How Saxophone Reeds are Made

[@kessokujason]

Saxophone players: why are reeds so expensive??? Double reed players: am I a joke to you?

[@caidencuevas8775]

I clicked on this video just for this comment.

[@domsel-6109]

Derio Caido haha yes me to

[@JewelBlueIbanez]

As did I. Even crappy store bought mass-produced oboe reeds are expensive.

[@caidencuevas8775]

@@JewelBlueIbanez For some reason, band directors just love Jones reeds and makes me upset! 😖

[@marksegall9766]

DOUBLE reeds are more than double the price.

[@alexg.5850]

Bassoon and Oboe players must be angrily laughing right now.

[@brookehagner681]

I was actually about to make a comment on how sax reeds are cheap compared to bassoon reeds.

[@samfleming998]

Brooke Hagner, same

[@SriSri.G]

IKR OBOE REEDS SO EXPENSIVE

[@gracielangford9489]

We are

[@isaacrios6179]

I was about to comment this

[@Mike-zb4ds]

The quality of these videos is unreal. Awesome job and thanks for the great videos!

[@bettersax]

Thank You!

[@tedrhoads366]

@@bettersax I LOVE Rigotti Reeds, always been my favorite, LOVE you did this tour, BIG thanks Jay.

[@MauriatOttolink]

pec1215 Well said...Here! Here! Thanks for the great videos!

[@bryco32]

I Watched the entire thing..And I don't even play a instrument.

[@budgiefriend]

me too.

[@nathanharter3807]

So you don’t know the anger that is a cracked reed

[@-vlyxx5005]

@@nathanharter3807 you dont wanna know how many times my reeds crack of bullshit reasons

[@Soundwave1900]

My little brother once destroyed half of a box with reeds... And that was when I was veeeery short on money. Idk how i got hold of myself to not give him a kick. So feel the pain, folks!

[@MrHotjag]

I play trumpet

[@MrButternutsprinkles]

I was a sax player for years in school. I probably tossed out dozens of used and broken reeds without thinking twice about how they were made. Now I'll almost feel bad throwing away any of them at all! This is an amazing video. I have a whole new appreciation for the reeds sitting quietly on my counter, waiting to be played. Thank you.

[@Blackdawn80]

As a Tenor Sax and Clarinet player I can certainly appreciate this video, even today in 2021.

[@jaek_898]

People: so are you American or French? Jay: Yes.

[@Jorvaskrr]

Californian......

[@bettersax]

Born in USA but live in France for many years.

[@HonestSaxSound-unEdited-]

Francoamericaine..

[@harveymushman2219]

@@bettersax I got lost in the Brittany area last year for about 3 months...the rain never stopped...

[@ldever3]

He’s a musician. I have never found a group of people with more oddities and quirks than musicians.

[@hotman8799]

feels like a documentary. great quality! Wayyyy underrated

[@anthonydeguara9783]

I won't feel so bad about paying for these in the future. Really appreciate the effort you went to, to make this video. I have read about the process but the video brings it all home. Thanks for this and your many other free videos. They all contribute to making me a better sax player.

[@fernandoschuindt1665]

I don't even know what reeds are for, I don't even play those instruments, but yeah, I've watched, don't ask me why.

[@thefuzzman]

I'm with ya lol

[@blackwaterblades2098]

Reeds vibrate when blown on. The shape matters alot and so does materials and deminsion because it's what causes it to vibrate when air passes over. The vibrating airwaves are passed through the neck and into the body

[@lalthazovakhawlhring2985]

Me 3!!! LoL

[@praxiti3789]

Fuzzman was

[@ddlcfan8947]

Out through the horn*

[@meatsupplies5282]

So can they just send me all the reeds that are about to be composted?

[@floridaguy1955]

I was thinkin' the same thing.

[@HCL991]

They could, but that would require them to pack them up and send them to you. Also that would mean that there are imperfect reeds out with customers that don't match their quality standards. So, I assume the company benefits from reusing those reeds as opposed to sending out to customers that will not get reeds as expected.

[@meatsupplies5282]

HCL991 I wouldnt take them as a customer because it would be free, they dont even have to pack them professionally

[@bobsalbertasaxophone6916]

They could sell boxes of 25 where 6 work good or sell you a box of 5 where hopefully 5 work and 2 or 3 will be really good

[@northernbohemianrealist]

I am a pipe smoker. We don't pay just for the pipe; we pay for the four that failed before the carver got to this one.

