Hi kind viewer! Hey, fancy a free one hour Masterclass with me? Help yourself!! www.getyoursaxtogether.com/masterclass

I use HSS Lathe tools instead of Reed Geeks and a good tip is to have the ends of the Lathe Tool rounded off a bit. Then you have the eraser tip as the Reed Geek does. I recommend using the 8mm size bits as 6mm proved to be a little too light to work well just using the weight of the bit, which I think is key to not overdoing it.

@GetYourSaxTogether

9 ай бұрын

Thanks for the great explanation! 👍

Thank you so much for this video! I am I high school student without a job so I am always on a budget and the reedgeek was not going to fit! I am glad you have introduced me to this significantly cheaper way to get into adjusting my reeds!

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

You are so welcome Isaiah!

Thanks so much for your information everyone I have watched didn’t go into detail 🤔😱😎🎷🎷🎷

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

The Reed is the most important part of the setup, knowing how to sand them has made my playing so much better, the difference is unreal. I use the reed geek mostly to sand the table and making sure it is really flat but I can get pretty much the same results with a glass surface and some fine sandpaper. If I had known there was a 3$ option I would have gone for it. There is no way of justifying such a high price for that tool.

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

Cool tips!

@jazzman_10

3 жыл бұрын

@@GetYourSaxTogether I forgot to mention I put some lip vaseline on them when done. That keeps them sealed and moist without getting moldy. If you think about that is the secret of the plasticovers and the synthetics. They don't not get moist and they don't dry out, that is what makes wooden ones unstable, when they dry out they do not come back to their original flat shape so you have to retouch them every time...

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

@@jazzman_10 I never heard that before - nice one!

I have used Reed Geek for a few years with satisfaction. A pro sax player stated that his Geek had lost it’s sharpness and he then switched to knife blades. Thanks for your evaluation honesty. For the trimming task, I don’t place the reed on my mouthpiece for fear of damaging the mouthpiece rail.

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

Sounds like a sensible precaution.

You've won me over with this! I've always used a stanley blade, and I've resisted a Reedgeek out of principle because no piece of steel tool should be that expensive. I very much appreciate the honest review, keep it up!

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

Glad I could help Mark!

@chrisrjcox

2 жыл бұрын

How did the Stanley blade work out? Well? I was thinking I’m of trying the same

@andrea22213

2 жыл бұрын

@@chrisrjcox Don't use the blade. Where they are stamped out, the angled shoulders of a Stanley blade are smooth on one face and sharp on the other. Simply use the sharp side. Because of the poor quality steel they soon blunt. I'm here to find out about the alternative!

@tomtresco2952

Жыл бұрын

@@andrea22213 Use a Fat Max Stanley Blade, better quality

@SaxJockey

Жыл бұрын

I have a Reed Geek and do use it, mainly for flattening/lightening the table of the reed, which help its overall response. The tool also has some contours for shaping specific parts of the reed, I have managed without reverting to that...fear of screwing up the reed completely! The current price is too high for what it is, I bought one circa 2013 for about half the current price. I previously bought the Vandoren Glass Reed Resurfacer and Glass Stick; that was twice the price of the Reed Geek back then. I gave up on the Vandoren item; the frosted glass gets clogged up, even after cleaning.

I too have been putting off buying a Reed Geek because of the cost. Instead, I have been using the edge of an old knife sharpening steel, which worked passably - & definitely improved my reeds. I've just bought one of these bits of Lathe Tool steel & it is absolutely superb. Thank you so much for telling us about them.

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

Anytime Justin, thanks for watching!

Nice video as usual GYST. The lathe tool bits are made from High Speed Steel (Hss) M2 is preferred. M7 is great but is harder to grind if you want to shape it with a grinding wheel. M7 will hold an edge longer. If your aren't interested in grinding or sharpening these bits then M2 HSS will be fine. In the US you can get them from Harbor Freight for about $4 or from Amazon as well. BTW these are made for cutting steel not wood. So they work fine on cane

@GetYourSaxTogether

2 жыл бұрын

Cool. Great info, thanks.

Great video! Thank you so much for this comparison 😁

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

ReedGeek's price is a DISGRACE. For the price of one ReedGeek, we can buy the entire multi-tool and drill-bits sharpener electric machine (it costs $59, comes with 10mm wide diamond sharpening wheel for sharpening of HSS steel), and at least 10 several various lathe bits (various profiles) to shape into anything! For the price of ONE tooled bit named ReedGeek, one can start producing at least 10 of these bits at home! Or, have a supply of handmade 'Geeks' for half the classroom.

