Today, I am excited to review the new BSS Red Label custom tenor saxophone reeds released by Jack Tyler at the Boston Sax Shop. Jack has been my repairman for many years and always gives me the inside scoop on the newest Boston Sax Shop saxophone gear that is coming out.
Besides being a phenomenal repairman and craftsman, Jack is always up to some new saxophone related endeavor. Whether it be neckstraps, cases, ligatures, mouthpieces, saxophone necks, reed cases, reeds, etc….. Jack always seems like he has a new project on the horizon……When I heard of these new BSS Red Label custom tenor sax reeds he was developing, I had to try them!
The Boston Sax Shop Red Label Custom Saxophone Reeds
I have already reviewed both the Boston Sax Shop BSS Black Label and Silver Label Custom tenor saxophone reeds which I totally loved. You can read those reviews here:
- The Boston Sax Shop Black Label Custom Tenor Saxophone Reeds Review
- The Boston Sax Shop Silver Label Custom Tenor Saxophone Reeds Review
What I loved about the BSS Black Label custom tenor saxophone reeds were how dark, warm, lush and round the tone sounded while using them. The BSS black label tenor saxophone reeds were the first reeds that the Boston Sax Shop developed and gave saxophone players a darker and warmer reed alternative.
I loved the BSS Silver Label tenor saxophone reeds as well because they gave me a brighter and edgier sound while still retaining the consistency that the Boston Sax Shop Black label reeds were known for.
When Jack told me that the Boston Sax Shop was coming out with a new BSS Red Label custom tenor saxophone reed that would be an even brighter option for tenor sax players who dug the quality and playability of the original BSS Black Label and Silver Label custom reeds, I was immediately interested in trying these new BSS Red Label tenor saxophone reeds out.
The Boston Sax Shop Red Label Custom Saxophone Reeds
Here is the description of the Boston Sax Shop Red Label custom saxophone reeds from the Boston Sax Shop website:
“For those looking for a reed that delivers loads of edge, brightness and a punchy core, our Red Label reeds are the perfect choice.
Utilizing a thinner tip than our Black and Silver reeds, Red Label offers a quick attack and unmatched access to easy projection with the level of control and evenness you would expect from a Boston Sax Shop Design.” -Jack Tyler Owner/Product Designer
The Boston Sax Shop Red Label Custom Saxophone Reeds
As I wrote in the disclosure at the bottom of this review, I received six free boxes containing five reeds each of the new Boston Sax Shop Red Label tenor saxophone reeds. Two boxes of strength 2 1/2 reeds, two boxes of strength 3 reeds, and two boxes of strength 3 1/2 reeds.
I also received six free boxes of the BSS Red Label alto saxophone reeds. Two boxes of strength 2 1/2 alto sax reeds, two boxes of strength 3 reeds, and two boxes of strength 3 1/2 reeds.
Most saxophone players would probably only need one strength of tenor saxophone reed, but since I review so many saxophone mouthpieces, I find it beneficial to have a variety of reed sizes on hand so I can find the best saxophone reed and reed strength for each mouthpiece I review.
The Boston Sax Shop Red Label Custom Saxophone Reeds
My first impression of the BSS Red Label tenor saxophone reeds were that they felt softer near the tip of the reed than the corresponding size in the Black Label and Silver Label reeds. The BSS Black Label tenor saxophone reeds feel like they have more core thickness in the reed vamp which seems to make the tone thicker, darker and warmer in my opinion. The Silver Label reeds feel a bit thinner in that same area of the reed making the tone more bright, edgy and buzzy. The Red Label tenor saxophone reeds feel like Jack has designed the Red Label reeds to be even thinner at that point in the vamp of the reed making these Red Label tenor saxophone reeds even brighter and edgier than the Silver Label tenor saxophone reeds are.
As of the writing of this review, I have played through one complete box of the strength #3 reeds and one complete box of the 2 1/2 reeds. The reeds seemed very consistent in strength and playability and of the 10 reeds I have tried so far, 7 played great for me, 2 were ok and one 2 1/2 was way too soft for some reason. There was some slight variation in the strength of each reed but I considered this pretty normal and found each reed pretty close in strength to one another.
