised that while I could get brighter than the signature, I could alto get darker than the signature. It was more flexible for me.
But reeds are SO personal, so your results might vary.
Thanks!
I have played on Signature reeds on my alto sax for 2 and a half years and I like them, but I always felt there was something missing from the sound and they would go duller after a while of playing on one. Maybe they were a little darker. minutes of playing. Not the American Cut and it plays better. I am not really into a bright sound but I was surprised I actually really like these. Its bright but not over bright, richer sounding and easy to play. I play on two mouthpieces a Selmer Soloist E and a Selmer Claude Delangle mouthpiece. If I play in a classical style, I can get them to sound a bit darker, but push it and get brighter without being overbright, over edgy or harsh in anyway.
On the Selmer Soloist E I played on Signature 2 reeds and often found it a little resistant, so maybe 2 was slightly harder for me on that mouthpiece, but its the lowest strength on the Signature, but I tried a 2 American Cut and it was better, low notes were easier and I noticed low notes on the Soloist are a bit resistant and it overall played better, but I might try a 1.75 strength which could work better.
I even played a 2 on a Selmer Claude Delangle mouthpiece. On it the reed has a rich brighter tone with good projection the 2 may have been a little soft and probably need a 2.25 strength to really test how good it is, but it may be a little bright for me on this mouthpiece but again that could be also needing to go up a quarter strength. You have to try them to find out for yourself, but personally I like them a lot.
@@DynamixWarePro thanks for the reply. Great info. I will have to try the American Cut at some point. Also, I´m not American so it might behave differently for me...hah! :D
@@DynamixWarePro great input, thank you!
@@schmittmusicsaxophoneshop4451 I noticed one more thing I should have mentioned. With these reeds, they don't always sit well or play the best with some ligatures due to them having a thinner heel that cane reeds. To fix it, put on a BG Reed Performer patch on the Legere reed table just below the vamp where the heel starts. I did and they played better after that. Tried them with a Francois Louis Ultimate Brass, BG Duo Gold Lacquer and a Selmer one screw silver plated ligature and they played better with all of them after adding the patch to the reed.
Congratulations on your information and review, today I play with a legere studio cut n 2, which would indicate the american cut model ?, thank you very much.
Thank you! The studio is another cut, aside from the Signature and the American.
Just ordered this exact reed off WWBW for $25, I think it's on sale rn
Wow, that's a great price! I don't have our order in yet, but we do price match WWBW. :)
Did you see anything about swapping out after playing for an hour. Thought I did. Hope wrong about that. Thanxs.
I know people who do that, but I didn't feel like I needed to. That being said, I think rotating through a few of them (a different one each day) did seem to be a good way to keep them playing well.
@@schmittmusicsaxophoneshop4451 thanxs for getting back. Will probably buy another anyways. It's been a week now using these reeds and I'm happy so far. Thanxs again.
Hello .. Which one is the darkest, studio cult or sgnature?
Hi Marcos - I'd say the signature for me, for sure. The studio cut was a lot brighter for me. Thanks!
Would you say they need some kind of breaking in ?
I'm not sure if they need it, but they do seem to break in a little bit as they're playing, but it's hard to tell if it's just me getting used to the feel of them. That being said, players that I know who use them full time do say that they like to break them in a little bit before they play well, so I tend to believe that's the case. Thanks!
Have you tried the Forestone Hinoki or bamboo?
I've tried the Forestone bamboo at a conference once. I thought it was very good!
1:50 how about pick a key
Haha, it's a lot of notes...probably mostly d minor. :)