@GetYourSaxTogether

2 жыл бұрын

Crazy thought!

Great! I have 2 Reed Geeks-1 always in my tenor case and 1 in my practice room. But now i can afford 2 lathe tools-1 for my alto and 1 for my soprano. Thanks for the tip!!

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

You're welcome!

There is a saying in Brazilian portuguese that goes more or less like: "As long as there are horses, Saint George will find a ride". I think it aplies for most music accessories.

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

Cool. Love that.

Just moved house and lost my Reed Geek. Just ordered a lathe tool.. job done . Cheers for that 👍🎷🎶🎷🎵

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

Wicked. Love that!

I got a Black Diamond Reed Geek a couple of years ago despite knowing full well that it was merely a glorified bit of toolsteel and an engineering background!! (Toolsteel is used for cutting metals, most often on a lathe). If I had access to a good bench grinder I wouldn’t dream of spending so much on the tool.

@GetYourSaxTogether

8 ай бұрын

🤣

Thanks for this Jamie.

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

My pleasure Geoff!

You can also get a slightly larger or smaller width depending on your preference. I think the reed geek is 5/16 inch, so 3/8 would be slightly bigger (great for flattening the back of larger reeds) or 1/4 if you want a smaller lighter one. Also since the reed geek is so expensive I wouldn't modify it, but the lathe tools are so cheap I cut them in half and can fit them in my reed case.

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

Great tips.

It took me some time to find the high speed steel lathe-tool (finding the Romanian term, then finding out where to order it, then a few weeks of waiting for it to arrive), but I finally got an 8mm x 8mm x 10cm tool for adjusting my reeds. The cost was $5 + $5 shipping. Thanks for the tips of how to use it, and what to watch out for when making the finer adjustments. (After watching your comparison video I just couldn't bring myself to spend $69 - plus shipping!)

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

Great Rob.

I’ve been using a piece of tool steel for years. If you have a grinder you can put all the angles a reed geek has on it. There’s to many over priced accessories on the market that can be simply made for a fraction of the cost, why people keep handing over huge amounts of money I’ll never know.

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

Great tip - thanks Ian.

@V081WLBlue

3 жыл бұрын

Not much different than the sort of people who buy handbags for £2000 or boxers for £100 etc, basically idiots with no sense of themselves or individuality and need something to fill their lives and make them feel worth. Also some people just like silly toys that they think are cool and have to cost a lot!

@ianwhatmough150

3 жыл бұрын

I have also been using High Speed Lathe tools for years and have also ground edges and angles on my tools. I have also had no issues with corrosion. I use 3/8" generic lathe tools. I have one in all of my cases and a few others kicking around and I have no where near spent the dollar amount of what Reed Geek is charging. I have no problems with the branded reed geek tool however I do find them to be extremely expensive for what they actually are. It is not a saxophone reed adjustment tool, it is a high speed steel metal lathe cutting tool used to adjust woodwind reeds. It's not rocket science.

Thanks for that Jamie, I had shied away from spending such s lot on s Reed Geek and want even sure if I'd notice any benefit. I will try the generic tool and give it a try after seeing your report 👍🏻

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

Glad I could help John!

Play a good synthetic reed, and spend your time practicing instead of fiddling. Legere, Forestone, and Hartmann are very consistent.

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, that's a popular point of view.

@stephenriley6541

3 жыл бұрын

Synthetics are pants .. Jamie won't say it but I don't mind.. ha ha 😂

@RandoDred

Жыл бұрын

@@stephenriley6541 pants?

@thewarhenk

Ай бұрын

Alta Ambipoly are wonderful. Fibracell can be good too; I much prefer these to Legere and the others. They can be worked and I believe these tools would do well.

My lathe tool just arrived! I have no terms of comparison, since I don't own a ReedGeek, but this little tool already fixed a couple of bad reeds I had :)

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

Very cool!

Just what I was looking for!

@GetYourSaxTogether

2 жыл бұрын

Cool 😎

Have used razor blade and reed cutters for adjustments for nearly 50 years. That'll do me! Also used to use old 10p piece and lighter for emergency work on clarinet reeds.

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

I love the old methods people have!