Boston Sax Shop Custom Saxophone Reeds Side by Side (Notice that BSS is now labeling the reeds at the bottom)
The BSS Red Label tenor saxophone reeds seemed brighter and they had more of a lively and resonant buzz to the tone compared to the BSS Black Label and Silver Label reeds. Where the BSS Black Label custom reeds sound more focused and round with that warm dark core in the sound and the BSS Silver Label reeds had more brightness and edge in the tone, the new Red Label tenor saxophone reeds had even more of a brightness, buzz and edge to the tone. This was even more apparent when I would put some more air through the mouthpiece. The BSS Red Label reeds just seemed to go into overdrive when pushed and the tone seemed to have even more of a bright energy compared to the BSS Silver Label reeds that I describes as brighter and edgy in their own right.
On the sound clips below, I think you can hear the difference between the clips, especially in the higher altissimo range of the saxophone. Those high notes with the BSS Red Label just seemed to have more of a bright buzz and edge to them whereas the BSS Black Label high notes seemed more focused and less bright to my ears. The BSS Silver Label reeds also blow brighter in my opinion and although there is some variations to this brightness from reed to reed, I think that overall, the BSS Red Label reeds tended to be even brighter and edgier than the Silver Label reeds.
The Boston Sax Shop Silver Label, Red Label and Black Label Tenor Saxophone Reeds
For the sound clips, I used an Early Babbitt hard rubber Otto Link 7* tenor saxophone mouthpiece that I have owned for about 20 years now. I consider this mouthpiece to be a “middle of the road” tenor sax mouthpiece because it sits in the middle of that dark to bright tone spectrum for the tenor saxophone.
I tried to play many of the same lines, melodies and ideas for both sound clips although there are of course unintentional differences in the way I am playing between the clips. After each section of a clip, you can pause the clip and play the same section of another clip to hear the differences between the clips.
I was most surprised by the differences between the beginning of the clips on the melody of “My One and Only Love” especially. Even though I thought I played the clips very similarly, the Red Label clip has more of a brighter energetic buzz in the tone. The Silver Label sound clip sounds energetic and lively but with less buzz in the tone than the Red Label sound clip. The BSS Black Label sound clip sounds more refined, textured and laid back. If there is a difference in the way I am playing, I believe that perhaps that brighter energy of the Red and Silver Box reeds influenced me subconsciously to play a bit more energetically and the more refined warmth of the Black Box reeds influenced me to play in a more mellow and laid back style. It was certainly not intentional on my part. *As a special point of interest, the Black Label reed sound clip was recorded in a different room 6 1/2 years ago so that different recording environment could very well have had an impact on the sound clip.
On the other hand, if I didn’t play “My One and Only Love” differently, it might just be that brighter energy of the Red and Silver Label reeds that is making me hear the SIlver and Red Label reed clips as more energetic. Very interesting! I’m curious what you think about this……..
The Boston Sax Shop Custom Saxophone Reeds
All the BSS tenor saxophone reeds articulated well and handled the extremes of the saxophone range well. I did find the altissimo range of the Red Label reeds to lean towards that brighter and more aggressive type of altissimo tone you would use on a wailing sax solo over a pop or funk tune (it was easy to get that nice buzz and edge out of the tone that you need for those types of solos). Of course, I believe the Black Label reeds can do this as well but with less brightness, edge and buzz to those altissimo notes.
The Boston Sax Shop Red Label Custom Saxophone Reeds
Honestly, I love the BSS Red Label, the BSS Silver Label and BSS Black Label tenor saxophone reeds (I haven’t tried the BSS Blue Label reeds yet). In my opinion, these three reed choices give me a different tone, response and vibe from each other. I believe this difference is real and tangible and as much time as we spend messing with mouthpieces, ligatures and screws, the reed, in my opinion, is the most immediate and impactful source (next to the player themselves) for our sound, response and player feedback.
The Boston Sax Shop Red Label tenor saxophone reed gives the player another choice for a tenor saxophone reed that can provide more vibrant brightness and energetic buzz to the tone while also providing more of a gritty edge to the sound when needed.
