American Scrape Oboe

These have changed my life for the better

I am an amateur oboist who took a 28-year break. Started playing again 5 years ago in a local university that needs oboes in their awesome Wind Ensemble. I spent my first few summers trying to get back where I could make my own reeds, but never got quite back to it. I bought my first Legere reed last November, and am not planning on going back (I gave all my reeds away to students taking WW Tech). They are consistent in all ranges and play easily. I am using the Medium. I love that they don't have to be wet - sit there waiting 5 minutes for your solo and NO problems speaking! Also not sensitive to the weather! The fact that they made a batch (at least) that are really flat is not acceptable, but 1 of 4 was that way for me and when warmed up was actually OK. You can also grind or cut the oboe end of the reed to make it shorter. They are not cheap, but the peace of mind and being able to play pp well is worth it to me.

Great tone, Dependable, Delicate

Over super satisfied with tone, tuning, and play quality. Projects very well and has a consistent sound in multiple environments. 1st reed I brought was broken by my cat (my fault, left it out on the stand). Second reed I was playing on for about 30 mins and it felt like the reed was closing off so I tried to open it slightly and both side of the reed cracked :/ On reed #3 and move up from a medium to medium hard and so far so good. Totally understand that oboe reeds are fragile, but given the cost of a single reed it's super high stakes and a simple oversight will cost you a lot.

Very good!

Very stable pitch and projection. Excellent in the lower and middle registers. Gets a little bit pitchy in the upper register though. Great reed for doubling without worrying about it drying out. Easy playing right out of the box, but I found the need to take in more of the reed for better contact with the upper lip. Not quite the depth of expression as a cane reed for slower, softer, or more lyrical passages. Great for louder more technical ones. Not tiring to play on and is forgiving when the lip starts to get tired. Overall, I really like it! Definitely a keeper and a go-to in the event of a reed failure. I will be very interested to see how these reeds continue to evolve!