Leger Sax Reeds

K. Made in Canada, they are extremely popular across the pond because of their immediate playability and comparative longevity. There is no reason to moisture the reed before playing and it will warm up over a matter of minutes to hold its stability for at least an hour, before softening a little. Our sample was a ‘Studio Cut’ 3 and it took sometime to get used to the characteristics of this synthetic reed, after being so used to the conventional cane variety. The immediate response was very “toppy”, with a distinct lack of depth to the bottom end. We found manipulating the sound particularly difficult as there is a limited dynamic because of the effective fixed playing field. Changing from a metal mouthpiece to an ebonite did slightly change the playing parameters, but not we felt to any appreciable effect. Clearly, this synthetic reed would sit well in a combo/band situation, with its direct response, excellent intonation and clean, warm tone. Essentially it’s a case of horses for courses, and the Leger reed undoubtedly has its place – although you probably won’t be looking to use one in a free jazz format.  For more info go to www.legere-europe.co.uk