Your sound on bari is among the best I have ever heard. It is extremely modern, very clear, and so easy to listen to. I have been playing Fibracells for about 15 years. They are comfortable to play and very consistent from reed to reed in each strength. Legeres, for me, tend to be a little "buzzy".
The new Legere American Cut are a little brighter and a little more “buzz” that is a nice improvement IMO over the Signature cut. Still clear though so that hasn’t changed.
I love your facial expressions when the reeds fail to deliver! My experience with the fulcrum placement is the same. However when I was on the road a lot I used Legere signature on my Lawton Large Chamber Bronze 8* and it worked great on that particular mouthpiece but not on others so maybe it depends on the facing curve. But now i am home and have time to use on cane adjustment, I play cane again. Plus Legere is expensive and if you have a little accident it is expensive.
Thanks again for your insights. I would like to see you review Legere American cut reeds, I find them an improvement over the signature. They play softer than the signature series so try a harder reed. As far as transparency is concerned, I find it difficult at times to set the reed too, but have found using my mouth and feeling the tips of the reed and mouthpiece while under embouchure pressure a good way of dealing with it. Also, do you apply pressure to your reed when setting them up? So as to have the reed lay flat on the rail and tip. I have found this necessary with the mouthpiece my late father left me, a Super Tone Master with a #12 tip! If I set it even with the tip of the mouthpiece by sighting across the reed it falls well short of the tip when compressed and doesn't play well but when set up while pressed flat to the rails when released sticks up above the tip slightly but plays much better.
For Fibracell reeds, I’ve always felt that you have to go up a few sizes. Their 4.5 feels a lot closer to a 2.5-3 cane reed. I like them, but I feel the 2.5 are too soft for most mouthpieces.
I've recently been playing Venn. the tenor reed is (3.0) unplayable.It has all the charm of kissing a mannequin. I've played on a Link Tone Master #10 for almost 30 years, so the best investment has been a Reed Geek. I do like the Venn on Clarinet. I was wasting more time adjusting the clarinet reed than practicing. With the Venn, good to go, and when doubling the reed doesn't dry out when you need it, and its consistent. I use a Vandoren 5JB. I love your tone! I'm a baritone player too (1956 "The Martin" Bb bari. #8 Metal link tone master clipped and Reed Geek adjusted 3/12 Rico Royal.
Great Video Adriene! I tried to play with Légère Signature, but couldn't get used to it... Cane reeds are irreplaceable.. 100% agree! Actually, I've been using Rigotti Gold 2.5 for tenor and 3 for alto... and they are amazing! Round fat jazzy sound, beautiful on the low register... looking forward your review on those!
I agree Eduardo Rigotti Golds are wonderful. They have that fat organic raspyness that you just don't get with synthetics, a bit like a valve (tube for you US guys) amp for guitarists.
I am torn between cane and synthetic reeds. I have played cane pretty much all the time. I wanted to try a synthetic. I tried one only once. The thickness was a bit much and I was straining to get a sound. I still have the old cane reeds that I have played years ago( sanded down at the top and the sides and it helped my sound by literally sticking to the sides of my mouthpiece). I guess it comes down to trying out both reeds from various brands as you have done to find what works. Thanks for this important demonstration.
Nice to see a review which doesn't ignore Fibracells. They seem to be overlooked more often than not. I use Fibracells on all my woodwinds. I prefer the lower registers and subtones from most instruments and get best results with very soft reeds. Not so good on altissimo but in general I dislike the sound of altissimo and try to avoid it. In the low registers I find that soft reeds give me much better control. But most synthetics seem too stiff for me. Fibracell seems to cover the soft end far better than, say, synthetics from Legere or Bari. Interesting about the Fibracells being bright. I hadn't particularly noticed but I'll have to be on the lookout, as I much prefer dark over bright. To my perhaps confused way of thinking, bright sax approaches the sound I expect from kazoos, but dark sounds like, well, like a saxophone. (Obviously, many disagree.) But the low-end control I can get with soft reeds is probably more important. My biggest complaint with Fibracells is that tacky little piece of clear tape with the stiffness printed on it. A ligature with any muscle at all will strip that thing right off.
So Great Video Sir! Could you make a video showing your microphone and setup? Sometimes in a room without a good isolation is difficult get a good sound from the sax and you are in different places getting always clear sound. Regards from Germany.
