Synthetic reeds for alto sax?

Question

Are there any that are good quality? I don't want to jump from natural to synthetic I just want to have them as a back up.

Answer 1

I play the tenor sax now for five years, and I tried the "BARI" synthetic reed back in 7th grade...It was much to loud for just a concert band...It lasted me all year though...It's more for marching band kind of thing...Just keep that in mind...

Answer 2

Legere's are reputed to be the best synthetic reeds, (or among the best), although i don't personally like even them at all.  i know a few people who like to march with them though.

Answer 3

It depends on which brand you get. I've played alto, tenor, and baritone saxophone and I've never really been a big fan of the synthetic reeds. They have a different sound than the wooden ones. The wooden reeds will give you a richer sound, which is definitely better for alto because it's already got a tendency to have a kind of nasty reedy sound. The synthetic reeds definitely do last longer, and you don't have to suck on them before you put them onto your instrument, so they're good if you have absolutely no time to warm up or anything, but for the most part I'd stick with natural. It can't hurt to have it as a back up though. The only problem with that is that you'll be used to using the natural ones and the synthetic ones feel different.

Answer 4

I've been thinking the same thing for the past couple of weeks. Synthetic reeds are best used for marching band... or if a warm-up is not possible. I would suggest them maybe for big band jazz or a solo. Be careful though. There are a lot of bad ones out there and it'll take a while to get adjusted... so switching back and forth between synthetic and natural is not the best idea. The most I recommend with one is to use in marching band and at practice... they're lifesavers, you just have to find the right one. Try Bari, Legere, and Fibracell to find a good one for you.