Vandoren V7 synthetic alto reeds

A few issues back, we took a look at Vandoren’s synthetic clarinet reeds. Now, Vandoren has launched the same synthetic reed, this time for the Alto saxophone, and will no doubt be doing the same for the tenor and baritone instruments in the not too distant future.

We should of course first remind everyone that the Canadian company Légère developed the synthetic reed some years ago and are the leaders in the field. Vandoren are a relatively late arrival. We decided to compare and contrast the new Vandoren synthetic reed to their traditional cane product, but also to compare this new reed to the Légère reeds.

Like the Légère product, the Vandoren synthetic reed comes in a plastic container, but unlike the Légère, it thankfully doesn’t include the plastic cap, which we feel is unnecessary and only adds to the product’s footprint. Both are very clearly marked, unlike a lot of cane reeds. Comparing the two reeds like for like, we found the V7 to be much thicker than the Légère reed, although the length and width are identical. The lay finish (bottom that fits the mouthpiece) is however quite different. The V7 is very smooth and shiny with no machining marks, while the Légère is rougher with obvious machining marks. The top is honed very differently too: The V7 is smooth, flat and linear, whereas the Légère has distinct machine ridges.

Confusingly, the Vandoren synthetic reeds use a completely different hardness rating, but comparison charts are available.

Offering the V7 onto our house metal mouthpiece proved to be somewhat of a challenge, as with our specific setup the ligature (Jody Jazz power ring) did not allow the reed to be positioned correctly as it was clamping far too high. We soon realised that this was due to the minute difference in the thickness of the base of the V7 reed in comparison to that of the normal Vandoren cane reed. We consequently changed the ligature, which then allowed us to mount the V7 correctly.

Once played, the V7 responded well with good articulation and in some ways on a par with a standard cane reed. To do a comparison we used a brand new Vandoren jazz cane reed and once it had settled, they both performed very well. To make a comparison between the V7 and the Légère reed, we have to say that we prefer the latter.

However, we have found over time that the Légère reed gets very dull and lacks response, unlike the Vandoren, which we suspect would last a lot longer and have an enhanced durability. Our main gripe with the V7 is that we cannot use our normal setup to play them. The other issue is that the lay is extremely smooth and if the metal mouthpiece is slightly damp it is hard to locate the reed precisely as you want it.

With one V7 reed costing as much as one and a half boxes of cane reeds, we’re pretty sure the V7 will not last 10 times longer than its cane counterparts. And thereby hangs the conundrum!

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This review originally appeared in the April 2025 issue of Jazzwise – Subscribe to Jazzwise today