“My first Fiberreed experience was on tenor in 2014 at Frankfurt Messe. I had been using Vandoren red and green Java since 1997, having originally started on Rico 2.5 in ’71. It was a carbon, and I tested the entire product line before settling on Natural Classic S around 2017/18, updating to MS in 2022. In my exploration I have reasoned that such a Fibereed was the best choice for my sound, style and overall utility, all things considered.

Foremost is the consistent performance. In the begining, I concluded it was possible to get a cane that may deliver a more lively response with a bit more upper resonance, however, such a reed will only be so for a few days and at the loss of some upper range. The process of nuturing the reed to this degree of useability is arduous, risky and unreliable in the field. Because the Fiberreed is consistent and long lasting, it is possible to rely on a developed technique and ideal mouthpiece and reed match to achive the superior musical result. This means one can play a reed that behaves the same every day for a month or more, this is a way to develop a sound, by removing the challenges of constantly adjusting to the changes in reed performance. The next Fiberreed will play 90% the same and for the 10 to 20 times longer lifespan campared to cane. Additionally, I devised that one could select the favored Fiberreed, and then select and / or, develop the appropriate mouthpiece to match. Done correctly, this approach can eliminate the need to adjust reeds entirely. If the mouthpiece is tuned to the chosen Fiberreed family, a high level of stability and effortless reed utility is possible.

The heart of reed playing is the reed. The trick is to be able to select a Fiberreed, free of the influence of a setup which may be in place to compensate for or accomodate the conditions inherent in cane reed performace. I did it by trying and modifying a lot of mouthpieces in use with the reed in question. Because Fiberreed has a greater dynamic range, one can put to use a developed, fast airstream to a degree not possible with cane, and this can be done with a smaller tip than would be needed to use cane. Because the facing controls the reed dynamics, this is a very important arena of the system. The facing structures the sound because the physical portions of the reed will vibrate differently. As a rule, short lay encourages a sine wave movement of the reed, and shifts the short lay encourages a sine wave movement of the reed, and shifts the energy center towards the tip, away from the heart of the reed, thus, a clean, lighter, simple sound, like a flute has. The long lay makes a square wave, chunky and coarse by comparison, with increased foundation due to more movement of the heart region, this is a reason why a bari sounds different from a tenor on the same pitch. The tip opening introduces the variations in geometry that create a sawtooth tendency.

These factors allow unique opportunities to be poised with the use of Fiberreed, being able to push reed dynamics into regions where cane will not be able to sustain useability to an established, professional level of musicality. One advantage of smaller tip is control, therefore, more useability of the dynamic range is the result, not just loud and subtone which can happen with too much tip. Additionally, the reed will “hold up and conform“ better in regards to facing length. I.E., it is less likely to slap closed or wimp out on an extreme small tip to long lay ratio, and is more manageable and expressive on a short lay, relative to reed strength of course. Inversely, with a long lay, response is quicker and more predictable because of continuity of material over the longer length, and freedom from the effects of the shifting weight of the water movement within the reed.

These traits allow for the player to dial in a facing that would yield difficult and unstable results with cane. If the heart of reed playing is the reed, then facing might be the circulatory system, defining where the energy is going, and how used. Mouthpiece chamber is the acoustic skeleton, the geometric foundation of the air column, beyond that the musician and the instrument are one. However, the saxophone being a collection of woodwind instrument parts, assembled around a miscellany of dynamically morphing and stalwart air leaks, there are other variables to contend with. As such I recommend testing with mouthpiece and neck alone, check overtones, dynamic range, sound quality, tounging, this is a revealing practice.

I don’t think of Fiberreed as a replacement or subsistute for cane, cane has it’s thing, but rather a choice to explore new platform for the functions of single reed wind instrument dynamics. Without patience, dilligent interest, effort and some basis of a sonic and musical concept, the greater value of the Fiberreed advantage may not be realised by some. However with the variety of Fiberreed choices, I think the possibilities for new sounds as well as “ hi rez “ versions of classic sax tonalities can be realized.”