I am in the process of buying a tenor (my first, hasn't arrived yet) and I will be trying out 3 or 4 mouthpieces. Of the 2 rubber that are coming, only one has a ligature and I assume it's an "el cheapo". I would like to try at least 1 metal mpc as well (Otto Link Vintage) and there have been many comments how the lig is awful and to buy something different. I already have a Rovner for my alto and love it. My ideal situation would be to get a lig that could theoretically fit all 3, not knowing which mpc's I'll keep and which I'll return. Have read I need a Rovner for "metal or slim metal" for the Otto. Is there a lig out there that would fit all 3 or do I need to suck it up and get a separate for the Otto (and, likely buy a better one for my rubber ones as well)?
All purpose ligature?
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all ligatures are all purpose since they only have one . Holding the ligature securely onto the table.
Rovners have more “ give” and therefore are more prone to have some elasticity (which in my opinion is not necessarily a good thing) but could result in a dampening of the reed’s vibration (in practice acting as a “ subtoning device” since it does pretty much to the reed when you subtone) more or less so if they have (or not) a hard pressure plate or not.
Anyway, If you have mouthpieces of size close enough to one another they may accommodate them all but the rovners (and rovner like ligatures) do stretch the more you tighten them.
One of the ligatures best suited to fit a Link is the Francois Louis ultimate ligature, which exists in many sizes and depending on your other mouthpieces may or may not fit them all.
Rovners have more “ give” and therefore are more prone to have some elasticity (which in my opinion is not necessarily a good thing) but could result in a dampening of the reed’s vibration (in practice acting as a “ subtoning device” since it does pretty much to the reed when you subtone) more or less so if they have (or not) a hard pressure plate or not.
Anyway, If you have mouthpieces of size close enough to one another they may accommodate them all but the rovners (and rovner like ligatures) do stretch the more you tighten them.
One of the ligatures best suited to fit a Link is the Francois Louis ultimate ligature, which exists in many sizes and depending on your other mouthpieces may or may not fit them all.
Besides MPC and reed, I never felt that the ligature would make a significant difference in terms of sound. I like the Rovners as they keep the reed in place when you adjust tuning, while the FLouis tends to sit loose. But that´s just my opinion, I know that other people find a difference between ligatures.
The Compass CLIG1 promotes itself as universal. I got one once when it was on sale for $15 but haven’t used it.
https://www.bestsaxophonewebsiteeve...ks-to-break-new-ground-with-compass-ligature/
https://www.bestsaxophonewebsiteeve...ks-to-break-new-ground-with-compass-ligature/
Any Rovner for 'HR Tenor' will fit the standard HR mouthpieces but to just try the mouthpieces, the one HR ligature provided will probably fit both. The Link you say has its ligature so in my view you have no problem. Whatever ones you keep, you can mess around with ligatures later. I played the standard ligatures that came with my mouthpieces for many years, and I scoffed at the 'Rovner guys'. Then I actually tried one and to my amazement it made a positive difference. I'd say that difference was 'smoother' and more even response and some amount of 'clarification' of my sound. So, for the most part that's what I still use. The only problem with Rovner is about the time you decide you really like a ligature and you try to buy another one, you find that they have discontinued it so you have to try a different one - very strange.
To sum up, just to try a mouthpiece you don't need 'the perfect ligature' for it - just one that holds the reed in place. If you buy one of them you can go for 'perfection' later or simply not worry about it.
BTW, A Link metal takes two kinds of Rovner - the early Tonemaster has a ridge on the top that requires a large lig. The current Super Tonemaster takes a slightly smaller lig but still large compared to many metal pieces, but definitely NOT 'Slim Metal' - that's what you use on a Guardala which is much slimmer than a Link or metal Selmer.
As it turns out, this is exactly what I did. I'm going to go with whatever comes with the Otto and the Otto rubber (that was one of the non-metals, the other is a Morgan) because I figured it won't make THAT big a difference and once I decide on which mpc's I'm keeping I'll worry about upgrading then!
