D'Addario Woodwinds Rico Plasticover Alto Sax Reeds, Strength 2.5, 5-pack - RRP05ASX250

Easy to use, plays clearly with my instrument, and lasts decently. It's less of a hassle to use these reeds. They don't require a lot of moisture after the first use, they are easy to get a sound out of, you can play with a looser embouchure, and they don't chip easily. They are a low thickness and you get a rather bright sound. The only wear I've noticed after about one month of use is small pieces of the pastic will peel off. I would say two months per reed is probably maximum usage provided you play your instrument 5 hours a week. Most instructors will tell you not to use a bright sounding reed like these ones in concert band, only use it in marching band. There is another view that I've heard with the opposite claim. A few players will tell you to use these less thicker reeds in concert band because you can play quieter with better tone than the thicker ones, and to use the thicker ones (not these) in marching band because it requires you to use more air and thus play louder. Good reeds for nonprofessional players.

I have tried nearly every reed on the market in my twenty year career as a saxophonist, but I always return to my the Plasticovers. I have always found cane reeds to have a stuffy sound and less than desirable responsiveness, and I can't seem to get into the hype of synthetics. These are without a doubt the best reeds I have ever used. My current setup consists of a Yamaha YAS-875EXB with a Beechler Bellite #8 using the stock ligature and size 2.5 Plasticovers, and I absolutely love the bright pop sound that I achieve with this setup. I appreciate that there is little to no break-in time for these reeds and that changes in temperature and climate do not appear to affect them in any way. One thing I will say is that these reeds tend to sound better on metal mouthpieces. I have tried to use them with a Jody Jazz Jet 7, but there's a noticeable "plastic" sound. All in all, these are great reeds and I would most definitely recommend that someone at least give them a try.

Suenan bien

Holy Cow! I bought these because the reeds I bought before were too airy. I had some normal reeds that consistently sounded like I was blowing up a balloon whilst playing. I looked up what could be making the noise (I recently switched from Tenor to Alto and never had this issue before) and most people said bad reed. That eventually brought me to plastic reeds which were too expensive for me to "try out". These plasticover reeds are a great mix of quality and price-point. My last reeds wouldn't last very long, but I can already feel that these are going to last well over a month per reed. I play about 3 or 4 times a week for an hour at a time. I can just slap the reed on my mouthpiece without having to soak it, just a quick suck is sufficient. They are far more durable than a normal reed and don't split like many tips have before. Overall, I love these and will purchase more in the future.

These are my favorite reeds. The show can go on.

Got this since the local store where we get reeds are out of stock. We get the Juno brand and while that's good, it is pricier. This reed is at par with the Juno brand but better when it comes to price since you'll get more. It's a no brainer!

They sound fine, seem no different than a wet, uncoated reed, and you don't have to mess with water.I take my sax apart to clean it but keep using the same reed. It works fine. I use it for practice so haven't done a careful comparison of the sound. It seems to last a long time, though. I've been using the first one I put on for a couple of weeks. Next, some Plasticover clarinet reeds.

These reeds are excellent! I am a professional musician and recording artist, and the Rico Plasticover alto reeds are my number 1 choice for gigs and studio sessions. They hold up longer than regular wood reeds, and they have a great live full bodied sound to them. I often work with many amplified musicians, so I need the extra punch these reeds provide, and they deliver it big time. With many other regular reeds I would get frustrated with how quickly they would start warping and become unusable so quickly. This is not a problem with Rico Plasticover reeds. They last at least 3 or 4 times longer and still deliver a great sound. I would recommend these to any working professional who needs that bit of extra these can deliver for you.