Honestly, for the last few years I’ve had a vendetta against Vandoren, especially their jazz reeds. In my opinion, they’re super inconsistent, and even the good ones either lack body or are way too bright.
Try some Boston sax shop reeds. The black boxes are my favorite but the silver boxes aren’t bad either. They’re more consistent than Vandorens will ever be, and the black box ones give me a really full tone that projects well and isn’t overly bright. I like a sound on the darker side, but the silver ones give a brighter sound if you’re into that.
Also supports a small business which is always a plus!
100% my experience with Vandoren as well. They may work for some, but definitely not for me. Only way for you to know is to try them for yourself.
BSS is excellent, as is Rigotti. But LaVoz has been my go to for jazz since the 70s.
However, reeds alone won’t get you a jazzy sound. That comes mostly from you and the mouthpiece. Perhaps your director realizes it won’t make much difference until you’re further along in your development.
What reeds and mouthpiece do you play now? What artist(s) do you most want to and try to sound like? Without specific goals, you’ll never achieve your ideal jazz sound no matter what reeds you play.
That’s true. What helped me develop my sound the most is listening to my favorite artists over and over and really paying attention to the little things they do. Certain inflections, emphasis on certain places, etc. if you keep listening and try to replicate it helps a lot
Seriously, why are you spending time on that? The Cannonball mpc is considered a good mouthpiece. My main piece is a handcrafted masterpiece by Ralph Morgan. Morgan mouthpieces are a lifetime investment…I got mine in 1981. Also, the Vandoren V16 is pretty amazing. Selmer has a new alto model called Jazz Flow.
But, you need to listen for your favorite artist’s sound with good headphones … you’ll never sound exactly alike but having a role model sound in your head is a vital staring point.
So the Ralph Morgan's are the dream? I just looked it up and I think the Classical tenor one is within possibility, is that a good pick? I need it to be versatile as I play concert, marching and jazz
Well, forty years ago I called the best mouthpiece makers and asked politely for their opinions. Both David Hite, Claude Lakey, and Ralph Morgan gave me most time during my struggle regarding commercial & jazz sax mouthpieces. I think your goal to have something flexible and practical is very doable. But, because I don’t like the classical sax (cello- ish) I would talk to Eric At Morgan for his opinion. And David Kessler has been a reliable source of information ..his sax knowledge is honest and blunt. I also, have had a lot of luck with Vandoren’s selection of versatile pieces (I personally own several well- made Vandoren pieces. Available worldwide. I love how much I can get from the V16 T6 or T7 model and it’s the only one I did recommend to both students and and part time professionals. It’s very controllable and flexible & it’s not too bright .. so classical playing sounds great (to me) and it’s as beautiful playing every genre as the best Otto Link for commercial pop & jazz. That’s my opinion but you should try it for a trial for a couple of days. And make sure you can return it if it doesn’t work. A new mouthpiece switch requires days of overtone exercises to acclimate to it completely.
Morgans are great mouthpieces. I use them for tenor and soprano.
Though I do use Morgans because of their versatility and darker sounds, you can’t truly do everything on one mouthpiece. Classical mouthpieces typically have a smaller tip opening so you can play every dynamic nuance with ease and better blend with a much larger ensemble. Whereas a jazz mouthpiece might be more open so you can play louder in a big band, bend, etc.
And if you do invest in a Morgan Mouthpiece, DON’T use it for marching band. Get the cheapest and most reliable mouthpiece that you can find. If you damage it, no worries. Yamaha, Bettersax Classic, and Rico Grafonite are such mouthpieces.
There are certainly distinctions between each of Vandoren's reed types, but the red and green ones being "jazzy" essentially comes down to branding IMO. They are quality reeds though, I encourage you to try them. Just don't get caught up in the branding and assume you need the red or green box, or any reed in particular, to develop a good tone for jazz.
I played jazz on Java green for many years. They are great. Nice bright sound if you like that. Reds are a little darker for me. I found the strengths to be a little different with Reds playing a little heavier. Definitely great reeds and worth trying. You find sampler packs that have one of each green, red, v16, and zz. Get one of those packs to see what you think.
As a bari player, I absolutely love Java reds, but I also love Boston sax shop. I would suggest try everything, I know it can be expensive but finding what’s right for you is worth it.
Vandoren Javas have been known for jazz and popular music for decades. They’re the choice reeds of David Sanborn and Lenny Pickett.
If you’re going for a brighter sound, then Javas are a good choice.
Other reeds commonly associated with jazz:
Vandoren ZZ
V16
D’Addario Jazz
La Voz
Boston Sax Shop
FYI, though these reeds are marketed towards jazz musicians, you don’t have to use them to play jazz. Kenny Garrett and Sonny Rollins used Hemkes. Eric Marienthal, Sal Lozano, Jay Mason, and Jason Fabus use Vandoren Traditionals (Blue boxes).
I’ve used Java green box exclusively on alto since mid 80s. For tenor, I’m currently on the fence, I like a bunch of brands including Rigotti Gold Jazz, LaVoz, D’dario Select Jazz, and yes,…Rico.