I’ve been using forestone synthetics for a couple of years. Love/hate relationship. Best sounding synth I’ve ever tried. The problem: they start curving up towards the lay waaaaay too soon. Makes it feel like it’s worn out after a month. If you bend it opposite the tip, you’ll get more life out of it. The huge plus is, it’s a perfectly balanced Reed that sounds great, even when it’s on its last legs. I get them at a discount, since I repair saxes at a store. Even then, I’d feel much better about buying them if I only paid $10 a reed. Why the hell are they charging $30 a reed?! It’s a racket. 10cents to produce a synthetic reed. I know they deserve to make a profit, but give me a break.
Been using Legere for a decade and like the Signature cut the best...before the American Cut. They are fantastic. I do like the Forestone, too, but I am now staying with the Legere on alto and tenor.
Forestone is gold. But you can work on it; as soon as it warps slightly up, use a very fine grain sanding paper, and go around the tip, gently. You can fix the problem in one minute, and play it for another month. Then you go again with the sanding paper, and so on. I use my Black Bamboo Forestone reed for a year already and I wouldn't touch any natural reed anymore. (However, you may have two, so that after 30 minutes of playing you swap with an other, because the Forestone reed still absorbs the moisture.) Another great read is Hartmann Fiberreed - check out their hemp reed, it's amazing.
I used to play Fibracells, went away and used Plasticover, then bought a couple new Fibracells, quality was very different, two reeds and neither had any heart. My altissimo is meager but with those I got nothing. I've been on Rico Royal 2.5 for a while now, hit them with a Reed Geek and I am good to go. I've tried Bari brand regular and star, too stiff, Legere original, nope, Hartman carbon not bad but a bit too stiff and it feels like playing on ice... I so want a synth reed to work, but no luck. Nice comparison. I had to laugh when you tried up top with the Fibracell, I remember my old teacher who used them and then stopped, he said "they just don't hang on altissimo." ;)
Good info. My favorite synthetic reed you don't hear much about is the Bravo brand. They are also very economical with a box of five for less than a single Legere. The problem I have with them is they are a bit narrow and if you have a black mouthpiece the reeds are black and it's very hard to see the alignment. I have trouble with altissimo on all the synthetic reeds and I think it's partly because of the moisture that builds up on the back of the reed. Looks like I may be going back to cane and all the frustration along with them. Might have to learn how to adjust them.
Watched all the details again. Coincidentally, I too use Java Red 2.5 as a reference cane reed. I think Venn #2 would be a better fit to match Java 2.5.
I normally play 3 or 3.5 Fibracells depending on the mouthpiece on an alto. I tried the Venn, went all the way down to a 2 and it was awful, fell like someone stuffed a sock in the bow of the horn, just so resistant. Maybe I should also try going down to 1.5. Also tried the Legere American cut in a 2.5 and hated that, but maybe it was just a little too stiff. It's nice that you can get them in quarter steps.
I'm guessing you are trying a Generation 1 Venn Reed. I am in the process of ordering some (or maybe just 1) of the Gen 2's because I have seen a lot of favorable reviews of it. Have you tried to new Gen 2's of the Venn reeds yet? I heard the Gen 2's don't have that shiny finish and that you can even adjust it like a cane reed. We will see...
This is the Gen 1 Venn. I saw a lot of favorable reviews of this one so I bought it and it is completely useless to me because of how horribly resistant it is. Too many reviewers are kissing up to the manufacturer by not being objective. They are often given products for free and feel obligated to say only positive things so that they will get more products in the future. #1, This hurts the manufacturer because they aren't getting real feedback on the quality of their product. #2, thus hurts the consumer because the product has been misrepresented. #3, this hurts the reviewer because no one actually takes your reviews seriously anymore. I'm going to save my time and money on the Gen 2. If you get one, make sure you understand the return policy if there is one. There probably isn't one for reeds.
Hey bud, thanks as always. The Venn has gotten some very poor reviews. I've played Fibracell with some success over the last few years, but as others have noted, the strength ratings are way off and they are inconsistent. Legere has never done it for me, though the American Cut is the best version so far- not bad. I've not liked Hartmann, Forestone, G-reeds. Please try the Silverstein Alta Ambipoly. IMHO, they are phenomenal and last forever.
