Hi,

I'm wondering if anyone has used Vandoren Java reeds? And if so, what did you think of them, how is the sound different from the traditional Vandoren reeds?

Thanks in advance

I've used them once or twice myself, but know someone who uses them a lot, on alto I think. Vandoren Java are more of a jazz reed, Vandoren traditional are more classical.

Jazz/classical? Dunno ... I would think it has more to do with what works with your embouchure/mouthpiece. I find traditional Vandoren unplayable on sax (fine on clarinet). Can't remember if I've ever used Java, but I quite liked Vandoren V16 reeds - much more like the Rico Royals that I love!

nick

I use Vandoren Java reeds on my alto and tenor saxes and I'm very impressed with them.

Thanks all for your replies.

I think I'll make a trip to our specialist woodwind shop at some stage to get some (the local store doesn't stock them so I would have to order a whole box!).

Always nice to get a variety of opinions from the friendly forums

Some of the places who offer mail order will let you buy one of each. This is good if you want to try loads of different types.

Thanks for the suggestion Hillyb - I've just been researching this in the past few minutes!

I'm getting very excited and can't wait to get my hands on a whole lot of different types ... looks like having a few days off at Easter is going to be bad for my bank account!!

I know that feeling

As always, but jazz / classical mouthpieces tend to have different characteristics, i.e. a smaller tip opening and longer lay for classical and larger tip opening and shorter lay for jazz mouthpieces. The Vandoren website suggests Traditional for classical players (although goes on to name Lee Konitz and Stan Getz as examples of players). It also says that the name Java is an amlagamation of Jazz and Variety because the cut of the reedgives more flexibility.

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As always, but jazz / classical mouthpieces tend to have different characteristics, i.e. a smaller tip opening and longer lay for classical and larger tip opening and shorter lay for jazz mouthpieces. The Vandoren website suggests Traditional for classical players (although goes on to name Lee Konitz and Stan Getz as examples of players). It also says that the name Java is an amlagamation of Jazz and Variety because the cut of the reedgives more flexibility.
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Interesting topic. What you say is right, I'm sure, as far as the majority of players are concerned, and it must be true that certain reeds suit certain sorts of mpc. However while there's a risk of me being too pernickety here (not for the first time!) I tend to shy away from calling mpcs 'jazz' or 'classical', because it leads people to think that they must have a particular mpc to play a particular type of music.

It all depends what sound you want and what works for you. No doubt many people who play jazz use more open mpcs (and with bigger baffles) than players who mostly play classical music, but there are exceptions. Some people (me included on alto, along with Kenny Garrett, I think...not that I'm comparing myself with him!) use a Selmer S80 no matter what they're playing... I have used a Lawton on Bari in a Wind Band - though I prefer to use the Yani stock mpc because I can play quieter - and the Bari player in one wind band I play in uses his Lawton (as does the tenor player!). And I can't play Links under any circumstances ... (Link with a vandoren reed - my nightmare!)

Of course there are extremes; I guess you wouldn't use a Runyon to play in a sax quartet (not if you wanted to stay friends!), and a very wide lay (say, above Selmer F) is going to have a limited use, but IMHO there is no clear dividing line between the mpcs used for different styles of music.

This chart is interesting; http://www.du.edu/lamont/Mpce.html

nick

I find I can't really get an acceptable classical sound with my jazz mps, and I certainly can't get a decent jazz sound with classical mps. I play Selmer soloist C*/Vandoren 3/3.5 on alto for classical and Selmer Reference E with La Voz medium for jazz. On tenor it's Selmer D and Vandoren 3.5/4 for classical and Meyer HR 10 with La Voz medium for jazz. To be honest, I don't do enough classical playing to have really honed my set-up for that. I choose standard set-ups recommended to me that tend to work OK for most people. Likewise I don't think I've found my ultimate alto jazz set-up yet. Most of my playing is jazz tenor and that's where I really have a sound in my head that I want to get to - on a good day I'm sometimes close to it!