[@professorsc213]

It's absolutely amazing! The average person does not realize how labor intensive so many aspects of music comprise. The hours of work done by the musician and by those such as the Reed makers remains a mystery to a lot of non musicians and some musicians. Thank you so much for posting this video. I will recommend this to my students.

[@thomaswalz3515]

I'm a guitarist... but always wondered how reeds were made... now I know. Great job! Thanks!

[@Pete-z6e]

Thomas Walz , banjo picker, same.

[@palewriter1856]

No, they don't double as picks

[@robertcotrell9810]

@johnny102marvin As a flute player, considering the variability of reeds is horrifying to me!

[@vtieto]

This was a really nice video. It was about Rigotti reeds in particular, but should be interesting to anyone curious about how reeds are made. It did serve its purpose of making me appreciate all the work that goes into each reed which contributes to its cost. The video has very high production values and held my interest. UPDATE July 2023: A friend of mine sent me a box of Rigotti Gold's a couple of years ago and they're now my reed of choice. Each reed I've pulled out of the box has become a "player" so yes, they're a little pricey, but if you score 10 of 10 you might actually save money over a cheaper but less consistent brand. I'll definitely be buying these in the future. Thanks again for the terrific video--I've ended up watching it a few times a years since it was published!

[@bettersax]

Thanks Vinnie

[@gradymasonii6960]

Thank you for putting a new face to the world of Saxophones. It's people like you that keep young and aged players interested. I had my first "gig" last saturday and put myself to the ultamate test not playing saxophone in 11 years. I jumped WAY out of my comfort zone. With a months notice and a chinese saxophone, I played 4 popular songs (with solos) using your crash course and motivating down-to-earth way of just talking about saxophones. In the end, I had people asking me for my business card. Laughing as I'm typing, my Girlfriend knows you now as my best friend, and to be honest, In June, YOU WERE! Thanks a lot and Greetings from an American in Germany! -Grady Mason II (P.S. My Chinese mouthpiece and ligature are being replaced by a Yamaha 5c + Rovner 1RL tomorow thanks to Amazon)

[@directcurrent5751]

Did you wear the white gloves? I just salvaged $199 tenor with Yamaha 5C and Rico 2.5 upgrades.

[@SarahSkilton]

I have played Sax and now Clarinet for over 10 years. I have never considered the process to making my reeds. This was captivating thank you for a fabulous lesson in reeds.

[@troykurek]

Unbelievable how complex the process is, and the machinery. I figured they were farmed, stored and aged in a warehouse, and then processed in a factory, but there's so much more involved. Can only imagine how surreal the tour experience must have been.

[@charlieduransax]

These are the best reeds ever! Been on these for many years now!

[@Trevayne4]

I’ve seen numerous videos on reed making but this by far is my favorite and certainly the one I learned the most from. Was already a fan of their reeds.

[@albertrodriguez7784]

This video has enlightened me so much I now take great pride in knowing how this product the sax reed is made. I have encouraged all my saxophone and clarinet ,oboe well all reed instrument players to watch this video.

[@stevekuhn9138]

Very interesting, fantastic presentation of a reed factory. I just picked up a small box of Rico #2.5 reeds for $6.99. I play classical guitar and it being a solo instrument, lonely. So I cracked out my old alto sax from 1974, re-padded it, now I am off to local bands (concert) for auditions. Thanks for the online info that you have, I am not great but the chops are coming back!

[@eddie5270]

Niiice!…Over 50 years playin’ alto sax and never seen this until now!…Nice!…”Thank You!” 👌😉👍

[@Kikouk69]

C'est vraiment une belle vidéo ! Très intéressant de voir tout ça de près ! Merci pour ce reportage !

[@RoughriderUT]

More videos about manufacturing specialty items like this need to be made. A lot of people don't know or understand how long or labour intensive a simple item as a music reed is to produce. Excellent video, keep up the great work.

[@Naomi-rf1bl]

honestly this looks like one of those netflix sponsored exotic foods documentaries and I'm living for it

[@phill3583]

I come home from a days work to find this video waiting for me. I always wondered, but never researched how these things were made. Job well done Mr better sax! Your efforts are appreciated. Amazing content. Thank you from Long Island.

[@LuanneFose]

Fabulous, Jay! So interesting to see the entire process of reed making (and I often buy Rigotti Gold reeds for my tenor sax). Thanks for the quality of your video work! I love the overhead drone views of the fields!