It really is a very personal choice but I would encourage you to at least try these great Boston Sax Shop line of reeds and decide for yourself what your favorite tenor saxophone reeds are that help you better approach your ideal sound you imagine in your mind’s ear.
If you are interested in the Boston Sax Shop custom saxophone reeds, you can get them at these links Boston Sax Shop Silver Box Custom Tenor Saxophone Reeds, Boston Sax Shop Black Box Custom Tenor Saxophone Reeds or the Boston Sax Shop Red Box Custom Tenor Saxophone Reeds. Neffmusic also gets a small commission from each sale using this link at no extra cost to you which helps support this website, so thank you in advance if you use the link.
Thanks to Jack for sending me these great Boston Sax Shop Red Label Custom tenor saxophone reeds to try.
If you try the Boston Sax Shop reeds, please come back and tell us what you think of them in the comment section below. Steve
Early Babbitt 7* Hard Rubber Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Boston Sax Shop Red Label 3 Reed
Early Babbitt 7* Hard Rubber Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Boston Sax Shop Silver Label 3 Reed
Early Babbitt 7* Hard Rubber Tenor Saxophone Mouthpiece-Boston Sax Shop Black Label 3 Reed
Jack Tyler from the Boston Sax Shop discussing the differences between the BSS Blue, BSS Black, BSS Silver and BSS Red tenor saxophone reeds
Thanks so much for taking the time to do this review Steve! Truly appreciate all you do for the saxophone community 🙂
No problem! Thank you for all you do as well and continually giving me a chance to try and review your new products!
Steve, Tell us how these reads are different from the Rigotti reeds you have played over the years?
To me, the heart of the BSS red label reeds seems thinner than the Rigotti Gold reeds. I think as far as brightness, they are pretty similar, but I think the thinner heart to the front vamp of the BSS Red Label reeds make the sound a bit more edgy and gives the tone a bit more of a bright sizzle to the sound when pushed. As far as strength, it is really hard to compare because the BSS reeds come in half sizes like 2 1/2, 3, 3 1/2, etc…. The Rigotti reeds come in three sub sizes for ever half size so 2 1/2 light, 2 1/2 medium, 2 1/2 strong…… I still really like the Rigotti reeds because of those extra sub-divided strengths. It makes it so much easier to dial in the specific strength of reed I need for a mouthpiece I might be reviewing pretty quickly.
Hi! I love the black box for my Guardala-type tenor mpcs and the blue for my soprano. I like a more classical tone in my soprano and these reeds are better and more concistent than vandoren, daddario etc
So I can highly recommend the blue for classical musicians.
Hi Steve, thanks for all your work over the years — I’ve spent a ton of time comparing mouthpieces through your reviews 😀
I’ve been playing a Lamberson J for several years and I’ve always had the same issue you mentioned with Rigotti on it. So I mostly use Vandoren Blue box; the Java actually work even better, but it’s not the sound I’m after.
Have you tried the BSS Blue Label on a Lamberson? From the description they seem to have a similar cut to Vandoren Blue, and I’m getting a bit tired of Vandoren’s inconsistency.
Hi Zac, No, I have not tried the blue box BSS reeds as of yet. They are on my list of reeds I would like to try though. I’m surprised the Vandoren Blue box reeds work well on the Lamberson J7. I haven’t tried a Vandoren Blue in probably 30 years. You have me curious to try one again…. Thanks
Steve, I love the Boston Sax Black and Silver on my metal Gaia 4 and metal Lakshmi.
On my more mellow metal Otto Link mouthpieces, my favorite reeds are the D’Addario Hemke. I have the new Theo Wanne Otto Link metal FL pieces, size 7* and 8 (I purchased them at Kessler and Saxquest). I get an amazing sound with the Hemke reeds. The thinner tip lets the mouthpiece sing so clearly and beautiful at extremely soft volumes (and all dynamics) and the thicker vamp keeps it warm sounding at the same time. It’s a beautiful mixture of warmth and clarity. The Boston Sax Black and Silver reeds sound too fuzzy at soft volumes on my Otto link mouthpieces, but they sound great on my brighter sounding mouthpieces (Gaia 4 and Lakshmi). If I push the volume on my Otto Link mouthpieces, the BSS reeds work fine.