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The only problem with el cheapo ligs is they tend to wear out pretty quick. Otherwise..Im not a proponent of million dollar ligs.
Modern metal link ligs are not as good as the old ones but most work fine for a long time.
the ones that come with Link HR pieces are pretty cheesy but will do the job until they no longer do.
Modern metal link ligs are not as good as the old ones but most work fine for a long time.
the ones that come with Link HR pieces are pretty cheesy but will do the job until they no longer do.
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3,116 Posts
I'm itching to try a Rhino lig, which is supposed to fit most any piece. Super heavy and expensive though, and I haven't seen many used ones around. Still, if it's good enough for Melissa Aldana, it's good enough for me.
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Selmer 404 fits Link STM’s and a multitude of other metal tenor and some baritone metal pieces also.
Not expensive and a vast improvement on the stock Link single screw ligs.
Sound wise absolutely no difference (just like any ligature) but it holds a reed nicely and will last for a long time.
Not expensive and a vast improvement on the stock Link single screw ligs.
Sound wise absolutely no difference (just like any ligature) but it holds a reed nicely and will last for a long time.
Grafton + TH & C alto || Naked Lady 10M || TT soprano || Martin Comm III
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30,100 Posts
The issue seems to be either they wear, or that (some) are not well made so the screw end protrudes further than the pate and the reed is held down by just the screw head. Other issues are the plate does not form well (too flat, so can rotate rather than sitting nicely snug inline with the reed.
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427 Posts
Having tried one, they fit like most "one size fits all" products: less-than-adequate on everything. I couldn't get it to keep the reed straight. If you cranked too hard, it would pull it crooked.
Using a rubber band (or 2 or 3 together) as a ligature is truly universal-fit, and it's easier than wrapping string just so and tucking in the end of the string.
I wouldn't do it indefinitely but for a quickie test of something for which you don't have a ligature it works well.
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3,454 Posts
A ligature has just one purpose, namely hold the reed firmly against the mouthpiece table. I don't need an all-purpose one! So many ligatures today don't even fulfill their one purpose!
Universal fit is another issue and I guess the best solution to that is a hose clamp or something like that. Ugly but workable, might ruin the mouthpiece's exterior.
Just get a good quality, but inexpensive, standard ligature to fit each mouthpiece you own, and forget about it. I personally am a fan of the Bonade ligatures, and somewhat lesser fan of Rico ligatures - the cheap, inverted kind, not the H-ligature, though those are OK too. Forget Rovners and really any one-screw ligature - I've tried a bunch, they all fail in the single purpose area UNLESS they happen to fit the mouthpiece perfectly.
Universal fit is another issue and I guess the best solution to that is a hose clamp or something like that. Ugly but workable, might ruin the mouthpiece's exterior.
Just get a good quality, but inexpensive, standard ligature to fit each mouthpiece you own, and forget about it. I personally am a fan of the Bonade ligatures, and somewhat lesser fan of Rico ligatures - the cheap, inverted kind, not the H-ligature, though those are OK too. Forget Rovners and really any one-screw ligature - I've tried a bunch, they all fail in the single purpose area UNLESS they happen to fit the mouthpiece perfectly.
I certainly don't want to overthink this or overspend money on ligs. Having said that....I love my Rovner for my alto, it works like a charm and it's quick to get on and off. Ironically, the ligature that came with my new Otto Link Tone Edge didn't fit it well at all (it kept wanting to "slide down" the mouthpiece as I tightened the screws, moreso than the normal "creep" that sort of generally wants to happen), but it did fit a used Morgan that came with no lig very well. Go figure.
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Then you might want to consider the Rovner Versa for tenor. I have the older model called the Eddie Daniels II and I think the Versa is basically the same thing. This lig seems to fit very well on a variety of metal tenor mpcs, including a metal Otto Link. However, I think you need a different size (larger) one for a HR mpc. Of all the Rovners, I like this one because it has the metal plate that holds the reed firmly.
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