[@bettersax]

Thanks!

[@stephenwagner2084]

I started Sax about 3 weeks ago. I'm currently in Japan though, originally from South Africa, so finding a teacher here who can explain in English has been so far impossible as I am in an outskirts area. Your videos have been super helpful in understanding more about the instrument and the background. Obviously know nothing about if they sound ok but my tuner says they work 😂, started with Rico J2's that came with my Yamaha 23, now playing Vandoren blue 3's.

[@A.R.B.J.]

11:19 Did not expect to see a t-shirt from Knoxville , TN.

[@talyrath]

Yeah... The chili pepper kinda confused me. It's been 20 years since I lived there, but peppers or spicy food wasn't a big part of the local culture.

[@016_]

"Damn these things are expensive!" All the time! That resonates from the soul.

[@timbly5824]

I just tried a box and after playing my sax over 30 years I can honestly say I love these reeds. Consistent quality.

[@karrotcake6187]

3:19 There is a bug crawling on the dude’s shirt.

[@jacob1931]

Karrot Cake ok?

[@sivansharma5027]

No, there's a dude crawling under the bug's shirt!

[@poulx]

Everybody and everything needs to be somewhere everywhere. It's perfectly normal. Maybe not common, but normal? Yes.

[@theanalogkid_4588]

you ever seen raiders of the lost ark?

[@teeranonnantha3356]

Thanks so much guy, I learning about saxophone your videos it's good. I want a fun story about saxophone.

[@thomaskipfer1008]

I always buy aged reed's. I've bought my cane reed's online from, "dealers old-new stock. Aged reed's always play their hearts out. The sound- 50 year old reed's is unbelievable. They also tend to last longer. Now I know why!

[@Pete-z6e]

Thomas Kipfer , Reeds,keep the apostrophe for another occasion.

[@Aquanite1470]

Where do you buy your aged reeds from? I'd like to test that out.

[@dus777]

I've had the opposite experience. They are so dry, it seems to take days and several sanding sessions to even get the table smooth

[@paulwilson3759]

Ive just picked up a box of reeds from amazon, maybe ten quid for 12, I had no idea how much effort went into making them. Love the channel by the way, its keeping me (and half the sax playing world) sane, keep it up

[@infinityarts2763]

I used to buy Rico but was never really happy with the sound then my teacher introduced me to Vandoren and haven't changed them since, I go between 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 for my Alto and I love it, but I never heard about Rigotti and will definitely try it

[@dcp8nts]

I bought my first box of Rigotti. I love them. Well, 2 of the first 3 i tried are most excellent. Very special, after seeing this video. I hope all is well with you Jay!

[@michaelsloth8266]

Great video, thanks! Q: The reason why bari reeds are more than twice as expensive compared to tenor reeds is it because there are relatively few canes that have the large thickness?

[@Khloeeee102]

i just bought new Valorean reeds for my alto sax and the quality is great for beginners. They are mostly constant and i now appreciate the cost of my reeds way more

[@ablubird1451]

He finally got the bug at 3:35 that was on his shirt since 2:49

[@shortvideos2659]

thats funny lmfaooo

[@caterpillarman]

Yea that was driving me nuts.

[@lemmondroppkidd8255]

omg thank you I thought I was loosing it 😂

[@lalthazovakhawlhring2985]

Garden Fly

[@atalia96]

I am a Clarinet and Alto Sax player. I usually buy Vandoren 3 or 3.5 reeds. Thank you so much for showing this very in depth process!! I am a new subscriber, so I am learning a lot! Thank you, your channel is wonderful!!

[@davidudall1706]

amazing video,informative,never heard of these reeds,sure they are good

[@joeroyii9980]

I never knew, now I do. Thanks!

[@ncjazz]

I would have taken a box of the throwbacks home! 😉

[@charlieduransax]

Nick Cedillo 😁

[@davidboyd7651]

Great tour! Thank you! We enjoy your personal video presentation style.

[@Foodgeek]

I've really stopped using cane reeds for my tenor, but for my alto's I use Vandoren ZZ 2½'s. In a box of 10's, one's maybe awesome, 4-5 are fine and the rest I need to file down on this little glass based file that can actually do wonders :)

[@neatopapito8260]

What file is it? I'm looking into getting one

[@Foodgeek]

@@neatopapito8260 It's Vandoren: www.amazon.com/Vandoren-Glass-Reed-Resurfacer-Stick/dp/B0002CZRJ0

[@Tobyman06]

The final product might look so simple to many people who haven’t done their research, but after watching this video, I would’ve never known the process was this deep and precise.

