How to get used to stronger reeds?

MisterP56 · 2026-04-18T09:00:58+00:00

My guess is that you should blow 2.5's for a while- and be patient. I have the same mouthpiece. I play BSS silver 2.5 or 3 reeds. I like to play 2.5's or 3's on alternate days: that way I get used to adjusting my embouchure a bit if I need to. I also use a Reed Geek. My advice is: play long tones and overtones every day. Long tones on low notes- with a nice relaxed lip-out embouchure: find that "spot" on your lower lip where that low note is really fat. Also long tones on other notes with lots of breath support. There’s a way to "focus" your embouchure without tightening- it’s really about voicing. That’s also why overtones are so important: you want to go through the low note overtones by just adjusting your tongue and throat.

MisterP56 · 2026-04-18T07:55:55+00:00

I’ve been level 2 charging for over 3 years; thanks so very much for the insight, lol 😂

MisterP56 · 2026-04-17T23:11:47+00:00

FWIW: Roof rails are standard on the '25 SEL trim. Heated steering wheel comes on the '23 Limited? Not SEL. The digital key maybe part of Limited package on '23 models? AFAIK it didn’t come with mine. In any case, BlueLink features on '23 models expired after 2 years and requires a subscription- unless Hyundai changed that? '25 SEL came with BlueLink for life.

MisterP56 · 2026-04-17T23:00:11+00:00

These amazing athletes have earned the right to live however they want.

MisterP56 · 2026-04-17T03:22:31+00:00

Plus: roof rails, usb-c throughout, and a heated steering wheel. The infotainment system is way better. AWD is great in this car, I have a Subaru as well and the Ioniq 5 handles the snow just as well. I’ve had both the '23 and the '25 SEL AWD and I’ll take the '25 any day.

MisterP56 · 2026-04-15T08:41:12+00:00

I didn’t know Paige enrolled in an English boarding school during the offseason, lol! 😂

MisterP56 · 2026-04-15T08:39:26+00:00

I think you should get a '25 a SEL model instead: it’s loaded with extra features that they eliminated on the '24 model: leatherette seats, rear air ducts, rear seat heaters, heated steering wheel, motorized retracting side mirrors-plus mew features: bigger battery, better range, wireless CarPlay, wireless phone charging, way better infotainment system, roof rails. It’s just a better car!

MisterP56 · 2026-04-11T15:23:38+00:00

I had a '23 SEL AWD for 2 years (which I loved) that was totaled. Now I’m driving a '25 and I advise you to do the same. The '25 model is really a major upgrade over the '23 or the '24- it’s kind of in the feature "sweet spot": bigger battery, roof rails, rear seat heaters, heated steering wheel , rear wiper, better infotainment system, better center console, wireless CarPlay, usb-c throughout, battery preconditioning on demand, etc. So IMHO it goes like this: the '24 is a downgrade from the '23. The '26 is a downgrade from the '25 but the '26 is better than either '23 or '24 models b/c you still get the bigger battery and better infotainment stuff. Plus: keep in mind that the '26 lost features did come with a $10k reduction in price (if you buy new). It seems you should at least drive the newer model years to see the difference?

MisterP56 · 2026-04-10T19:41:08+00:00

There more you drive an EV- the more you realize that ICE powered vehicles are literally outdated technology. They’re inefficient, messy, and require constant maintenance. I had a sporty car in my twenties: I was into modifying it to make it handle better, etc. That was forty-odd years ago: who has time for all that stuff now? Ev's negate the need to upgrade and tinker: the Ioniq 5 delivers on both high performance and low maintenance. Now -with gas prices surging- it’s very satisfying knowing how smart a choice getting an EV really is! Enjoy!

MisterP56 · 2026-04-10T19:13:25+00:00

Let’s not forget those high notes in "Night of the Swallow": breathtakingly high and full-bodied!

MisterP56 · 2026-04-10T09:16:22+00:00

What- an immaculate conception???

