An Evaluation of Vandoren’s Hottest Products

Vandoren Saxophone Accessories

Introduction

Vandoren is a name that many saxophonists have come to swear by. I have tried many of Vandoren’s reeds and saxophone accessories for soprano, alto, and tenor. David Gould and Andy Blanco over at DANSR were nice enough to send me some of their most popular Vandoren products. I am going to be reviewing a good chunk of the product line and sharing my thoughts on these items.

Mouthpiece Cushions

Vandoren Mouthpiece Cushions
Vandoren Mouthpiece Cushions

Many saxophonists know that when you find the right mouthpiece, you never want it to wear out. I have tried many vintage and used mouthpieces and have noticed that many mouthpieces, after continuous play, will have the bite pad worn down to the point where the mouthpiece needs to be repaired or is almost unplayable. A great accessory and cost effective solution that Vandoren offers is it’s black mouthpiece cushions. These mouthpiece cushions are on the thicker side which offers great protection. In addition to long lasting, these cushions last for a very long time and can be switched from mouthpiece to mouthpiece without losing the adhesive that keeps the mouthpiece cushion in place.  I highly recommend the Vandoren mouthpiece cushions because they will protect your favorite piece(s).

Find on Amazon.com: Vandoren Mouthpiece Cushions Black, Thick, Package of 6

M|O Vandoren Ligature (Gold & Aged Gold)

M | O Vandoren Ligature
M|O Vandoren Ligature

Tenor

The two ligatures I received from Vandoren were the new M|O gold and aged gold ligatures for tenor and alto saxophone. All throughout high school I played on a metal Vandoren V16 mouthpiece and the very popular and widely used Vandoren Optimum ligature. Not too long ago, Vandoren introduced the M|O ligature, which is a combination of the Masters series ligature and the Vandoren Optimum ligature resulting in a lig that is light-weight and allows the reed to vibrate even more.

Aged Gold

My main setup throughout college and now is an old hard rubber Otto Link mouthpiece with a Francois Louis Ultimate Ligature. When I tried the M|O ligature I was surprised by how I could shape notes with an edgy and focused sound. This ligature reminded me of the Optimum ligature but the M|O ligature was lighter and had less contact points on the reed allowing it to vibrate more freely. I was surprised by how consistent my sound was using the M|O from the top register all the way down to my low Bb.

Gold Finish

The gold finish M|O ligature compared to the aged gold finish M|O ligature was very similar. The difference that I found between this finish and the aged gold finish was when I was playing the gold finish, I heard a bit brighter sound when in the upper register and the sound was a bit less spread and more focused in the upper register.

Alto

I have played on a Rovner Eddie Daniels Edition ligature and a stock Meyer 6M mouthpiece for a very long time. Overall, I found the same results with the M|O ligature on tenor as I did on alto. The best way to describe the difference between the aged gold finish and the gold finish would be the overall sound. When I played on the aged gold finish, I felt my sound was leaning towards a more Cannoball Adderley-esque sound while the standard gold finish M|O gave me a brighter sound that reminded me of Charlie Parker and Sonny Stitt. I understand that everyone has different preferences in terms of sound and comfort and that is why I recommend checking out all three finishes if you can (aged gold, gold lacquer finish, and gold plated finish).

Here are two videos of Antonio hart playing with the M/O ligature:

M/O Vandoren ligature Alto (Gold & Aged Gold)

Read the Vandoren Product Brief  [Sorry(!), but this web page has disappeared since the original publication of this article]

Find on Amazon.com: Vandoren M/O Series Saxophone Ligature Tenor Sax – Gilded

Mouthpieces

Vandoren SM823E Mouthpiece V16 T75 Tenor Saxophone Ebonite
Vandoren SM823E Mouthpiece V16 T75 Tenor Saxophone Ebonite

Vandoren V16 T8 (Tenor)

I own a Vandoren V16 A7 alto mouthpiece and have switched between my Vandoren and Meyer mouthpiece based on which alto saxophone I am playing. I recently was able to try the Vandoren V16 T8 mouthpiece for tenor to see how it compared to my Link. I would have to say that out of the various mouthpieces that Vandoren offers, from soprano to baritone sax, the V16 mouthpiece reminded me most of the popular vintage mouthpieces that so many players (including myself) have played or have been searching for.

I found the V16 T8 model to be a little bit open and I would probably prefer playing on the T7. One characteristic that I have noticed while trying the Vandoren V16 as well as the Vandoren Jumbo Java mouthpiece is the consistency you can obtain on these mouthpieces. I found the V16 to play very neutral throughout the entire range of the horn, and I found great stability when playing down to the low Bb as well as playing up to the high F#. In comparison to my Link, I felt that my Link had a bigger sound as well as focus, but the Vandoren V16 was more consistent from top to bottom. I would highly recommend trying the V16 model if you are looking for something that embodies many of the characteristics of the most popular vintage mouthpieces, but with Vandoren’s mouthpiece innovations.