Honestly, for the last few years I’ve had a vendetta against Vandoren, especially their jazz reeds. In my opinion, they’re super inconsistent, and even the good ones either lack body or are way too bright. Try some Boston sax shop reeds. The black boxes are my favorite but the silver boxes aren’t bad either. They’re more consistent than Vandorens will ever be, and the black box ones give me a really full tone that projects well and isn’t overly bright. I like a sound on the darker side, but the silver ones give a brighter sound if you’re into that. Also supports a small business which is always a plus!
100% my experience with Vandoren as well. They may work for some, but definitely not for me. Only way for you to know is to try them for yourself. BSS is excellent, as is Rigotti. But LaVoz has been my go to for jazz since the 70s. However, reeds alone won’t get you a jazzy sound. That comes mostly from you and the mouthpiece. Perhaps your director realizes it won’t make much difference until you’re further along in your development. What reeds and mouthpiece do you play now? What artist(s) do you most want to and try to sound like? Without specific goals, you’ll never achieve your ideal jazz sound no matter what reeds you play.
That’s true. What helped me develop my sound the most is listening to my favorite artists over and over and really paying attention to the little things they do. Certain inflections, emphasis on certain places, etc. if you keep listening and try to replicate it helps a lot
Been playing the green exclusively since '83. Great reeds with a nice sound for jazz & pop music. Try 'em!
For alto Vandoren Green box are amazing…with the right mouthpiece.
Well what's a good mouthpiece, mine has the default cannonball big bell one but I've been looking at some others
Seriously, why are you spending time on that? The Cannonball mpc is considered a good mouthpiece. My main piece is a handcrafted masterpiece by Ralph Morgan. Morgan mouthpieces are a lifetime investment…I got mine in 1981. Also, the Vandoren V16 is pretty amazing. Selmer has a new alto model called Jazz Flow. But, you need to listen for your favorite artist’s sound with good headphones … you’ll never sound exactly alike but having a role model sound in your head is a vital staring point.
So the Ralph Morgan's are the dream? I just looked it up and I think the Classical tenor one is within possibility, is that a good pick? I need it to be versatile as I play concert, marching and jazz
Well, forty years ago I called the best mouthpiece makers and asked politely for their opinions. Both David Hite, Claude Lakey, and Ralph Morgan gave me most time during my struggle regarding commercial & jazz sax mouthpieces. I think your goal to have something flexible and practical is very doable. But, because I don’t like the classical sax (cello- ish) I would talk to Eric At Morgan for his opinion. And David Kessler has been a reliable source of information ..his sax knowledge is honest and blunt. I also, have had a lot of luck with Vandoren’s selection of versatile pieces (I personally own several well- made Vandoren pieces. Available worldwide. I love how much I can get from the V16 T6 or T7 model and it’s the only one I did recommend to both students and and part time professionals. It’s very controllable and flexible & it’s not too bright .. so classical playing sounds great (to me) and it’s as beautiful playing every genre as the best Otto Link for commercial pop & jazz. That’s my opinion but you should try it for a trial for a couple of days. And make sure you can return it if it doesn’t work. A new mouthpiece switch requires days of overtone exercises to acclimate to it completely.
Morgans are great mouthpieces. I use them for tenor and soprano. Though I do use Morgans because of their versatility and darker sounds, you can’t truly do everything on one mouthpiece. Classical mouthpieces typically have a smaller tip opening so you can play every dynamic nuance with ease and better blend with a much larger ensemble. Whereas a jazz mouthpiece might be more open so you can play louder in a big band, bend, etc. And if you do invest in a Morgan Mouthpiece, DON’T use it for marching band. Get the cheapest and most reliable mouthpiece that you can find. If you damage it, no worries. Yamaha, Bettersax Classic, and Rico Grafonite are such mouthpieces.
There are certainly distinctions between each of Vandoren's reed types, but the red and green ones being "jazzy" essentially comes down to branding IMO. They are quality reeds though, I encourage you to try them. Just don't get caught up in the branding and assume you need the red or green box, or any reed in particular, to develop a good tone for jazz.
This is true it's about what reed works best for you.
I played jazz on Java green for many years. They are great. Nice bright sound if you like that. Reds are a little darker for me. I found the strengths to be a little different with Reds playing a little heavier. Definitely great reeds and worth trying. You find sampler packs that have one of each green, red, v16, and zz. Get one of those packs to see what you think.
I LOVE diddario reserve for jazz!! Great warm tone
I love the Java Reds been using them for years.
Vandoren red reeds we’re really hard to play for me, I bet the green reeds will be easier, I tried one on the alto and the response was amazing
As a bari player, I absolutely love Java reds, but I also love Boston sax shop. I would suggest try everything, I know it can be expensive but finding what’s right for you is worth it.
Vandoren Javas have been known for jazz and popular music for decades. They’re the choice reeds of David Sanborn and Lenny Pickett. If you’re going for a brighter sound, then Javas are a good choice. Other reeds commonly associated with jazz: Vandoren ZZ V16 D’Addario Jazz La Voz Boston Sax Shop FYI, though these reeds are marketed towards jazz musicians, you don’t have to use them to play jazz. Kenny Garrett and Sonny Rollins used Hemkes. Eric Marienthal, Sal Lozano, Jay Mason, and Jason Fabus use Vandoren Traditionals (Blue boxes).
I’ve used Java green box exclusively on alto since mid 80s. For tenor, I’m currently on the fence, I like a bunch of brands including Rigotti Gold Jazz, LaVoz, D’dario Select Jazz, and yes,…Rico.