Reeds and Comparison Charts

Check out the reed comparison charts from Vandoren and D'Addario - very useful information. Just remember that just because you play a 3 in a Vandoren Traditional reed doesn't mean you should play a 3 in a D'Addario Reserve.

Reed care

Play-in new reeds: play them for a few minutes each day before normal use to break them in.

Reeds will last varying lengths of time depending on the strength, the player, how its cared for, and whether it is cane or synthetic. 

New players should use about 1 reed per week. It is best to alternate two or three reeds and a reed case is useful to store several reeds.
Remember to always remove the reed from the mouthpiece and store in it's holder or case. Cane reeds can get mouldy, if they do they should be replaced.

Chips or cracks will affect the sound and response and should be replaced.

In general:
Reeds for beginners: D'Addario Rico and Royal
Reeds for classical music: Vandoren Traditional, V12, V21, 56 Rue Lepic, D'Addario Reserve, and Evo
Reeds for all-around playing: Vandoren Traditional, D'Addario Royal and Hemke
Reeds for popular music: Vandoren Java Green and Red, ZZ, and V16, D'Addario Select Jazz, and La Voz
Reeds for jazz: the above, plus Mitchell Lurie and Hemke
Reeds for folk style music: D'Addrio Plasticover

Here are some of the main characteristics of the more popular reed varieties.

Clarinet
D'Addario Rico - unfiled reeds for beginners, designed for ease of play
D'Addario Royal - file cut for tonal clarity, perfect for students to advancing players
D'Addario Mitchell Lurie - warmth and clarity of sound, for big band and popular music
D'Addario Plasticover - coated water-resistant, for marching, pop, folk, Latin and  jazz
D'Addario Reserve - a centred and clear sound for classical and chamber music
D'Addario Evo - a thick blank for warm round sound, for classical, chamber, and solo
Vandoren Traditional - for all musical styles, responsive with body and clarity
Vandoren V12 - long lasting with a thicker tip, gives a deep rich sound, crisper articulation
Vandoren V21 - combines the best of V12 and 56 Rue Lepic for a clean warm sound
Vandoren 56 Rue Lepic - made from thicker cane and produces a rich and pure sound

Saxophone
D'Addario Rico - unfiled reeds for beginners, designed for ease of play
D'Addario Royal - filed cut, easy to play, for beginning and advancing players
D'Addario Hemke - a filed thinner tip, warm sound, all-rounder for jazz and classical
D'Addario Plasticover - coated water-resistant, for marching, pop, folk, Latin and  jazz
D'Addario Jazz Select Unfiled - a thick blank gives clarity and projection, for jazz and rock
D'Addario Jazz Select Filed - more flexibility, clarity and projection, for jazz and rock
D'Addario Reserve - warm tone, flexibility for classic, chamber, and experimental music
D"Addario La Voz - a well balanced jazz reed designed to give a powerful full tone
Vandoren Traditional - extremely pure sound due to thin tip, an all-round reed
Vandoren V12 - Very precise attack, homogeneous timbre, classical velvety sound
Vandoren V21 - clean warm sound, precise articulation, for classical and solo playing
Vandoren Java Green - unfiled, thick tip and flexible pallette for jazz and popular music
Vandoren Java Red - filed, more flexible than Java Green with more tonal body
Vandoren ZZ - responsive and durable with a bright tone, the newest Vandoren jazz reed
Vandoren V16 - more brilliant, more percussive, great for all the new styles of music

Légère Clarinet reeds
Signature - give a warm, vibrant sound with minimal effort and produce a full spectrum of harmonic overtones
European - Instant response, highly durable and consistent with a bright, colourful warm and clean sound
Classic - Durable, great projection, dark sound for marching bands and large ensembles

Légère Saxophone Reeds
American Cut - a sharp spine gives a full, clear low register and vibrant altissimo. Made for jazz.
Signature - thinner and stiffer than cane, easy to play, smooth sound, for classical and jazz.
Classic - durable and with a thicker tip for a full dark sound. For bands and large ensembles.
Studio - darker and resistant, for players who use a lot of vibrato or blow hard

Légère reeds produce a warm, vibrant sound while remaining consistent and playable for a very long time. They have an instant response, are highly durable and consistent every time.

You can download from the links below.