Hi Adrien. I got your altissimo book. Looks like I’m going to be killing my neighbors dogs! I was originally keen on the synthetics until I bent a new tenor Legere. I’ve found the fiber cell to be flabby and fuzzy sounding. I didn’t like them. I ended up back at cane even though I was really hoping the new synthetics would be worth the trade off. I am currently experimenting with about 8 different types of reeds and the Reed really depends on which mouthpiece I’m playing on at the time.
No doubt big gig CANE, Legere once find your size works well. That said check out Dr. Sax Love on TH-cam he doing a Jody Jazz DV 7 on a Fibercell 3. I have to blow a 4.5. Boston Sax work really well as do Regotti, but I've found my self going back to good ol' blue box. Best of luck!
I recently tried the Venn. They are fundamentally flawed unfortunately. They fibers in the material frey so they added a tape on the bottom. If you remove the tape it will behave like a normal reed. Try it out! But then there will be fibers coming off.
The Venn is flawed by design. The reed is made of fibers as they widely advertise, but it has a dull tape laminated on its flat side that dampens the whole thing. You can easily peel it off (at risk of damaging it permanently) and you will see what I'm talking about. That's why you felt they are stiff. They are just not made to vibrate. Without that tape they become much more responsive but start falling apart, loosing fibers, etc. I tried them at launch, then again once they improved their manufacturing process. A big failure all-around in my view.
Obviously not @Sirvalorsax (I wouldn't dare lol) but I have tried them, both on sax and clarinet. For me, they go soft extremely fast, often within an hour of playing. I love them at the beginning of a session, but I don't find them reliable enough. OTOH, the oldest original Forestones worked fine for me on bari and tenor sax (but not on clarinet).
Spend $30 on Harry Hartmann Hemp synthetic Fiberreed. It’s an amazing synthetic reed, available as soft, medium soft, medium, medium hard, hard. It really matches natural cane softness, but plays amazingly and without a hiccup.
Today you oozed Coleman Hawkins' and his expression. Excellent. I think Venn is a very good reed, but have you noticed one peculiar detail with synthetic reeds: they don't punish player's lips as much as natural canes do. After playing natural reeds, lips feels sore with a strange tingling sensation, which is absent with synthetic reeds. Synthetics invite to play more without much punishment.
@@Sirvalorsax Maybe the transition back to cane reed is more noticeable. I was playing varied synthetics for nearly two years, and only 10 minutes on the cane felt immensely taxing. I played that cane before and was comparable to synthetics in hardness. I had to stop. I would be interested to hear other player's opinions and experiences on this subject.
Which sanding paper did you use? If you use 2000 and 4000 grit paper, you can sand down even the cross layered synthetics and they will be smooth, without fraying. I use 4000 grit and sometimes 6000 grit papers to polish the reed almost to a glass like surface that stops any fraying.
Your sound on bari is among the best I have ever heard. It is extremely modern, very clear, and so easy to listen to. I have been playing Fibracells for about 15 years. They are comfortable to play and very consistent from reed to reed in each strength. Legeres, for me, tend to be a little "buzzy".
Thanks
Earspasm did a good video a few weeks ago that compared synthetic reeds for bass clarinet. He subs sax reeds in some cases.
That's a great channel 😊
Such an underrated channel. you're Gonna hit 100k subs one day keep up the great work
Thanks, hopefully soon 😁
Best comparison I have seen! Thanks!
My pleasure!
The new Legere American Cut are a little brighter and a little more “buzz” that is a nice improvement IMO over the Signature cut. Still clear though so that hasn’t changed.
My fave
I love your facial expressions when the reeds fail to deliver! My experience with the fulcrum placement
is the same. However when I was on the road a lot I used Legere signature on my Lawton Large Chamber
Bronze 8* and it worked great on that particular mouthpiece but not on others so maybe it depends on the
facing curve. But now i am home and have time to use on cane adjustment, I play cane again. Plus Legere
is expensive and if you have a little accident it is expensive.
Your tone on Bari is insanely beautiful. Thank you for all of the high quality sax knowledge!
Thank you!
Thanks again for your insights. I would like to see you review Legere American cut reeds, I find them an improvement over the signature. They play softer than the signature series so try a harder reed. As far as transparency is concerned, I find it difficult at times to set the reed too, but have found using my mouth and feeling the tips of the reed and mouthpiece while under embouchure pressure a good way of dealing with it.
Also, do you apply pressure to your reed when setting them up? So as to have the reed lay flat on the rail and tip. I have found this necessary with the mouthpiece my late father left me, a Super Tone Master with a #12 tip! If I set it even with the tip of the mouthpiece by sighting across the reed it falls well short of the tip when compressed and doesn't play well but when set up while pressed flat to the rails when released sticks up above the tip slightly but plays much better.
