Légère Reeds - Alto Saxophone Reed, Classic, Strength 2.50 (AS2.50) - Premium Synthetic Woodwind Reed

Love the legere reeds. They last a long time. Worth the price.

works good.

I bought Legere reeds for alto and baritone(both strength 3)for the first time. I nearly always play Vandoren reeds otherwise in the settings described below:For the alto: I have been playing the alto with Vandoren reeds (blue box strength 2.5 and red box strength 3). I use a Vandoren Optimum ligature and both a Selmer Series E and Vandoren V16- A6 (M) mouthpieces. My saxophone is a Selmer Paris Reference 56. The Legere (strength 3) that I harder than the Vandoren 2.5 blue box and therefore the strength rating seems adequate. Its tone is even throughout the registry. It feels rather stiff when playing bflat, b and c on first evaluation - but certainly also as a result of a break-in period for our interplay (me and the reed). The best attribute is the fact that its sound has been consistent every time I use it and throughout a playing session. I recommend this reed for players that play daily for long periods as it provides an more than adequate sound quality which is consistent through time.For the baritone: Mouth piece I use is a Berg Larsen 100/2 with a Rovner Slim Hard rubber L75 ligature. I compare the Legere reed (strength 3) to a Vandoren blue box strength 3. My saxophone is a Yamaha 61. The hardness of both reeds are comparable and hence ballpark correct.The Legere reed does not have the warmth of the Vandoren reed and has a different feeling in the mouth. However, it provides for instant and consistent good quality sound. Excellent for (long) practice sessions. I still choose to play the Vandoren reeds when playing in public and the transition from playing Legere during practice to Vandoren during concerts is seamless.

It was the Christmas Parade in Rochester- my son's saxophone - out of six saxophones - was the only one working due to this amazing reed! His music teacher allows him to use it occasionally, the music teacher didn't like the ones we bought before. It's a great price and might save your Christmas parade!

This reed may be the cost of a box of reeds, but it will last for the entirety of Marching Season and beyond. Does not get quite as good a sound as a bamboo reed, so you will still need bamboo reeds for concert season. However, during Marching Season when you need a dependable reed that is not fragile to laying in the grass or being in the stands, this reed is perfect for seasonal use.

Legere makes a couple different styles so you need to experiment. One thing to be aware of, Legere is one of the brands that can be shaped or tuned with a reed knife. Actually a bit more forgiving the cane reeds where a slip can more easily damage the reed. With patience you can customize a reed that plays well with some depth of sound.

A number of years ago I tried a Fibracell reed and thought it was terrible because of the un-natural sound it produces. I was somewhat skeptical about another type of non-cane reed, but decided to give the Legere a try. I bought the Classic style and had a very hard time getting sound out of it because it was so stiff, but the sound quality was excellent. I had been playing on a Rico (orange box) 2.5, which is the equivalent of the Classic in a 2.0, according to the Legere strength chart. There was no way I was going to be able to play on the 2.0, and the Classic only goes down to a 1.75. So I exchanged the Classic 2.0 for a Studio Cut 1.5; Legere allows you one reed exchange per purchase. The 1.5 plays very nicely, with a very natural and consistent sound. The only problem I've experienced on occasion is the buildup of moisture between the reed and the mouth piece. Since the reed is a synthetic material, the moisture does not get absorbed. Other than that, I'm very pleased with the reed.

Perhaps I just need a lower stiffness but selection seems quite limited here on Amazon in this regard.I love that when I use this I get very consistent embouchure and note quality. No wetting necessary or worrying about drying out when you have to delay your second practice session by a few hours. Hope they last a LONG time since one of these cost the same as a box of 10 cane reeds! So far this is the only downside I've found but DISCLAIMER I am NEW to saxophones! YMMV