Ben Wendel

Featured in this April 28, 2020 Facebook post.

Big sax nerd post! I just wanted to give a reed shoutout to Jack over at the Boston Sax Shop. I’ve been dabbling with the 2 and 2.5 strength reeds for a bit now and I think they are really great: https://bit.ly/benwendel-bostonsaxshop

These are very consistent reeds – I will usually get around 5 to 6 winners in a box of 10, which is basically unheard of. The cut is a bit thicker at the tip, which typically gives a darker sound, however by going with the lower strengths I end up getting the brightness I need and the reeds last a really long time. In this clip I’m playing a 2 strength with a .116 Morgan MPC (worked on by the great Adam Niewood). No issues with altissimo – easy and fast response. Definitely worth a try for those that are searching around out there. Quick tip: whatever your reed strength is, I recommend going down a half strength with this brand.

Created by Wendel for his masterclass series.

Created by Wendel for his masterclass series.

Created by Wendel for his masterclass series.

Specified on Wendel's website's FAQ page.

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT SAXOPHONE SETUP?

I currently play a Selmer Super Balanced Action from 1952, with a serial range of 48, XXX. I visited the Selmer company in Paris and they have a book with each saxophone’s “birthday” written in it. Specifically, mine was born on June 20th, 1952.

My current mouthpiece is a vintage Jazz Morgan .116 refaced by the great Adam Niewood. I use Boston Sax Shop reeds and ligature. My neck is handmade by Kim Bock at KB Saxophone and is the Vanguard model.