Thanks for the tip. I'll look into the American cut in the future
For Fibracell reeds, I’ve always felt that you have to go up a few sizes. Their 4.5 feels a lot closer to a 2.5-3 cane reed. I like them, but I feel the 2.5 are too soft for most mouthpieces.
Great video man! I've been really digging your altissimo book. Thank you so much for all your hard work and keep it up!
I've recently been playing Venn. the tenor reed is (3.0) unplayable.It has all the charm of kissing a mannequin. I've played on a Link Tone Master #10 for almost 30 years, so the best investment has been a Reed Geek. I do like the Venn on Clarinet. I was wasting more time adjusting the clarinet reed than practicing. With the Venn, good to go, and when doubling the reed doesn't dry out when you need it, and its consistent. I use a Vandoren 5JB.
I love your tone! I'm a baritone player too (1956 "The Martin" Bb bari. #8 Metal link tone master clipped and Reed Geek adjusted 3/12 Rico Royal.
Great Video Adriene! I tried to play with Légère Signature, but couldn't get used to it... Cane reeds are irreplaceable.. 100% agree!
Actually, I've been using Rigotti Gold 2.5 for tenor and 3 for alto... and they are amazing! Round fat jazzy sound, beautiful on the low register... looking forward your review on those!
I agree Eduardo Rigotti Golds are wonderful. They have that fat organic raspyness that you just don't get with synthetics, a bit like a valve (tube for you US guys) amp for guitarists.
I am torn between cane and synthetic reeds. I have played cane pretty much all the time. I wanted to try a synthetic. I tried one only once. The thickness was a bit much and I was straining to get a sound. I still have the old cane reeds that I have played years ago( sanded down at the top and the sides and it helped my sound by literally sticking to the sides of my mouthpiece).
I guess it comes down to trying out both reeds from various brands as you have done to find what works.
Thanks for this important demonstration.
Very interesting. Thanks for posting. Can't wait for the next Video...Comparison.
Bravo! I just love your channel. Thank you. Oh, and way extra cool... you on bari.
Thank you so much!
Fantastic Bari sound WOW!!!!!!!!
Nice to see a review which doesn't ignore Fibracells. They seem to be overlooked more often than not. I use Fibracells on all my woodwinds. I prefer the lower registers and subtones from most instruments and get best results with very soft reeds. Not so good on altissimo but in general I dislike the sound of altissimo and try to avoid it. In the low registers I find that soft reeds give me much better control. But most synthetics seem too stiff for me. Fibracell seems to cover the soft end far better than, say, synthetics from Legere or Bari.
Interesting about the Fibracells being bright. I hadn't particularly noticed but I'll have to be on the lookout, as I much prefer dark over bright. To my perhaps confused way of thinking, bright sax approaches the sound I expect from kazoos, but dark sounds like, well, like a saxophone. (Obviously, many disagree.) But the low-end control I can get with soft reeds is probably more important.
My biggest complaint with Fibracells is that tacky little piece of clear tape with the stiffness printed on it. A ligature with any muscle at all will strip that thing right off.
So Great Video Sir! Could you make a video showing your microphone and setup? Sometimes in a room without a good isolation is difficult get a good sound from the sax and you are in different places getting always clear sound. Regards from Germany.
I’ve been using forestone synthetics for a couple of years. Love/hate relationship. Best sounding synth I’ve ever tried. The problem: they start curving up towards the lay waaaaay too soon. Makes it feel like it’s worn out after a month. If you bend it opposite the tip, you’ll get more life out of it. The huge plus is, it’s a perfectly balanced Reed that sounds great, even when it’s on its last legs. I get them at a discount, since I repair saxes at a store. Even then, I’d feel much better about buying them if I only paid $10 a reed. Why the hell are they charging $30 a reed?! It’s a racket. 10cents to produce a synthetic reed. I know they deserve to make a profit, but give me a break.
Been using Legere for a decade and like the Signature cut the best...before the American Cut. They are fantastic. I do like the Forestone, too, but I am now staying with the Legere on alto and tenor.