[@philipTOMPSETT]

What a fantastic Video. Whenever I visit a factory I'm always surprised how lucky we are that things are so cheap. A hell of a lot of work goes into making stuff and this is a perfect example. Box on order. PS I know that videos take a hell of a lot of time and equipment to make too (plus travel / subsistence costs) so thanks for an excellent job.

[@jthirt]

Being a child of the region, I have often considered visiting Rigotti but haven't had a chance yet. When I think that I used to spend quite a lot of time just nearby for years, but I wasn't playing any instruments then. Just playing with the wind! Sailing in and around the Saint-Tropez' gulf and beyond... I definitely must go next time I'm down there.

[@jimmyb1133]

#4 Medium reed? Wow ! Just hearing that tires out my jaws ! LOL ....

[@bettersax]

I went all the way up to 4.5 soft in the end.

[@jimmyb1133]

@@bettersax, Ouch ! Do you know what the approximate comparison to other reeds is? i e, a Vandoren, Rico etc ?

[@wisconsinmel]

Watched this again a second time. Great video! These are my favorite tenor reeds.

[@bettersax]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@trevorhogg]

This makes it even crazier that I had an unstamped reed in my last box!

[@Woolley_like_sheep]

Trevor Hogg perhaps the printer ran out of ink? And they somehow missed it on inspection

[@ronizzo4404]

I have been using Gonzalez reeds for several years. 7 or 8 good reeds per box! Best I've found.

[@TheCoolrick777]

play bassoon, then you have the right to complain about cost.

[@teds5047]

I am also a bassoon player. I started on the oboe in 5th grade and switched to bassoon in 7th. I was taught many years ago by my teacher (not school) how to make them but that was years ago. After a 10 year interlude, I picked it back up and started playing again. I feel sorry for anyone who doesn't play the bassoon. It is the coolest sounding instrument out there except for maybe the contra bassoon. My friends would always look at me weird when a mix tape (cd) I made had some Snoop Dogg and then the next track was of the South Minneapolis Bassoon Quartet. I can still hum along to my favorite track and its been about 20 years since I had it. I am actually going to look for it now to see if its in a box that was saved by my parents and is in my basement of my house. Keep playing Josh, not too many of us out there!!

[@benjamincoram7036]

@@teds5047 I honestly don't know why more people don't play bassoon. In my (very biased, mind you) opinion bassoon is one of the best sounding instruments out there, and it sure is fun as hell to play

[@alphakky]

Well since bassoons can cost several times more than saxes ($30,000 anyone?)... Not surprised.

[@alphakky]

@@benjamincoram7036 I tried a bassoon once... Once. 😉

[@benjamincoram7036]

@@alphakky bassoons are nowhere near that much, maybe for super high level ones, but you can get a really good bassoon for under $5000

[@paolopicchi7642]

Hi Jay, I'm an italian, amateur sax player and I use the Rico LaVoz medium reeds for tenor saxophone. They cost more or less like the rigotti, 40 € for 10 reeds. I think they're great, both in sound and in consistency: in a box I never found a bad reed, usually 5/7 are great and the others are good. I've never used Rigotti, I think I'll surely try them. As always, thank you so much for all the videos you share with us, they're incredibile and full of very useful tips! Paolo

[@juancelis3900]

Can I buy a package of the imperfect ones? I won't care!

[@JonesNate]

Right! I don't care about visual imperfections, like spots and spackles. So long as it makes good sound, that's enough for me!

[@JasonHoningford]

Those get shipped to Rico lol

[@JonesNate]

@@JasonHoningford 👍

[@cesteres]

I believe other makers are less picky about looks and evenness.

[@RonaldAFeliz]

Rigotti is one of the best reed i ever play, simple amazing.

[@abelbernal4766]

Last box i bought was D'addario Reserve #3. Two sucked two were good and one is just awesome

[@jockojohn3294]

I play keys & guitar.......the muse brought me here in a dream.......never the less, very good video. Not a dull moment in it........ :)

[@WCarr]

What an incredible video! I'm so cheap, I'm using the same reed I've had for 4 years! Granted, I don't play very often but still! I finally bought ONE new reed and it was 17 euros! Ouch!

