English Horn

I have had my Legere English Horn reed now for 203 days and I played it as soon as I received it. I am very satisfied with it. I was able to get a immediate response from the reed and checked it out from the low B to the high G without any problem. The reed is a bit darker then a wooden reed but I found that in a section consisting of a Oboe and Violin it worked out great. I have also used it when I am recording English Horn tracks for clients I get from the internet, they are pleased with what I have done and like the sound of the reed. I would advise anyone that plays English Horn to have one of these reeds in their reed case.

I was pleasantly surprised by the easy response, good resistance, and warm tone with this reed. It’s going to make pit playing so much more fun!

While not my primary reed, this is excellent to have in the case. I also play a lot of musicals, so having a consistent reed I can rely on when instrument changes prohibit prepping a cane reed is SUPER helpful. Would definitely buy again once this one wears out.

I’m a professional freelance oboist and I absolutely love the Légère English horn reed. It has a lovely warm but lively sound and the reed is responsive right out of the box.

As it breaks in, the connection between the notes improves drastically (and it was already pretty good when brand new), all while keeping the color palate as well as the comfortable feel. It’s easy to sneak around on this reed, but when I need a big sound it obliges with ease, without getting crass and without tone spreading. The pitch of the reed is solid, when cold it runs a little sharp, but once warmed up a little I have found it settles into A-440 nicely across the range.

While cane reeds won’t be fully replaced for me with the oboe reeds just yet, for the English horn I just might be a Légère girlie for the foreseeable future, and I do a LOT of English horn playing. The reed is an investment piece for sure, but it’s proven itself a worthwhile one even before considering the longevity of Légère’s other products.

While natural cane is great, not having to sacrifice hours at the reed desk in the middle of a heavy concert cycle due to weather shifts is a major perk in my book as well. So far this reed has been impervious to weather change and travel, and as a freelancer who can and does pop up anywhere to play this is a major perk. Not having to fight the problems of winter reeds during my busiest season has been a real time saver. Nevermind the peace of mind of knowing my reed box is secure no matter the altitude or the weather.

Also, some folks report having issues keeping the reed on the bocal. I mostly use a loree 2H bocal and have had zero issues with the reed staying in place so far. I know this might be different from bocal to bocal, but so far this reed sits well across my modest bocal stash.

The only thing I would love to see change with their oboe and English horn reeds are the cases in which they ship. The reeds do not fit in standard ribbon style cases, and the provided reeds cases leave quite a bit to be desired. They are secure, but almost too secure, and snapping the reeds into their custom boxes is a pain, especially if reeds are going into and out of the box a lot.

Would love to see them design a better case that is more finger friendly, and perhaps a multi reed case for both oboe and EH reeds could be developed. I for one would greatly appreciate this.

But I’m not knocking a star off over a storage case, so 5 it is. The reed is good!

Helpful support. Cigarette paper did the trick. Need some more time with it.

Love the sound and the freedom from constantly working on reeds - or reeds drying out if doubling.