@zvonimirtosic6171

2 жыл бұрын

A big part of the problem is travelling with your instrument(s). Razor blades, knives etc. are not permitted on planes. Are you willing to put your $5K clarinet or alto sax in the cargo area, or take it onboard with you? Lathe tool is small and is not a knife, can be stored in the instrument case, and that is why ReedGeek is very popular. ReedGeek is insanely overpriced, but people buy it because they avoid inconvenience. Sad, but true.

Interesting comparison. I have a Reed Geek classic but probably don't use it enough. My biggest issue is remembering which instrument case it's in! Perhaps a couple of cheap lathe tools for my lesser used instruments is the answer. Stay safe.

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

Great idea Francis!

Thank you sir!!!

@GetYourSaxTogether

5 ай бұрын

🙏

Brilliant money saving tip and it works well.

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

Awesome 😎

I tried the lathe tool some years ago. But the finishing of the edges were not made for scrapping purpose so it’s not convenient to adjust the reed. I ended up buying a reed geek which I love it so much. Worth for the money paid.

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

Great point!

First thanks to Jamie for the heads up on a cheap alternative to the Reed Geek in spite of its limitations. Anyway I am sure a Reed Geek is a justifiable purchase, in spite of the price, for a pro sax player or say someone who regularly plays in a band and gets through a lot of reeds. However for someone like me who plays for fun the price must simply put most people off. So that's why I'll give the HSS Lathe blank a go and have just bought one from RDG. The price of these is now about £4 in Nov 22. If it works it will be a cost effective way of adjusting a reed but if not I won't be too upset. Update. Some two months on I am using the toolsteel reed adjuster on all my reeds mostly to keep the reed flat where it meets the mouthpiece table and have found it really helps to keep the reeds going and often to modify a reed so it's more playable. So it has been well worth it.

@GetYourSaxTogether

Жыл бұрын

👍🏼

thank from France

@GetYourSaxTogether

Жыл бұрын

My pleasure! 😀

Great Community Service ! Are these stainless steel tools any better than a glass slide (used with microscopes) which are also very sharp and do not rust ?

@GetYourSaxTogether

Жыл бұрын

Any level edge can accomplish the job with th eproper care and attention to detail. Use caution with a microscope slide as you don't want to leave behind tiny glass shards that can cut your lips.

I'm quite crafty and I don't really have a lathe tool like that so I'm sticking with cautiously using a filer

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

Nice!

Hi Jamie, an opinion on Legere signature for tenor? My best.

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

I've just got one, and I'll review it some time soon!

Jamie, thou art great! Thanks for the tip. I received my HSS bit today, and it does the job. I encourage others to try it out. Very affordable. The "geek" is day light robbery. Inventor/Invention? 🙄

@GetYourSaxTogether

2 жыл бұрын

👍

I’m a machinist, lathe hss lathe tool can be ground and the corners can be rounded off.

@GetYourSaxTogether

9 ай бұрын

Thanks for the info! 🙏

First off I'm no expert. It seems like there's a push to play thicker reeds. It's like how much can you bench? So you can takes a thick reed and shave it down and still say you play a fat Reed. Macho. I never had wind to bend some popsicle stick either but instead of shaving I heard about compressing. The Reed is like a bundle of straws. If you suck on the end of a new reed it flows. By compressing the fibers a harder,denser, quicker and less spongy action seems possible. By rubbing the top face with a glass, smooth coin or lighter I get a smooth hardened reed without losing material. You shouldn't be able to suck through the end if done right. I've never had an unplayable reed using this method. Gotta credit someone on KZread who showed me this. Also about holding it up to the light and looking for an even arc in the heart grain as more even flexing. Seems reasonable. Whoever the person is...Than You! I lived in fear of breaking my lucky reed til I was freed.

@GetYourSaxTogether

2 жыл бұрын

Yeh it’s a good tip, Dave Liebman showed me that. It stops your reeds getting so waterlogged as well.

@paulvandriel2344

2 жыл бұрын

@@GetYourSaxTogether Use grid 8000 paper to polish the top face! No loss of material and perfect smooth surface that prevents taking up too much water. Feels nice on the lips to.

I use a Stanley Blade, works a dream

@GetYourSaxTogether

Жыл бұрын

👍

I see from the RDG website that they offer a 10mmx10mm version of the lathe tool at virtually the same price as the 6mmx6mm that you purchased. That might be a little more mass, requiring more that same pressure as the Reed Geek. Thoughts?