Find on Amazon.com: Vandoren SM823E Mouthpiece V16 T75 Tenor Saxophone Ebonite

Vandoren SM823E Mouthpiece V16 T75 Tenor Saxophone Ebonite
Vandoren SM823E Mouthpiece V16 T75 Tenor Saxophone Ebonite

Vandoren Jumbo Java T75 (Tenor)

The Vandoren Jumbo Java is one of Vandoren’s most popular jazz mouthpieces. Many players who I have talked with view the jumbo java as a mouthpiece that offers many players the power of a metal mouthpiece but in hard rubber. When I test-played the Vandoren Jumbo Java, I was surprised by the sound. I did not realize how loud a hard rubber mouthpiece could be. I found that I was able to produce a very big sound that just consumed the entire room.

In terms of focus, I found this mouthpiece to be much more spread than focused. The Jumbo Java was very easy to control and I found in particular the bottom range to be extra-full. This mouthpiece is very different from the V16 model mouthpieces and I would recommend trying out both to see which one fits your style of playing.

Find on Amazon.com: Vandoren SM613B Mouthpiece Vandoren Tenor Sax Jumbo Java T75

Reeds

I tried almost every type of reed that Vandoren manufacturers, from the blue box to the ZZ’s, but had not gotten the chance to compare the full line up side by side. I received a mixture of 2.5 and 3-strength reeds of the Vandoren Java, Vandoren V16, Vandoren ZZ, and the Vandoren Java Red for tenor saxophone. Here are my thoughts on how these reeds sounded to me.

Vandoren Java

Vandoren Java Tenor Saxophone Reeds
Vandoren Java Tenor Saxophone Reeds

I play-tested the 2.5 and 3 strength vandoren Java reeds. What I noticed was I prefer the 2.5 Java over the 3 because the 3 was a bit hard. What I noticed about the Java was its instant response as well as bright sound, especially when I played in the upper register. I find these reeds to be very free blowing and brighter overall when compared with the ZZ and V16.

Find on Amazon.com: Vandoren Java Tenor Saxophone Reeds #3, Box of 5

Java Red

Vandoren Java Red Tenor Saxophone Reeds
Vandoren Java Red Tenor Saxophone Reeds

The Vandoren Java Red was the newest reed of the Vandoren line up that I had ever tested. The best way to describe the sound of this reed would be as follows: It had the characteristics of the Java in regards to the brighter upper register, with neutral mid range of the V16 reed, and the edge and free blowing-ness seen in the Vandoren ZZ.

Find on Amazon.com: Vandoren Java Red Tenor Saxophone Reeds #2.5, Box of 5

Vandoren ZZ

Vandoren ZZ Tenor Saxophone Reeds
Vandoren ZZ Tenor Saxophone Reeds

The Vandoren ZZ was overall the edgiest and darkest reed of the Vandoren line. I found the ZZ to have a nice focused sound and can see why so many jazz saxophone players have chosen this reed.

Find on Amazon.com: Vandoren ZZ Tenor Saxophone Reeds #3, Box of 5

V16

Vandoren Tenor Sax V16 Advanced Reeds
Vandoren Tenor Sax V16 Advanced Reeds

I found the V16 reed to be the most neutral of the Vandoren line. This cut has actually been one of my favorite Vandoren cuts due to is consistency out of the box as well as it neutral timbre which gave me the most freedom to shape the sound the way I wanted. I found the V16 to have more resistance compared to the ZZ, Java Red, and the Java. If you are not a big fan of some resistance, I would recommend the ZZ or Java, but this reed has a very warm sound.

Find on Amazon.com: Vandoren Tenor Sax V16 Advanced Reeds #3, Box of 5

Vandoren Reed Comparison Chart

Overall Thoughts

All in all, Vandoren has consistently been developing great products over the years. They are probably one of the most innovative companies in woodwind accessories and I can see why many players have continued to play their products. My favorite product out of the Vandoren product line was the aged gold Vandoren M|O ligature for tenor saxophone, and surprisingly I enjoyed playing on the Vandoren Red box just as much as I did on the V16. I would like to thank David Gould and Andy Blanco for sending me these various Vandoren products.

Otherwise, the best advice I can give in regards to equipment is to play what feels comfortable.

I’d love to get your thoughts on Vandoren’s product line, so please chime in below!