Vandoren has produced a reed full of tone and free blowing with fantastic response, even in the altissimo range.  A newcut with the reed where the heart of the reed is and a new tip thickness, where the vibration is produced. Very good feed back is being received reagrding the ZZ reed from Vandoren.
In tests with Jazz saxophonists, the artists found the new ZZ reed to be immediately responsive without sacrificing the brightness or tone quality required for their style of music. Its free-blowing characteristics made the artists immediate fans of the new ZZ reed. The unique relationship between the heart and tip provides extraordinary colour, great response and a durable life.

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VANDOREN SAXOPHONE REEDS   -  WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES?

TRADITIONAL – This reed is designed to produce a quality of extremely pure sound due to a very thin reed tip (the area of reed with maximum vibration), balanced by a solid vertebral column (more cane in the area which climbs gradually to the heel).

V•12 – The success of V•12 reeds in the clarinet world for 25 years has led us to transpose their characteristics and advantages into the saxophone world. With its very precise attack, homogeneous timbre in every register, controlled high notes, warm and velvety sound, this new reed offers exceptional possibilities.

V21 - The V21 reed combines the conical shape of a 56 rue Lepic reed with a V•12 profile. This unique combination makes all registers of the clarinet more accessible with warmth and a depth of sound. It will allow you to play with amazing presence and immediate response. V21 is the perfect reed for performances that require the ability to handle large interval leaps efficiently with an even and rich tone.

JAVA – Developed in 1983 for jazz and popular music. A thicker tip and a more flexible palette* than the Traditional reed allow vibration over a larger surface area with maximum elasticity. This type of vertebral column gives the musician much greater playing flexibility, as the resultant elasticity zone is very large.

JAVA RED – The driving force behind the JAVA “Filed - Red Cut” design was to offer more sonic possibilities to musicians while keeping the qualities of the original Java. More flexible than its elder version, with a little more tonal body, the JAVA “Filed - Red Cut” offers a full, rich, centered sound and excellent projection with an extremely precise attack.

V16 – Launched in 1993 to answer the demand of some American jazz musicians (a JAVA with even more wood). The V16 has a thicker tip than the traditional Vandoren reeds and a longer palette. Sound: more brilliant, more percussive, particularly well adapted to all the new styles of music.

jaZZ – Developed in 2002, the ZZ jazz reed is immediately responsive without sacrificing the brightness or tone quality required for this style of music. The unique relationship between the heart and tip provides extraordinary color, great response and a durable life.