@GetYourSaxTogether

2 жыл бұрын

For that price, give it a go with both!

@Kenonharp

2 жыл бұрын

@@GetYourSaxTogether Well it turns out they now have the 8mm in stock. Sadly, when I went to order it I found to mail it to Canada they want 17 Pounds!!! That makes it way to expensive. Heck the actual mail can't be more that a pound. Have to find someone in the UK to forward one to me. The ones available here are only 100mm long making them likely quite hard to work with.

What you need is a friendly model engineer who can sharpen the lathe tool and sharpen the ends to match the reedgeek.

@GetYourSaxTogether

2 жыл бұрын

Yeh I guess you’re right!

Thank you, very informative. Here's a dissenting view: Can't help thinking that you're being a little unfair on the makers of Reed Geek. I'm sure you'd rather play a Selmer Mk 6 than a mass-produced copy even at 1/23rd of the price. I haven't bought a Reed Geek (yet) but I say Hats Off to Mr. Di Gioia for going the extra distance.

@GetYourSaxTogether

Жыл бұрын

Yeh - maybe a bit of internet polarisation I guess. I use a reed geek right enough.

Hi I'm a mechanical engineer and have bought the 6mm x75mm toolsteel some time ago I got this from Ebay for £2.50 I use this all the time and it works I just couldn't bring myself to pay for a Reed geek and im sure they are better But for the likes of me ( non professional) it works nicely :-)

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

That's great Gary.

@Kenonharp

2 жыл бұрын

I would have thought that the 75mm length would make it hard to work with, no?

@spaceisbig7910

2 жыл бұрын

@@Kenonharp not had a problem its only light work and you can buy longer pieces

I'm just a beginner and use reeds right out of the box. Is this kind of fine tuning just for the pros?

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

Not just for pros, no. If you’ve got a dodgy Reed that doesn’t feel good you can get involved!

I haven't read all the replies, but if there is a concern about tooling marks on the cheap tool steel, smooth those off with graduating levels of sandpaper. You can use that same set of sandpapers to sharpen the edges, too.... or just use the sandpaper on your reeds and remove the middle man!

@GetYourSaxTogether

7 ай бұрын

👍

@davidr2863

5 ай бұрын

What ranges of grit do you recommend on the sandpaper?

@18-tube-wattamp64

5 ай бұрын

For smoothing or sharpening the tool steel, start with 120-150 and work your way up to 1000. Once you get it to that level you can maintain it with 1000 as long as you don’t let it get too dull.

@davidr2863

5 ай бұрын

@18-tube-wattamp64 Awesome - thanks a lot! I'll be buying the steel tool tomorrow. And if I wanted to sandpaper the reed directly, what ranges would you recommend?

@18-tube-wattamp64

5 ай бұрын

I’ve heard using the same range, actually. Earspasm has a video on this along with others. Sandpaper is a viable alternative.

Absolutely brilliant! I'm a beginner on a low budget and was considering purchasing the Reed Geek. But I also have Yorkshire ancestry, and so have just placed an order with RDG. And I've ordered an imperial one to boot!

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

Fantastic!

Razor blade does trick just as well

@GetYourSaxTogether

11 ай бұрын

Razor blade may be a bit trickier to control and may not always be as level/flat across the edge.

For those of us living in the U.S., HarborFreight has a 5-piece Mini Lathe set for $4.99... been using since I first saw the ReedGeek... and figured out what it was.. a lathe bit... And I have NO problem with rust... and the edges are sharp... Only in stores, though... www.harborfreight.com/5-piece-m2-high-speed-steel-mini-tool-bits-for-metalworking-lathes-40641.html

@GetYourSaxTogether

Жыл бұрын

Interesting. Thanks 🙏

Hi Jamie as always lovely video and so useful for all us Saxophone geeks. Could you put the ebay link to the product in a comment please? Thank you for all your hard work take care Royston.

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

I thought I'd put it in the description - thanks for pointing that out! I've added it now - but here it is www.ebay.co.uk/itm/351130166908

@billsussman1073

3 жыл бұрын

Harbor freight baby! 5 beans for a set

Under the intense heat generated by the old ‘par cans’ and doubling / playing keys my cane sax reeds used to dry out if I didn’t use the sax often enough during a gig. Sometimes there was no time to make the reed moist and stop the end of the reed warping ‘sinusoidally’, due to massive temperature changes. Legere reeds have a great sound and consistency and don’t need the warm up, soaking in vodka or tickling with a phoenix’ feather - but I still like old fashioned cane reeds.... because I am old!...?

