Rigotti Gold Tenor Saxophone Reeds

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My usual reed is a Rico 2.5 on my MK VI tenor saxophone with a vintage metal FL Otto Link 8*. They play great for me, nice sound, nice edge and nice sub tone. But they usually do not last more than 1 or 2 gigs. Because I do a lot of combo work and I'm the only horn I play a lot on my gigs. I have been looking for an alternative for quite a while. I think I finally found it. The Rigotti Gold reeds have every bit the sound, edge, sub tone etc that the Ricos have. They feel a little bit tougher. We'll see, I have some gigs in early Feb and I'll try them out and see how they do. One thing, because I play a Rico 2.5 I tried a Rigotti 2.5 med first. It was way too soft. Then I tried a 2.5 hard, almost, but still a bit too soft; however I could tell that the sound was right. Okay dare I pop for another box; I did, and tried a Rigotti 3 light. That did it. Out of 10 reeds, nine were winners with 1 reed being a bit too hard. The other eight were either right on target or with just lowering the tip of the reed slightly below the tip of the mpc they were right on. I'll let them settle a bit and see if they need adjusting in a few days. Meanwhile if you are looking for a different reed to try, give these a try. Just remember to up your reed strength a bit if you play a Rico product right now. One other thing, because they are French I wasn't sure if they would produce a jazz sound, but you know what, they do. So I would say that I basically agree with the other guy who reviewed these reeds. Gee, I wonder how their clarinet reeds compare to Vandoren V-12's? Anyone out try that experiment yet?

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Having played as a professional Tenor Saxohone player in New York City for almost 15 years I have tries about every combination avaible ( Reeds & mouthpiece ) . Nothing compares to the quality of the Rigotti Reed. The cane delivers time after time providing the player with a wonderful warmth to his sound as well as projection & ease of use. I use a ' Otto Link " Metal 7* & play the 3.5 light. This combination works beautifully for me both in Jazz & pop music. If you are looking for a reed that promises to deliver & lasts for a long time compared to better known reeds look no further than the " Rigotti Gold " A little pricey but in the long run the quality of the cane outlasts the popular competition by a mile. Played by famous & well respected musicians throughout the US & Europe

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I have found that these reeds provide me with the best and fullest sound that I have ever been able to produce from my saxes. I love the ease of blowing which produces a rich and resonating sound from low Bb up into the higher altissimo ranges. So glad that I discovered them.

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Rigotti Gold is the most consistent and long-lasting reed I've found, and I'm playing both classical and (big band) jazz, on both alto and tenor sax. I've recently switched from larger to smaller opening mouthpieces, with the usual switch from softer to harder reeds (2-1/2 strong to 3-1/2 medium)--but the switch was too bold. My guide to consistency is a Reed-O-Meter, and all but three were "10s" (when wet), and just a bit too hard to play. I found 9 to 9-1/2 to be the best strength, and therefore ordered a box of 3-strong... but I cant believe what I got. They measured EXACTLY the same strengths as the 3-1/2s did: seven of them were 10s, two were 9s, and one was a 9-1/2-- and PLAY exactly like the 3-1/2s do, too! If I can get past the French, I'll email the company for an explanation.

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I first became aware of the Rigotti Gold reeds at the 2008 NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA. What a find! Clarity in tone like no other reed that I have played and better than average longevity. I now use them on Tenor and Alto.