OK… So maybe you have, but it’s kinda’ interesting anyway. I hadn’t seen this particular brand before, but it does bear a striking resemblance to the Maccaferri Plastic Reed that I wrote about on July 9.
A seller on eBay currently has a vintage, “Betcha” alto saxophone reed up for auction.
Source: daveluth
The seller doesn’t say much about this curiosity. He/she simply writes this:
Maybe for playing, but certainly a blast from the past. Alto plastic reed and sleeve.
The auction for this vintage, piece of white plastic ends later today. At the time of writing there was 1 bid of $2.00 on this “blast from the past”.
Now if you’ve missed this auction—which there is a good chance that you will have—fret not, because while trying to do some background research on “Betcha” reeds, I happened across another one for sale. However, this one is a tenor reed.
This “Betcha” tenor reed that Ruby Plaza is selling, appears to be in pretty darn minty condition—as is its original packaging.
Source: rubyplaza.com
The owners of Ruby Plaza are a bit more descriptive about their vintage, synthetic treasure. Here is what they say about this plastic reed:
This is an old tenor saxophone reed from the 1940’s. The Betcha is a plastic reed and from the information on the back it is; Always Uniform in Tone- Practically Permanent. The reed itself has the Betcha Trade Mark and the number 1.
The reed measures about 3 1/8” long and 5/8” at the widest point and appears to be in good condition with very faint scratches and pitting. The package measures about 4” by 2” and is in good condition with minimal wear.
The pictures are not shown at actual size. Please refer to the description for actual measurements.
Source: rubyplaza.com
If you are interested in acquiring this interesting, vintage, synthetic reed for your display cabinet, you can buy it from Ruby Plaza for $15.00.
I have tried to find some concrete information about these “Betcha” reeds, but unfortunately have not come up with much. Pete Thomas mentions them on his website under the category of Rare and Unusual. He however, notes that they are circa 1950.
I have tried doing a patent search for these “Betcha” reeds. However, without an inventor’s name, I have not had any luck. And since nothing on the packaging indicates that they were patented, or that a patent was pending, I suspect that even with a name, a patent search would be fruitless anyway.
In any event, I believe that it is interesting to take a look at the synthetic reeds of the past. While they may not be as good as the ones we have now, they are an indicator that even 60 and 70 years ago, some players were getting sick and tired of fiddling around with their reeds, and with the inconsistency of cane reeds.
Helen,
“Betcha” reeds were associated with Steve Broadus after he slowed down on making mouthpieces in N.Y. and moved to sunny California. Some have said that he joined up with Arnold Brilhart, but Brilhart’s plastic reeds were called “Enduro,” so I think that people just got the two mixed up. “Betcha” reed were milled from stock rather than molded (as appears to be the case with Enduro reeds). There is a picture of Mr. Broadus producing “Betcha” reeds in a 1950 Metronome Magazine. That is all, and I mean all, that I can find on Mr. Broadus. He doesn’t appear in a U.S. census, not in city directories, no birth, death, or marriage records. “Betcha” reeds are easier to find than information on Steve Broadus. A copy of the picture (picture #2) is on this website: https://www.saxophone.org/museum/factoryTour/id/33
Mark
I have been reading Lester Young’s biography and he apparently used plastic reeds, which is why I searched and found this page, but not sure what type he used. I use the Legere Signature Tenor reeds and really like them – I can concentrate on practicing and playing instead of fiddling with the bamboo reeds of which I have tried almost all the brands. I tried another brand of plastic reed about 2 decades ago and it was not good to play on – but these Legere reeeds have been very consistent and I think they sound good and last me about a month playing everyday.
Update: I “Betcha” you’ll never guess what this reed sold for? Exactly 1 bid brought a grand total of $2.00 for the seller of this vintage piece of plastic. Wow… Wonder what his profits are after eBay fees? 😈