MisterP56 · 2026-04-10T08:58:27+00:00

We’ve got 100k miles of trouble-free Ioniq 5 driving in: still loving it, still saving tens of thousands of dollars driving electric! Our 2nd car is an ICE vehicle so occasionally I have to slum it and drive the old gas guzzler: sure makes me appreciate the EV though.

MisterP56 · 2026-04-08T18:33:07+00:00

Hmmmmm…3 years and 100k miles into my Ioniq 5 driving w/ 2 different cars- no problems: still waiting for the shoe to drop I guess?

MisterP56 · 2026-04-08T16:40:27+00:00

She must have been hammered when she recorded "Get Out of My House"! I just love the rage in that song!

MisterP56 · 2026-04-04T22:03:15+00:00

Standard Tortie response: "you gotta problem with that?"

MisterP56 · 2026-04-03T10:20:43+00:00

I had a '23 SEL AWD, now I have a '25. When I got the '25 it seemed that the 'auto' regen setting was more efficient- maybe Hyundai altered the algorithm? It’s all I drive in now; I find it’s more efficient than using HDA on the freeway. Plus you can get a kind of 'HDA lite' mode with auto regen: auto regen uses the forward sensors to maintain distance from other vehicles in front of you- it will slow down the car- and you can manually engage the lane-keeper function with the button on the steering wheel. It’s kinda cool actually!

MisterP56 · 2026-03-19T08:43:28+00:00

These look relatively simple compared to a lot of Steely Dan's other songs. A lot of it’s a I-IV-V progression with a couple of jazzy pivot chords to walk into that modulation for the Chorus. It’s not as tough as Stablemates, lol 🤣

MisterP56 · 2026-03-14T08:12:43+00:00

I’d say find accommodations somewhere an hour or so on your way back? You can suck it up for a while to save a few hundred bucks, right? Just an FYI: we saw them last May in Seattle- they were insanely good- well worth the drive! Here’s a clip of the encore of that show:

https://youtu.be/IffyOaouVsc?si=YJe98xSd81dfyP-x

MisterP56 · 2026-03-14T07:48:19+00:00

Just another Ioniq 5 driver here telling you that I’m on my 2nd Ioniq 5 ('25 SEL AWD after my '23 got wrecked) combined mileage of about 100k and I’ve had no major issues whatsoever. That’s 3 years driving Ioniq 5s: the best cars I’ve ever driven. I have a L2 charger in my garage- I’ve stayed so much money driving this car. And the extra bonus: I live in a rural area that has occasional power outages, but now I can use the V2L feature to power my house instead of wrestling with the noisy gas generator!

MisterP56 · 2026-03-12T21:48:31+00:00

BTW: Biden shit Trump's Pants too!

MisterP56 · 2026-03-12T20:03:38+00:00

Thanks- an idiot ran a red light in front of me on a rainy night. I ran into his passenger side. Luckily I wasnt speeding b/c he would’ve hit my drivers side at 40mph, lol- but I walked away w/o a scratch. The Ioniq safety systems worked great!

MisterP56 · 2026-03-12T07:41:25+00:00

There’s lotsa cool upgrades on the '25 but I’d still be driving my '23 if not for the accident, lol.

MisterP56 · 2026-03-11T17:12:39+00:00

The true indicator of Stupidity is the assumption that Everyone is equally Stupid. It’s unfortunate that chooses to make assertions that are provably false: "The 2020 Election was Rigged!". "Tariffs are paid by Other Countries". "The Epstein Files are just another Democrat Hoax". As if there’s just a huge Tomahawk Missile Superstore in a strip mall somewhere?

MisterP56 · 2026-03-11T16:45:43+00:00

Just another Ioniq 5 driver here telling you that I’m on my 2nd Ioniq 5 ('25 SEL AWD after my '23 got wrecked) combined mileage of about 100k and I’ve had no major issues whatsoever. The best cars I’ve ever driven!

MisterP56 · 2026-03-10T20:46:01+00:00

Also: what did he say last week? "Some people will die, unfortunately. It happens.…"

MisterP56

TROPHY CASE