B♭ Clarinet French Cut

Product Info

Introducing the French Cut, by Légère. A refined, symphonic reed that gives players a richness and stability in tone, without any sacrifice to response. With a profile that has been completely reimagined, the French Cut has been designed for a dark, centered tone that allows for a deep range of emotional expression. The reed is responsive but even, with the perfect amount of resistance.

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WHY THEY WORK

The secret? A synthetic material unique to Légère, meticulous computer controlled processing operations

and a team of ambitious and hardworking individuals who passionately believe in the Freedom to Perform.

Materials
Design Process

Cane is a unique material—lightweight, yet surprisingly stiff along the grain. That unique combination is what makes it vibrate so well. Reproducing those properties in a synthetic material isn’t easy—but it’s exactly what we’ve done.


Our reeds are made from a special formulation of polypropylene—a non-toxic, food-safe polymer you’ll also find in medical equipment, yogurt cups, and packaging. On its own, polypropylene is far too flexible for a reed. So we strengthen it through a process called orientation, which aligns the polymer fibers to dramatically increase stiffness. That’s the secret to the signature feel and response of a Légère reed.


Because our material doesn’t absorb moisture, Légère reeds don’t need soaking, never warp, and are ready to play right out of the case. They’re durable, hygienic, and can be cleaned easily with warm water and a mild detergent. It’s cane—refined.

  • 5 stars: 313 (78%)
  • 4 stars: 49 (12%)
  • 3 stars: 20 (5%)
  • 2 stars: 8 (2%)
  • 1 star: 12 (3%)
G
Grgere (Bend, US)
Best reeds ever

I am not a professional musician but have played clarinet for over 55 years in symphonies, colleges and community bands and orchestras. I have always suffered from the usual reed paranoia during rehearsals and concerts, wondering if my chosen reed would be the perfect one. It took me awhile to try synthetic reeds, and now I wonder what took me so long. They are out-of-the-package stellar. I have a Buffet, and my sound has always been rich and mellow. These reeds play a little brighter, but overall I am impressed with the clarity and responsiveness. Now I have a few boxes of cane reeds that are getting dusty.

J
Jason
A little thin in the upper register

A little thin in the upper register, but placement on the mouthpiece (Gleichweit BW 7-4) helps a lot.

Hi Jason, thanks for sharing your experience with our B♭ Clarinet French Cut. We’re glad you found that placement on your Gleichweit BW 7-4 mouthpiece helps with the upper register. We appreciate your feedback!

E
Ed Shaw (Gulf Breeze, US)
I play both cane and Legere French Cut 3

I play both cane and Legere French Cut 3.0 and 3.25 reeds. The vast majority of time it's Legere! I pratice every day and rotate three Legere 3.0 reeds. My main instrument is a 1959 Selmer Centered Tone. Mouthpiece is a refaced Selmer HS*. Légère Reeds are so consistent and I love the resonse!

Hi Edmond, thank you for your great review! We're glad you enjoy the consistency and response of our reeds. Keep playing and loving your music!

J
Jason (Wolfville, CA)
Excellent sound

I've found that I prefer the French Cut reeds and have been vacillating between the 3.5 and the 3.75, although I noticed of the four preferred reeds I picked for a recent concert, all of them were 3.5s. Unlike cane reeds, I find I can increase the strength incrementally by moving it up the mouthpiece a little.

Thank you for the great review—we truly appreciate it!

J
Jason (Kentville, CA)
Nothing like a concert to prove which is best

I've been dithering about whether the 3.75 or the 3.5 strength French Cut clarinet reed is best for my needs. Sometimes the 3.5 seems a little to bright; whereas, the 3.75 can seem a little too inflexible. I just played a fairly tough concert (endurance-wise) and when I looked into my reed case, I noticed that all the 3.5 strength reeds had become my top picks. So, I'll stop dithering and next time I'll be ordering exclusively the 3.5 French Cut reeds. They hold up fine under a concert stress and give me all I want for tone, tuning, resistance, and ease of playing.
Cheers,
Jason
http://jasonhall.ca/music

We appreciate you taking the time to leave a review. Thanks so much!

G
Gonzalo Nicolas Morales Sánchez (Indianapolis, US)
Great with BD 5

I've been using Légère with a B4013 for over 10 years now. I recently changed to a BD5 and French cut because a colleague told me it worked (French cut doesn't work well with B40), and I'm amazed by the results.

Thank you for your thoughtful review! We're thrilled to know you enjoyed your reed.

M
Michael Pastor
French Cut 3.75

I recently tried these out after being a European cut user for a few years. This reed offers a slightly different feel but much of what we have come to expect from Legere.

I use a 3.75 on Eurpean cuts and tried both the 3.75 and 4.0 in the French cut but I have landed on the 3.75 for the french cut as well.

I will be experimenting more with this reed but it is definitely worth a try.

Glad you're enjoying your reed!

P
Peter Vaillancourt-McIver (Montreal, CA)
Excellent!! Product!

I am very very pleased with my Legere 3.00 French Cut reed. Such a clear beautiful sounI am very very pleased with my Legere 3.00 French Cut reed. Such a clear beautiful sound and easy on the lips. Thanks for this great product.d and easy on the lips. Thanks for this great product.

