RE: Jazz selects and intonation

saxplayer1951 — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 02:47:51 GMT

Hey sconsevage:

A suggestion, try a different ligature or even placement location of the lig/reed/mouthpiece compared to the current setup you now use. I found that the changing of my lig can effect my intonation;

MPC.: Meyer 5 hard rubber,Berg Larson, Yamaha 4m
Reed: mainly Vandoren Java 3s or 2-1/2s when I need more ease..
ligatures: Harrison "H" 3A, Rico "H"; Optimum with the 2 rails pressure plate installed; Olegature

Depends on my situation and sometimes I vary them from reed-to-reed for sound variances. When I play here, the humidity can really "screw up" my intonation. So I vary my setup from time-to-time. Experiment. Then on the table side of the reed, I use a pencil and mark a number on the reed for ID purposes. I keep a very small "flip up" notebook with the reed numbers and a six-inch pocket ruler. I measure the set up when it is great, better, worse, terrible. Pretty soon, you can spot a reed that might need adjustments to its strength using a knife or rushes or trimming. I avoid emory/sandpaper cause the results are hard to control. The knife is to remove some thickness or clean up a poorly cut reed. Rushes are neat to minutely remove some imperfections. I trim as a very last resort and only in very,very,very small increments. Cut too much/ruin a good reed.

There is my six cents on this issue.

Jazz selects and intonation

sconsevage — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 17:42:33 GMT

Hey, I'm an alto player, primarily a jazz player. I hate reeds, they drive me crazy ><

Generally I play on a Selmer series III alto and use a Meyer 5 mouthpiece. Generally I have been using V16's Grade 3 and occasionally a Vandoren Java grade 3 (I tend to only find 1 maybe 2 of these reeds in a box of 10 that I find give a good sound and acceptable playing comfort). As I was experimenting with brands of reeds (never satisfied), i stumbled across the Rico Jazz selects. These reeds were interesting. I tried both the 3s unfiled and the 3m unfiled. The sound coming from them was great, the comfort and ease of play was spectacular, but the intonation!!!!!!. Compared to any other make I have tried, specifically Vandorens (ZZs, Javas, V16s, Blue box) these reeds threw the instrument incredibly out of tune.

My question is, is this a standard flaw in these reeds? Do you have any recommendations for strength and filed/unfiled within the jazz select make that will give me the same tone and comfort but better resolve the intonation? Any recommendations for other reed makes (rico or otherwise) that will give me the great tone and comfort of the unfiled jazz selects but that will clean up the intonation?

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RE: Jazz selects and intonation

Jazz selects and intonation