For a durable reed for your alto sax, look to the Forestone Black Bamboo alto saxophone reed. The Forestone material is a mixture of polypropylene resin and cellulose wood fiber. More than 50 percent of the wood fiber used is bamboo. The material is brownish in color, tasteless, odorless and non-toxic. The exceptional sound, resilience and flexibility of Forestone reeds is due to this material.

Fabrication
Forestone reeds are made using proprietary injection molding developed in Japan. This results in reeds with optimally smooth vamps that are uniform and consistent, reed to reed.

Construction and Profile
Forestone reeds are perfectly balanced side to side and front to back. The profile tapers down to 0.1 mm thickness across the tip. The reeds display the upside-down “U-shape” associated with cane reeds when held up to the light.

Performance
Forestone reeds maintain their strength and resistance over time. They vibrate well and hold the center of the sound in a manner similar to that of a good quality cane reed. The basic timber is robust, clear and strong, with enough “buzz” to ensure projection and carrying power. Intonation is stable and the reeds articulate well throughout the range of the saxophone.

Feel
The difference in feel between Forestone and cane is minimal. That said, players should take some time to get comfortable with Forestone, in the same way as he or she would to get comfortable with a new mouthpiece, ligature, barrel or instrument.

Adjustment
Blowing resistance can be adjusted with Forestone reeds by slightly raising or lowering the reed on the mouthpiece table (lower placement = less resistance, higher placement = more resistance). Although other types of adjustment are usually not necessary, the material is hard enough that players can still do so using blades, files, sandpaper, reed rush or whatever other tool or implement is desired. Players can also clip Forestone reeds.

Longevity
The useful life of a Forestone reed will vary from player to player given that everyone’s way of playing — their embouchure address — stresses the reed differently. Forestone reeds will far outlast good quality cane as the proprietary composite material is impervious to water-logging and breakdown by saliva, and will not warp due to changes in humidity or altitude. After a certain number of hours, however, the reeds will begin to feel less lively and responsive. The loss in vitality, be it subtle or more pronounced, would signal the time has come to retire the reed in favor of a newer one.