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. Check out some comparison charts:

D'Addario Reed Comparison Charts

Vandoren Reed Comparison Charts

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'Addario 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.