Silverstein Alta Ambipoly Alto Classic 2+

I play alto saxophone and I am an advanced beginner. I have purchased many cane reeds in the recent past, as a part of my path of discovery to find a nice sounding reed with which I could develop my tone and technique.

I was initially reluctant to purchase this Ambipoly Classic Alto 2.0+, because of the expense and for the fact that I was not sure how warm or how bright the reed would be like – I did not desire to end up owning an expensive reed that sounded too thin and that I was not ultimately happy with. So, I opted to purchase this Ambipoly Classic Alto 2.0+, instead of the brighter Ambipoly Jazz Alto (which I subsequently purchased at a later date)

Once it arrived however, I found that its sound was a bit too rounded and warm, with not enough brightness for my tastes. However, to minimise my purchase decision as not being a happy one, I was feeling very brave and took a chance on making my own adjustments to the reed (even with such an expensive purchase) by doing a little bit of careful reed shaving, so that I helped increase its sound to be a little brighter. After this adjustment, it became a little closer to a sound that was more acceptable.

The reed has an initial setting up procedure that the manufacturer recommends is completed before you first begin playing it. This process involves soaking the reed in water for about 30 seconds and then pairing the reed with your mouthpiece for about 15 minutes, by pressing and holding the reed and mouthpiece together so that their contours are ‘married’. This is a procedure that is only done one time during the reed’s lifetime.

I personally could still have enjoyed hearing more brightness in its tone. These opinions, of course, will depend on the comparative setup of your own individual saxophone and its associated components, as well as how you play. Everyone is different when deciding how they hear their own ideal sound, especially as they assemble a setup that suits their own playing tastes and needs.

A potential reed, if you desire a mellow tone.