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

Yeh I know exactly what you mean Danny!

what about the synthetic reeds ?

@GetYourSaxTogether

Жыл бұрын

That depends on the brand. Some you can, some you can't.

Hi Jamie - It’s a bit like the old guitarist joke. They spend half the time tuning and the other half playing out of tune 😂. Amateur saxophonists (unlike yourself) spend a disproportionate amount of time fiddling with their reeds because they’re unhappy with their sound. I just want to pick up my sax and play and have a reasonable if not the greatest sound straight away so I’ve switched to synthetic which for someone who only plays a couple of times a week is great. How about doing a review of synthetic reeds ? 😀 Really enjoy the channel

@philippea101

3 жыл бұрын

Same thing her - I get more benefit from practicing more, rather than fiddling with reeds, so légère it is....

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

Yes, this is a popular opinion and I've had a few comments and messages saying the same things. glad you're enjoying the channel Steve.

I could not agree more . I have been posting this with images for a couple years , ha ha ha . Keep your money in your pocket, ha ha ha .

@GetYourSaxTogether

7 ай бұрын

👍

Jamie: I think I found a way to make reeds play better, with NO scraping, or sanding!!!!

@GetYourSaxTogether

9 ай бұрын

Ok, cool!

@jazminrl

2 ай бұрын

How?

This, this, THIS, rocks!!!!! Yes, I have been hemming and hawing on the price of the "Reed Geek"; it was out of my range.....really! I mean what a- holes try to make $$ off of musicians!? well, I've known quite a lot! (I even stopped playing for years because I thought it was a racket) But, this is great, I love cheap alternatives! e.g.- Instead, of buying those "key leave$" I use sliced up into rounds of cork from a wine bottle. Anyway, thanks again Jamie!!! You right diamond geez!

@stveloop9452

3 жыл бұрын

haha it's worse when you actually buy key leaves and they don't quite fit your mechanism, this tip is the best £2.50 to invest in a sax.

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

You're welcome!

@paulvandriel2344

2 жыл бұрын

Make your own key leaves from some old flip flops! Cut the form out of the neoprene soles, shoe lace through them and voila! Cost? Close to Zero $. And they will always be the right size for your sax (because you measured it before, of course ;-)).

Sir recently I got irretated with my saxophone and broke two reeds myself and now I'm not sounding good with my new reeds pls help me to get my saxophone play better

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

Sure. What would you like me to do?

@chandrasbandaru3777

3 жыл бұрын

@@GetYourSaxTogether a little boost, and how to increase my saxophone to high level and how to make love with my saxophone something like that

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

@@chandrasbandaru3777 try my free Masterclass. It’s got a bit of everything. www.getyoursaxtogether.com/masterclass

Wish I thought of this before buying two Reed geeks

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

It's still a great tool IMO.

You can't really work synthetic reeds with a Reedgeek. I've tried.

@GetYourSaxTogether

2 жыл бұрын

🤣 true.

@thewarhenk

2 жыл бұрын

They say that their Bullet model does, but it’s $120!

Jamie if you ever get tired of playing sax you have a great future as a consumer affairs TV presenter! If the objective is to smooth off uneven surfaces, would a nailfile do just as well and even cheaper than the lathe tool?

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

Maybe I’ll move into tv! A nail file would be too rough and would also leave kinda scratch marks I think btw.

a person making proper adjustments better know what they are doing regardless of the tool.

@GetYourSaxTogether

9 ай бұрын

👍

Only the makers of Reedgeek could thumb this video down :)

@GetYourSaxTogether

2 жыл бұрын

😂

😉👌🏻😎

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

;-)

With it's special features, I could justify a $15 price tag...MAYBE almost $20, but anymore than that is ridiculous. The current price is completely $hitty to be honest. You've got to be a special kind of prick to charge as much as they do for it. I don't care how long it lasts and saves you on reeds--the shaped piece of metal itself isn't worth anywhere near the price they charge.

@GetYourSaxTogether

2 жыл бұрын

maybe, yeh.

$6 bucks for the pouch is the stupid thing .....

@GetYourSaxTogether

3 жыл бұрын

😂