Another great thing about the Hemke reeds is that they are the cheapest reeds you can find nowadays. I tried the BSS Blue Labe reeds also, but sadly I got a dud box… it happens with even the best reeds. I’m very good at adjusting reeds with the Reed Geek, so I salvaged a few of the Blue Label reeds. My favorite reeds for my Otto Link pieces right now is Hemke. Some saxophonist will probably get less life out of a reed with a thinner tip. I use my special break-in method that makes all my reeds last at least a year. Ask me for my method, if I haven’t already shared it with you.
Thanks for sharing, Mark. I would love to know your reed break-in method. I’ll be sure to try some Hemke reeds as well. I would love to review the new Wanne/Babbitt Otto Links but have been waiting since February for some mouthpieces to be shipped to me. Hopefully sometime this year.
I plan to make many videos using the new mouthpieces… different style songs. I will share my videos with you. The Florida models are more on the mellow side than you would expect (and very fat sounding). I know Otto Link varied widely in their models and even within the same model.
If you place your mic close and pointed down the bell, you get plenty of edge. The natural sound is just a little edge, fat, and beautiful. The high notes have less edge. The low notes respond just like any of Theo’s pieces… beautifully and easily. These Florida pieces are more mellow and fatter sounding (and not as powerful) than my metal Lakshmi pieces. I will still use my Gaia 4 pieces for a dance club gig… the Gaia has all the edge I need for screaming solos. These new Florida pieces are my new Holy Grail pieces for jazz.
Oh yeah.. here is a helpful comparison. I have an 8* metal Otto Link V STM piece and it is more focused sounding than my new 7* and 8 Florida pieces. The Florida pieces are more mellow and fat sounding than the STM V 8* piece. I was surprised how good my V 8* mouthpiece is and I’m more surprised how much better my new Florida pieces are.
I will send my reed break-in method in a separate comment.
REED BREAK-IN METHOD:
I learned this reed break-in method from a YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmTL_AOEOiQ
I modified the method from the YouTube video in one way. The guy in the video is using clarinet reeds. For saxophone reeds, we need longer reed soaking times… I add more reed soaking time every day for my sax reeds. After they are completely broken in, I soak my reeds between 10 and 12 minutes before playing them.
My method is for people that like to use reeds the correct strength from day 1. If you are one of those reed players that plays on one reed at a time and your reed lasts you at least a month, you don’t need my method. My method requires rotating reeds to make them last a year. If you are making a reed last a month and you play continuously on that reed, then you are already doing great. My guess is that you are using reeds a little on the hard side to make them last longer. Or they are on the hard side before you break-in the reed.
I have reeds that are over two and a half years old that still work great, but I rotate reeds and I play all the saxes… soprano, alto, tenor, and bari. I play the tenor the most, so of course, my tenor reeds wear out the quickest (a little over a year). I have soprano reeds that are two and half years old that still work great. I naturally play soprano softer than tenor and that is another reason my soprano reeds last so long.
Here is my reed break-in method:
This only works with unused reeds. I purchase reeds that are the correct strength from day 1. This method keeps the reeds the same strength.
Day 1: Dip reeds in water (I use bottled water… I haven’t tried using chlorinated tap water). Lay out all the reeds with the bark-side down and the flat-side up. This allows the reed to dry more evenly. Before playing each reed, make sure the tip is not warped. Play between 30 seconds and a minute between low G (second line on staff) and high G (sitting on top of the staff). Play between mp and mf. Keep a stopwatch going. Every 5 minutes dip each non-played reed into the water again. Let your reeds dry on a table, bark side down, flat side up… this allows the reed to dry uniformly and you will have much less warpage.
Day 2: Soak reeds in water for 30 seconds. Play the reeds the same way as Day 1. If the reeds need adjusting, I usually start making adjustments on Day 2, but if I don’t have time, I will wait for later days.
Each day or each session, I increase the soaking time. If you do more than one session a day, make sure the reeds are completely dry between sessions.
Soaking Time: How much you soak reeds, depends on the humidity where you live. You have to soak the reeds longer in low humidity.
