Bass saxophones & setups

[Helen]

I officially give up on the Onyx. The more I play it, the worse it gets. I'm glad it works for you @Helen, but it's not even in the same ballpark as my cane reeds or even the Legere contrabass clarinet I had tried a while back. It's a shame because I'd really hoped it would work. I am glad I tried it and thank you for sharing your experience.

Strength matter A LOT on bass. What you are describing sounds like the reed is too soft. If you haven't yet opened the other Hartmann reeds, I would say see about exchanging them for harder ones. See how those work for you.

As far as the "springiness" goes, I don't find to be the case. Again, it could be softness issue.

That said, some people simply prefer cane.

 

[BarrySachs]

Strength matter A LOT on bass. What you are describing sounds like the reed is too soft. If you haven't yet opened the other Hartmann reeds, I would say see about exchanging them for harder ones. See how those work for you.

As far as the "springiness" goes, I don't find to be the case. Again, it could be softness issue.

That said, some people simply prefer cane.

Thanks. It's definitely too soft. But I've felt that same unnatural springiness in every synthetic I've ever tried over the past 40 years. It's the reason I dislike the sound, feel and response of all synthetic reeds. A harder one wouldn't overcome that fundamental issue. To describe it more precisely, it feels like the elasticity is higher and the spring constant is lower in synthetic materials than in cane.

In my experience, Legere has come the closest to making a good synthetic reed. In any case, I'm still hoping modern technology will come through someday.

 

[Helen]

I agree Legere makes great synthetics. I use the Signatures Series for my SA& T saxes, as well as bass clarinet. For my Bb clarinet I use European Cut. However, I am not a fan of their bari sax reeds. That's why I switched to Harry's Fiberreed. It works like a charm on my Couf. Gives me the sound I want when combined with the Theo Wanne Durga 3 MP I use, and is incredibly flexible. But... Finding the right strength is the issue.

I used to use the original Fibracell reeds on bass. Sadly they all finally wore out, and the "new" ones--anything produced over the past 12 or so years--are all sh*t in my estimation. They sound horrible, and the delaminate in no time. They also no longer have the staying-power they used to.

That's how I ended up switching to the Hartmann reeds on bass. I was desperate to try a reed that actually wasn't worn out for my new Couf bass, so I grabbed one of my bari reeds. Worked fantastically on the JK-made horn.

I am one of these players who likes their reeds to be consistent from reed to reed, and to play effortlessly from the get. That's why I use synthetics. Players I work with are always surprised to find out I don't use cane reeds. It doesn't effect the sound out front, but may effect what we as players hear--at first.

They certainly respond differently, and I get what you say about the sponginess. The carbon onyx is not nearly as stiff as a cane reed is, but that is what I use to create a lot of the tonal expressions when I play. In other words, I use (insert synthetic reed of choice name here) to customize the sound and effects I get from my various horns.

By far and away most players I know are cane purists. I get that. I think I spent too many years playing in rock and electric blues bands opposite the lead guitar player where I blended my sound to theirs to the point where you couldn't tell where the guitar solo ended, and where the sax solo started. These 20+ years of working like that still effect how I use the tools in my toolbox today.

Although my sound is vastly different in a 19-piece swing band than it was in a 5 piece rock band, I still dip into what is comfortable for me, and what gets me the results I need.