Forestone is gold. But you can work on it; as soon as it warps slightly up, use a very fine grain sanding paper, and go around the tip, gently. You can fix the problem in one minute, and play it for another month. Then you go again with the sanding paper, and so on. I use my Black Bamboo Forestone reed for a year already and I wouldn't touch any natural reed anymore. (However, you may have two, so that after 30 minutes of playing you swap with an other, because the Forestone reed still absorbs the moisture.) Another great read is Hartmann Fiberreed - check out their hemp reed, it's amazing.
I used to play Fibracells, went away and used Plasticover, then bought a couple new Fibracells, quality was very different, two reeds and neither had any heart. My altissimo is meager but with those I got nothing. I've been on Rico Royal 2.5 for a while now, hit them with a Reed Geek and I am good to go. I've tried Bari brand regular and star, too stiff, Legere original, nope, Hartman carbon not bad but a bit too stiff and it feels like playing on ice... I so want a synth reed to work, but no luck.
Nice comparison. I had to laugh when you tried up top with the Fibracell, I remember my old teacher who used them and then stopped, he said "they just don't hang on altissimo." ;)
Also, if you pull the reed (Fibercell ) up above the tip the buzz reduces.
Good info. My favorite synthetic reed you don't hear much about is the Bravo brand. They are also very economical with a box of five for less than a single Legere. The problem I have with them is they are a bit narrow and if you have a black mouthpiece the reeds are black and it's very hard to see the alignment. I have trouble with altissimo on all the synthetic reeds and I think it's partly because of the moisture that builds up on the back of the reed. Looks like I may be going back to cane and all the frustration along with them. Might have to learn how to adjust them.
Bravo’s are great for long practice sessions. I use them a fair amount, but not on a gig.
Watched all the details again. Coincidentally, I too use Java Red 2.5 as a reference cane reed. I think Venn #2 would be a better fit to match Java 2.5.
Prez switched to synthetic reeds in his later years and he still cut some marvelous records while he was playing them
Knew you'd love the Metalite/Fibracell combo on bari!
Lol
I normally play 3 or 3.5 Fibracells depending on the mouthpiece on an alto. I tried the Venn, went all the way down to a 2 and it was awful, fell like someone stuffed a sock in the bow of the horn, just so resistant. Maybe I should also try going down to 1.5. Also tried the Legere American cut in a 2.5 and hated that, but maybe it was just a little too stiff. It's nice that you can get them in quarter steps.
I'm guessing you are trying a Generation 1 Venn Reed. I am in the process of ordering some (or maybe just 1) of the Gen 2's because I have seen a lot of favorable reviews of it. Have you tried to new Gen 2's of the Venn reeds yet? I heard the Gen 2's don't have that shiny finish and that you can even adjust it like a cane reed. We will see...
This is the Gen 1 Venn. I saw a lot of favorable reviews of this one so I bought it and it is completely useless to me because of how horribly resistant it is. Too many reviewers are kissing up to the manufacturer by not being objective. They are often given products for free and feel obligated to say only positive things so that they will get more products in the future. #1, This hurts the manufacturer because they aren't getting real feedback on the quality of their product. #2, thus hurts the consumer because the product has been misrepresented. #3, this hurts the reviewer because no one actually takes your reviews seriously anymore. I'm going to save my time and money on the Gen 2. If you get one, make sure you understand the return policy if there is one. There probably isn't one for reeds.
Thanks for the video. And just for fun, a picture is worth a thousand words at 3:17, I can feel the disappointment lol.
LOL
I got fibercell after watching this video I’m a new sax player but I’m loving the tenor Reed.
As far as packaging goes, on my reeds, I want to pull the cellophane off the top like a damn pack of Winston’s cigarettes son. That’s good packaging.
Lol
Primeira vez que eu vejo alguem falando a verdade sobre as palhetas sinteticas. Parabens amigo! 👏👏👏👏 Saudações do 🇧🇷🙌🎶🎷
I got some hank Mobley vibes from the venn on the link.
I wish the intro for tenor sax Altissimo would come in a paperback book not e-book thanks be safe God blessings to all 🎼🎶🎵🎷🙏🙏🏹
A. Spencer,
Does your altissimo book have video footage of your playing various lessons?
Try the different Fiberreeds and the Silverstein ambipoly. Imho, both better than all the reeds in this review
Hey bud, thanks as always. The Venn has gotten some very poor reviews. I've played Fibracell with some success over the last few years, but as others have noted, the strength ratings are way off and they are inconsistent. Legere has never done it for me, though the American Cut is the best version so far- not bad. I've not liked Hartmann, Forestone, G-reeds. Please try the Silverstein Alta Ambipoly. IMHO, they are phenomenal and last forever.