Here is what works for my situation where I live: After 5 sessions, I soak my reeds for 2 minutes before playing them. I will still dip the non-played reeds every 5 minutes. After 10 sessions, I soak my reeds for 4 minutes before playing them. After 15 sessions, I soak my reeds for 6 minutes. I add two minutes every 5 sessions. Of course, learn what works for you. You have to make sure the reed tip is not warped before you play it. If it takes a longer soak time to get a perfectly flat tip, then do what works.
All sessions: never play louder than mf. You don’t want to play only at a soft volume, because a soft volume doesn’t even warm up the reed. So play between mp and mf.
After 10 sessions, I will start to work on technical things, but I keep the range between low G and high G.
After 20 sessions, I will play lower and higher notes, but never play altissimo or overtones on reeds you are breaking in.
Soprano sax requires 28 sessions.
Alto sax requires 30 sessions.
Tenor sax requires 35 sessions.
Bari sax requires 40 sessions.
I leave my reeds on my reed table during the entire break-in period. I put masking tape on a large reed case next to each batch of reeds. I make notes on the masking tape to keep track of the break-in sessions. If you don’t have a reed case make notes on the reed box. After the reeds are broken-in, I keep them in the case. You don’t need the humidifier packets. I keep my reeds dry to make them last longer. After a rehearsal or gig, when I get home or to the hotel, I will open up the wet reeds I used and lay them out to dry (bark side down).
My guess about people that like to keep their reeds wet is that they are using harder reeds that work better if they are kept wet.
My reeds hardly ever warp (not even the backside) because I use this even-drying method. The tips don’t stay perfectly flat, but the water-soaking (before playing) always cures that. If you get a squeaky reed, that indicates warping on the backside of the reed. Of course, flatten the back of the reed when this happens.
I will try to make a YouTube video of this method or just point sax players to the video link above with the added note that we have to soak sax reeds longer before each break-in session.
Reed Adjustments: Let me know if you need any reed adjustments advice. The thing that helped me the most is understanding how to balance reeds from side to side. I usually get all the reeds to work equally well. The worst reeds are the ones that are much thicker or denser on one side. I use the tilt mouthpiece method to see how a reed is balanced from side to side. I take this method further by understanding that stuffy high notes on one side of the reed means that you need to scrape on that side near the tip. Stuffy mid-range notes means that you need to scrape on the side next to the heart. Of course, the low notes need scraping on the area beneath the heart. Very hard reeds require scraping of the heart.
Squeaky Reeds: If my reed squeaks, I first make sure it is wet enough. If it is wet enough, I scrape the backside of the reed that lays on the table and lower rails, so the reed lays perfectly flat. Try to avoid scraping the backside of the reed where the rails start to bend. You can make the reed too soft if you scrape the backside up near the tip.
Another cause of squeaky reeds is that it was broken-in on a mouthpiece with a different facing length. I haven’t had this problem, but I’ve seen the solution of bending a reed slightly to loosen it up if it feels too stiff. I think this might be worth a try for this squeaky situation also.
Wow! I have to admit that I am overwhelmed just reading about your method. I’m one of those guys that wets a reed, puts it on, and it either plays or doesn’t. If it doesn’t, I throw it in a drawer to work on someday when I am in an assisted living facility. If it does work, I play it until it doesn’t perform anymore and then smash it and throw it away. You must be a very patient and regimented individual…… Thanks for sharing. It was very interesting to read.
I am always too wordy in my explanations. I will edit this in a more simpler way when I share it with saxophonists in the future.
One of the reasons I love this method is because I love to play very powerful dynamics. If I put a new reed on, I usually wear it out half way through the first song. When I was younger I could use harder reeds more easily, so I would just use reeds that were a little on the hard side and hoped it lasted through a gig.
I can play very powerful dynamics with my broken-in reeds, and they don’t change on me. I will rotate a reed if I play it powerfully for an hour.
Learning how to balance reeds made it so I can now play every reed in the box. Just now I was breaking in some new alto reeds; BSS Black Label. I adjusted a few of them and they all play so much alike… 10 out of the box.