[Bluesblaster]

Hi All;

I am a newbie here with some questions on assembling the mouthpiece, reed and ligature.

I will be getting a new Yamaha 5C mouthpeice and Rovner Dark ligature for a tenor sax. They have not arrived yet and I don't know if either will have any instructions.

When you asseble the mouthpiece, reed and ligature, do you align the ligature so that the two bars are on the bottom of the mouthpiece (over the reed) or on the top of the mouthpiece, leaving the webbing to secure the reed? Or does it matter?

Second question, how do you know just how much tension to apply with the ligature?

Any advise you can provide will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Dave Dolson]

I don't think it matters! You will find some users of Rovners put the bars on the reed, others place the bars at the top of the piece (securing the reed with the strap), and others may even place the bars to the side of the piece.

I've done it every way and when I use a Rovner, I put the bars on top of the piece with the strap over the reed. I recall that most Rovners (except the EDII and the EVO) have an area of relief inside the strap, supposedly where the reed goes, so I assume Rovner intended their ligs to be used with the bars on top.

Feel free to experiment and report back to us what results you achieved. DAVE

 

[Bluesblaster]

Thanks Dave;

It should be arriving today. I'll have to play around with it.

 

[hakukani]

Hi All;

Second question, how do you know just how much tension to apply with the ligature?

Any advise you can provide will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

The answer to the second question is: 'enough tension so that the reed is held securely.'

Incidentally, the lig should be put on the mouthpiece, then back the reed in between, rather than trying to put the ligature over the reed already in place. My students have messed their reeds up many times when trying to put the lig over the reed.

 

[Bluesblaster]

Hi Hakukani;

Yep already found that bit of advice in a string here. Of course it was after I split a reed by misplacing the ligature.

Thanks!

 

[hakukani]

Hi Hakukani;

Yep already found that bit of advice in a string here. Of course it was after I split a reed by misplacing the ligature.

Thanks!

Experience is the best teacher.

 

[Martinman]

Incidentally, the lig should be put on the mouthpiece, then back the reed in between, rather than trying to put the ligature over the reed already in place. My students have messed their reeds up many times when trying to put the lig over the reed.

I haven't split a reed in years doing it this way.

 

[hakukani]

I haven't split a reed in years doing it this way.

You have a steady hand. Wait until your senior recital.

...or when that cute blond whispers in your ear, and you get in a hurry putting your horn away after the gig.

 

[Martinman]

You have a steady hand. Wait until your senior recital.

...or when that cute blond whispers in your ear, and you get in a hurry putting your horn away after the gig.

Girls don't like me .

 

[Carl H.]

Girls don't like me .

Maybe if you stopped roundhouse kicking them . . .:twisted:

 

[dstack79]

...or when that cute blond whispers in your ear, and you get in a hurry putting your horn away after the gig.

Girls don't like me .

Imagine a cute guy then

 

[Martinman]

...or when that cute blond whispers in your ear, and you get in a hurry putting your horn away after the gig.



Imagine a cute guy then

I never said I didn't like girls...

And about the roundhouse kicking.... They are only girls after the kick.:twisted:

 

[toasty1]

Girls don't like me .

well, that's good for your reeds at least.

seriously though, i put the reed on first as well. i line the tip of the reed up with the tip of the mouthpiece, then tilt it back onto the table, and hold it in place while i slide the ligature on. i've lost a few reeds to hastily replaced mouthpiece caps when said cute girl is distracting me, but i've never killed a reed putting the lig on.

also, my first clarinet teacher advocated cranking the ligature as far as it would go. being an avid reader of web forums i was appalled at first, but i finally realized that i couldn't actually tell the difference between the barely-touching modified bonade and the cranked on rovner dark unless i knew which i was playing on beforehand. so i went with the rovner because it's easier to get on.

 

[saxchado]

Most ligature/reed combinations will respond differently with varying degrees of tightening. Just like Dave suggested with positioning, experiment with how tight you make your ligature and see what works best for you.

 

[hakukani]

Yeah, rovners have to be cranked down, and then they don't hold the reed half the time. I'll stick to my bonnade.

 

[Bluesblaster]

Actaully I have a Rovner Dark comming in the mail, so that's a usefull piece of info. Like Toasty1 (You wouldn't happen to be George Hamilton would you? ) every thing I have read up to this point advised tightening just tight enough to hold the read. Hakukani, sounds like you have had some negative experiences with the Rovner's. Can you elaborate some more.

Thanks all!

 

[gary]

...or when that cute blond whispers in your ear, and you get in a hurry putting your horn away after the gig.

Why would you be putting a reed on your mouthpiece as you're packing up after a gig?


Sorry. Ít was cheap but you gave it to me. :twisted:

 

[hakukani]

Why would you be putting a reed on your mouthpiece as you're packing up after a gig?


Sorry. Ít was cheap but you gave it to me. :twisted:

Well, if you take the lig off the piece, then take the reed off, which would be the reverse of the process...oh well, I knew that was reaching. I mean, I would just cap the piece with the reed still on if I was in a REAL hurry.

There are still situations that would leave your hand shaky, like being late for a gig, and you need to assemble the horn (or in a pit, many horns) where in you haste you split your best reed. Or a reed goes funky during a tune, and you have four bars to change reeds. I'm sure there are others.

About Rovners-I've used most of them. I hate the dark, because it not only doesn't hold the reed securely, but is the only ligature that makes a horn sound stuffy.
As you can see on my avatar, I was using a D7 with an Eddie Daniels lig. Almost the same problem, with the additional irritation that the lig was just a little too large, and gouged the top of the mouthpiece.

Nope, it's either a selmer 404, or a bonnade for me.

YMMV

 

[Bluesblaster]

Hi Hakukani
I'll need to research the Selmer 404 and the Bonnade as I am not familiar with either. What about the Vandoren ligs? Form the pamphlet in the box of reeds some appear similar to the Rovner Dark. Do they suffer the same drawbacks?

BTW what kind of car are you standing next to in your picture. (Not a sax question but wanted to ask anyway)

 

[hakukani]

Hi Hakukani
I'll need to research the Selmer 404 and the Bonnade as I am not familiar with either. What about the Vandoren ligs? Form the pamphlet in the box of reeds some appear similar to the Rovner Dark. Do they suffer the same drawbacks?

The selmer is the one that comes stock with their mouthpieces, I believe. The bonnade has two parallel rails. It comes in two flavors, screws on top, and screws on the bottom. Both ligs are relatively inexpensiveTake your pick.

I've never used vandorens, but they seem a bit pricey. Several mouthpiece makers and refacers (and me) believe that if the table and facing is correct, the ligature makes very little difference.

Edit: I just remembered what I REALLY don't like about Rovners. It ALWAYS messes up the reed/lig when you try to tune.

BTW what kind of car are you standing next to in your picture. (Not a sax question but wanted to ask anyway)

It's a '61 pink caddy. The pic is from a band promo. It belongs to the drummer.
Sometimes we get to ride to gigs in it.