K
Kathryn (Steinbach, CA)
The guide/chart was helpful

The guide/chart was helpful, the reed works amazing and I'm looking forward to playing my first concert with it.

J
John Kurdilla (Bethlehem, US)

Great reed

Hi John, thanks so much for the great review! We’re glad you’re enjoying your B♭ Clarinet French Cut reed.

T
Thomas E Kirts (Sycamore, US)
Great Reeds

These reeds are easy to and care for

Hi Thomas, thanks so much for the great review! We’re glad you’re enjoying your French Cut reeds and finding them easy to care for.

J
Jose Caballero (Waltham, US)

Zero Regrets

Hi Jose, thanks for the five stars! We’re glad you’re happy with your B♭ Clarinet French Cut reed—no regrets indeed!

C
Clarinette (Rimouski, CA)
Livraison rapide

Livraison rapide. Ces anches répondent très rapidement!

Bonjour Pierre, merci pour votre avis ! Nous sommes ravis que la livraison ait été rapide et que nos anches répondent si bien. Bonne musique !

D
Debra Durham (Lake in the Hills, US)
French cut reeds

I have been playing French cut legere reeds since they came out. It is nice to have a reed that is ready to play with a dark sound very similar to a natural cane reed. You spend more time playing and less time working on reeds.

Hi Debra, thank you for playing our French Cut reeds over the years and sharing your experience. We’re glad they offer the dark, cane-like sound you enjoy and help you spend more time playing. We appreciate your support!

M
Marysa

I AM NEVER PLAYING ON A WOODEN REED AGAIN AND I AM DEDICATING THE REST OF MY LIFE TO MR LÉGÈRE

D
Delan Barrett (Austin, US)
Plays beautifully right out of the box

I've switched exclusively from cane reeds to Legere reeds. The only debate I have is if I should move up a quarter strength. The reeds play perfectly out of the box but they do start to feel soft after a few weeks. I play on them about 3-4 times a week.

Hi Delan, thanks for sharing your experience! We’re delighted the reeds play beautifully right out of the box. Since you play 3–4 times a week and notice they feel softer after a few weeks, trying the next quarter strength could be worth exploring. Happy playing!

A
Ariel Frey (Durham, US)
Excellent reeds

My son's band director recommended these reeds for him and he really likes them.

Hi Ariel, thanks so much for sharing! We’re delighted your son is enjoying his B♭ Clarinet French Cut reeds, and glad his band director pointed him our way. Happy playing!

M
Moon Young Lee (Milton, CA)
Very good

I used the other types of reeds. I like french cut most. Sound is richer and warmer which I want. Legere is the best reed.

Hi Moon Young, thanks so much for sharing your experience! We’re delighted the French Cut gives you the richer, warmer sound you’re looking for. We truly appreciate your support!

J
Jocinlo (Mohave Valley, US)
Takes my playing to the next level!

I can’t get over how well the Legere French Cut reeds are performing with my “French” setup (Vandoren M13 Lyre, 13 Series)! Before, I had to spend literally hours on adjusting my cane reeds to get them concert-ready, but still found them to be inconsistent (also, I live in the desert Southwest, so keeping up with reed moisture issues only added to the challenge). With the Legere’s, they’re ready to play immediately with consistent, focused tone from the first note. They last so much longer than cane; so, in the end, are actually more cost-effective.

Hi Joseph, thank you for sharing such a thoughtful review! We’re thrilled the French Cut reeds pair so well with your French setup and give you a consistent, focused sound right away—especially in the desert Southwest. It’s great to hear they’re saving you time and proving to be a lasting, cost-effective choice. Happy playing!

C
Charlie Weis (Glen Allen, US)
Always Ready!

It's so nice to know that my clarinet can sit for a bit before church service and it's immediately ready to play when we strike up the music! No moistening reeds. Great product!

Hi Charlie, we’re so glad your reed is ready to play whenever you are—especially before church service. Thanks for sharing your experience!

J
Joe Kania (Avalon, US)
Reed Purchase

I’ve had problems with consistency of Legere reeds. 3.5 French are too soft and 3.75 too hard. Many times they collapse when playing. The weather does affect them but that isn’t true. I’ve used them for several years but thinking of changing set up to use different brand of cane reeds

Hi Joe, we’re sorry the reeds haven’t been consistent for you, especially with the gap between strengths and the collapsing during play. We appreciate you sharing your experience after several years with Légère.

O
Olga Weddle (Turlock, US)
too hard

I mistakenly ordered French Cut instead of European and they're WAY TOO HARD. And being a contentious time in our stupid administration, I was not offered a return. Still have those 2 french cuts, no way will I ever use them.

Hi Olga, we’re sorry the French Cut reeds were much harder than expected and that we couldn’t offer a return. We understand how frustrating that is, especially when you meant to order European Cut. We appreciate you sharing your experience and will pass your feedback along to our team.

L
Leslie

These reeds are so responsive, long-lasting, and reliable. I play on a Vandoren 5RV-Lyre mouthpiece and I use a Vandoren Optimum ligature. The Legere French cut, in my opinion, is a great match for my setup.

J
Jane Senda (Nanaimo, CA)
Easy

I found the French Cut reed very easy to play. Its sound is clear and ‘bright’, very responsive.

Hi Jane, thanks for sharing your experience! We’re glad you found the French Cut reed easy to play, clear, bright, and responsive. Happy playing!