[@bettersax]

What instrument has 17 euro reeds?!

[@jaxw2628]

Better Sax Bassoon.

[@arnavbatra7529]

@@bettersax and oboe

[@arnavbatra7529]

@@bettersax double reeds typically cost a lot bc each good Reed has to be hand scraped in intricate and specific locations. It cannot be done well by machine, because each piece of cane is different

[@MrRamsal]

Thank you so much for this presentation. I learn a lot about reeds 😊

[@cyk9724]

this isn't a video. *it's a documentary.* you were my inspiration to start playing saxophone, keep it up!

[@bdcom0]

Excellent job on the video Jay. Very informative and interesting!

[@bettersax]

Thanks Brian

[@jakeweber6828]

Just a compliment on your english accent, I am an American and I had no clue you were French!

[@DiffOriginal]

I can only imagine what the labor was like in the 1900s before these machines automated most of the work. The struggle 😭

[@JewelBlueIbanez]

DiffOriginal people made their own reeds. Single reed players still make their own reeds. Not to same degree as double reed players, but they do.

[@normadicn5700]

Yeah you can make yours. Top players make their reeds esp Oboe players

[@addie7846]

I'm a sax player and that place looks like heaven lol.

[@enricocavallini7728]

The machine we see at 13:23 is something I didn't know anything about: I was believing reeds get their specific strength from some kind of specific lavoration and that's not true 😲 Thanks man, you're great! ❤

[@michaelsandypeters]

What an eye-opener. Thanks for this video.

[@GeoffBosco]

"This field of cane-really tall grass-will be turned into reeds." Whoa! This really makes the blade of grass between your thumbs as musical instrument trick, really apropos. I never considered what reeds were made of before I watched this.

[@natebrooks7015]

looks like regular bamboo?

[@martindavis3239]

I use Rico reeds -I am 85 yo -just started playing 6 months and just subscribed 1 month ago .I bought 2 boxes 11/2 and 2 in packets of 3 No problem with any so far both Alto and Tenor

[@WJdad]

Hey Jay! I just purchased a box of tenor sax reeds, 2.5 from The Boston Sax Shop. I have yet to play them, so I don’t know about the quality. But bought them based on your video in which all 5 were excellent. Thanks for the tour. Super fascinating and I am truly amazed at the time and effort required to create these delicate masterpieces.

[@osks]

Brilliant! Well done!

[@johnbrooks5705]

Fascinating and tells me the process is much more complicated than I expected.

[@leathernluv]

I play the guitar, so while I don't have this problem, I can understand it. I will never complain about the price of strings again! Very informative and a joy to watch, merci beaucoup!

[@tszabon]

I still have unopened Vandoren reeds box from 1992, time when I was in learning playing sax at school. Great video btw!

[@wesleyy2792]

Merci, Jay !

[@bettersax]

de rien.

[@steveheuser9659]

I play the Rigotti Gold Jazz #3. No one stocks them locally so I buy them on line. Last box, 10 out of 10 played great. Well worth the money, they last a long time when you rotate them.

[@bettersax]

Thanks for info... Rigottis are very consistent.

[@marcuskesselbauermusic]

Hey Jay, Thanks for that great video. The last box(es) of reeds that I purchased: Rico (Classic, orange box, I could get my hands on some real old boxes from the early 90‘s - now THATS a difference!) 3 Bari - every single reed was awesome! Hemke 3,5 Soprano (3 our of 5 „ok“, but not great) And - my favorite: Ligaphone Jazz Double Profile 3 for Tenor. 5 our of 5 great! You should check them out some time. Great quality, great cut, great durability, great resistance/attack balance - as I said - my top go to reeds. Keep your work up, i appreciate all the effort and work you put in those videos.

[@SteveDew]

I now use Legere, but the last cane reeds I bought were Rigotti Gold. I believe I still have a couple boxes. They're good as far as cane reeds go. I used them for classical setup.

[@valiantwooi7096]

Fascinating!

[@al3ss960]

I really liked the video and how you put it together, Keep up the good work :)

[@bettersax]

thanks!

[@cliffwhite2812]

Excellent video, superb production, camera work, editing and narration! If this had been a TV documentary they would have bloated it out with unnecessary material. Well done Sir! I bought my first Rigotti Gold pack a few weeks ago and I'm an absolute convert from previously using Daddario Jazz and spending time using my Reed Geek.