Ill consider those if I do a future synth reed review
Hi Adrien. I got your altissimo book. Looks like I’m going to be killing my neighbors dogs! I was originally keen on the synthetics until I bent a new tenor Legere. I’ve found the fiber cell to be flabby and fuzzy sounding. I didn’t like them. I ended up back at cane even though I was really hoping the new synthetics would be worth the trade off. I am currently experimenting with about 8 different types of reeds and the Reed really depends on which mouthpiece I’m playing on at the time.
The new mic may need a tiny bit of adjustment. There are a few chirps when you are talking.
I found some additional information on how to adjust levels for the S21 Ultra. I had to boost and compress and it amplified random background noises 😔
@@Sirvalorsax oof. I’m an audiophile who has no problem understanding or wasting money on headphones and other stuff, but microphones scare me XD
No doubt big gig CANE, Legere once find your size works well. That said check out Dr. Sax Love on TH-cam he doing a Jody Jazz DV 7 on a Fibercell 3. I have to blow a 4.5. Boston Sax work really well as do Regotti, but I've found my self going back to good ol' blue box. Best of luck!
Great video. Thanks for the comparison. Fibracell sounded the best synthetic reed to me. Great to hear you playing. You are very talented
😊 Thanks
Please review Harry heartmans hemp bari reeds. You will never play cane again.
I recently tried the Venn. They are fundamentally flawed unfortunately. They fibers in the material frey so they added a tape on the bottom. If you remove the tape it will behave like a normal reed. Try it out! But then there will be fibers coming off.
The Venn is flawed by design. The reed is made of fibers as they widely advertise, but it has a dull tape laminated on its flat side that dampens the whole thing. You can easily peel it off (at risk of damaging it permanently) and you will see what I'm talking about. That's why you felt they are stiff. They are just not made to vibrate. Without that tape they become much more responsive but start falling apart, loosing fibers, etc. I tried them at launch, then again once they improved their manufacturing process. A big failure all-around in my view.
Bari sound is absolutely killing. Do not Shang that set up. Damn!!!
Have you also tried the Forestone Hinoki reeds?
Obviously not @Sirvalorsax (I wouldn't dare lol) but I have tried them, both on sax and clarinet. For me, they go soft extremely fast, often within an hour of playing. I love them at the beginning of a session, but I don't find them reliable enough. OTOH, the oldest original Forestones worked fine for me on bari and tenor sax (but not on clarinet).
I bought it along with Legere, and there is no way I can use it.
Vandoren JAVA series. são as melhores
Right so. There goes nothing over cane, even for bari.
Dude, thanks for saving me $30! I was going to get one but not now 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽. I’ll use that $ and buy your altissimo book.
Thanks
Spend $30 on Harry Hartmann Hemp synthetic Fiberreed. It’s an amazing synthetic reed, available as soft, medium soft, medium, medium hard, hard. It really matches natural cane softness, but plays amazingly and without a hiccup.
Venn has gone through some major changes. Try them again and you won’t go back to any other reed. Venn reeds will take over the reed market very soon.
Today you oozed Coleman Hawkins' and his expression. Excellent. I think Venn is a very good reed, but have you noticed one peculiar detail with synthetic reeds: they don't punish player's lips as much as natural canes do. After playing natural reeds, lips feels sore with a strange tingling sensation, which is absent with synthetic reeds. Synthetics invite to play more without much punishment.
I haven't noticed this but keep in mind, I play relatively soft reeds and low tip opening mouthpieces
@@Sirvalorsax Maybe the transition back to cane reed is more noticeable. I was playing varied synthetics for nearly two years, and only 10 minutes on the cane felt immensely taxing. I played that cane before and was comparable to synthetics in hardness. I had to stop. I would be interested to hear other player's opinions and experiences on this subject.
As an intermediate player I bought a 3 venn, found it impossible to play , also since that reed is cross woven you CANNOT sand or tweak this reed
I've noticed some additional fraying on this reed since I've been playing it.
Which sanding paper did you use? If you use 2000 and 4000 grit paper, you can sand down even the cross layered synthetics and they will be smooth, without fraying. I use 4000 grit and sometimes 6000 grit papers to polish the reed almost to a glass like surface that stops any fraying.
1st!
legere is probably the worst reed ive ever played