Vandoren's ZZ reeds feature a unique relationship between the heart of the reed, where the tone is produced, and the thickness of the tip, which is responsible for vibration. The result is a reed with extraordinary tone and immediate response in a free-blowing manner - even in the altissimo range. The ZZ reeds accomplish this immediate response without sacrificing brightness or tone quality. Professional saxophonists like L.A. recording artist Gary Foster, Delmark recording artist Frank Catalano, and many others have made the switch to Vandoren's ZZ reeds for both live performances and studio recordings. According to a Vandoren reeds chart, ZZ reeds feel one-half strength less thick in comparison to Vandoren Traditional reeds, and run even in strength with JAVA reeds. For example, a Vandoren ZZ strength 3 reed would feel equivalent to a Vandoren Traditional in strength 2.5.