[@bettersax]

Thanks

[@steelcandy4595]

Informative and educational video. I thought reeds, being made from bamboo family, are all made in China. I’m a novice sax player and I gotta try this brand.

[@jazzzzdude]

This is fascinating.

[@chrismills5110]

Fabulous video, Jay! I have use, of late, Green, unfiled Vandorens: Of my latest five, first two are not good. Worse than filed Red Vandorens. They shriek. Are hysterical. I had never heard of Rigotti, and will now try them. Many Thanks for this

[@Bischof666]

Thank you Jay for this fabulous video. It was very informative for me because i didn‘t know how reeds were made yet. For myself i prefer synthetic reeds and this has two reasons: 1. Every single reed sounds and plays the same. I played vandoren before i switched to synthetic, but 6 to 7 out of 10 are nearly unplayable for a beginner saxplayer like me. 2. The reeds i use (fibracell premier) have more attack than the cane reeds. They seem to be louder and there is a bit more bite, what i love. 3. It is immediately ready for playing. Sometimes i have not much time to practice and the time i have, i like it grab the sax and start playing immediately instead of making the reed wet and wet and wet... The reason i use the Fibracell reed instead of Legere is that they feel more natural to me in my mouth. You don‘t think that you have plastic in your mouth. And of course the Sound. I think that legere sounds more like a cane reed.

[@bettersax]

If the synthetics work for you that's what matters.

[@vitor900000]

6:32 Say Freshly cut cane fast. Be careful to not get too high.

[@EstebanCamacho]

Thanks for this awesome video!

[@PPYTAO]

I have no idea why this video was recommended, but I watched the whole thing. That company is truly inspiring, I love seeing the product be the main focus of a business.

[@bbster73]

jay . very thoughtful of you to show us the way reeds are produced ,, As a saxophone player for over 65 yrs I had no idea of all that goes on to produce reeds for the reed players ,' However i use only Fiber Cell reeds which are even more expensive but since I am considered somewhat wealthy i pay about $ 17 dollar or so for a good Tenor read a bit less for Alto , No i didnt make my money being a club date musician my dad knocked good sense into me at 18 and sent me to Wall St the rest was up to me as very motivated kid .. as for playing the Sax ? my Bro was a terrific piano player for the offices and kept me playing other wise i probably would have packed it in decades ago .. Now hear this .. Playing with sometimes three big bands a week and my own little jazz group i believe is keeping me alive ,,, These cats down here are in their mid 90s and still play up a storm .. again thanks for you reed review . very interesting .. Bobby G...

[@claudegaston851]

Hello meilleur sax , à quand une vidéo en français !.... Super , merci pour tout . A très bientôt .

[@bettersax]

Cela était moitié en français non?

[@juliovelez4496]

Man...that is the video l always wanted to see...thank you so much.

[@ChipTheMusicMan]

I use Rigotti GOLD Jazz reeds on my alto and they're super - very cool to see the whole process here 👍👍

[@Scintor]

Played tenor sax for years...a Leblanc sax. Never would have guessed how long and how much manual labor goes into making these reeds. Many thanks for the VDO.

[@Vodztek]

Actually one of the best sax themed videos I've seen. Before this I only knew that reeds are made of some kind of bamboo, but I really didn't expect how hard it is to make it, so thanks for teaching me something new. Btw last reeds I've bought were Vandoren 2,5 alto sax ones and they're all great. ❤🎷

[@billabbott6092]

Amazing video, thank you so much

[@claypufahl6074]

Reminds me of the Mr. Rogers episode when he goes to the crayon factory to see how crayons are made! Great video!

[@winstonpatterson7365]

I use Vandorn Java RED 3, for my alto(Vandoren Jumbo Java A45 mouthpiece). For me, they have always been great right out of the box. I used to play ZZ's but when I upgraded my saxophone I didn't like the sound I was getting so I bought a mixed pack and really liked the RED, with the V16 coming in as a close second.

[@kmvenezia4337]

I've always played on Rigotti and probably always will. I do find like vintages of wine, reed quality does change. Perhaps it is the cane is harvested. perhaps some years better than others. I really don't know. As a result, I buy my different reed types all at the same time until I find a good batch, then I order more . It's hit and miss but he usually pays off and then I am well supplied

[@brettkramer]

Absolutely fascinating !! Don't even play a wind instrument, but I want a box of these reeds :)