[Drake Mouthpieces]

I aways like to let the SOTW community know about our new products.

We have 2 new lines of ligatures: The Drake Signature line and the Drake Signature w/ Ceramic Resonance Plate (pics attached)

You will fined these on our website: www.DrakeMouthpieces.com (starting this Friday)

Both styles will be available for all brands of mouthpieces. Please feel free to contact us through the website with your questions.

The Signature Aaron Drake Ligature with Ceramic Resonance Plate offers an amazingly "alive" sound. The unique density properties of our ceramic material help to increase vibration and enhance the overall response. Each ligature is carefully balanced with a hand shaped ceramic resonance plate which is permanently attached to our Vintage Resin.
Retail $69.95

The Signature Aaron Drake Ligature is a pressure fit style made from our Vintage Resin material. This unique material offers a great fit and grip with the mouthpiece and reed. Specially designed to have minimal touch points with the mouthpiece and to promote optimal reed response.
Retail $39.95

 

[CarlHeanerd]

Look nifty, should be interesting to see what people say about these.

 

[J-Moen]

Looks quite different. The first regular signature resembles the JJ Ring Ligature, and the other ring style ligatures. But the ceramic plated one looks quite different. How hard would you say it clamps down on the reed, and does it contact the entire reed?

Anyways, looks great! Can't wait to get in on your mouthpiece trial!

 

[Drake Mouthpieces]

Thank you!
The resonance plate is shaped to the contour of the reed, so there is contact on the entire surface. We will be offering different "touch zones" on the reed in the future, the results of this current design are really remarkable.
The resin material has a very nice snug fit / grip, and remarkably no movement due to the vibration, it will stay exactly where it is placed. When the ligature is set it has a nice amount of pressure on the reed, ideal for resonance. Many thanks for your interest!

 

[ilthemsc]

I personally feel the fact that the reed fits the resonance plate is perfect! This way you don't get WAY too much buzz.
I'm always happy to hear about Drake Mouthpiece Products! Always among the most innovative!

 

[LeftySaxDude]

I just ordered one from Aaron, I'm really looking forward to playing on it when it arrives! I will post a review when it does.

 

[Brian]

I like the concept of these new "Ring" ligatures that I see coming out. Lebayle has had them for their pieces .... Jody Jazz for some of his .... and now Aaron makes them for any piece. I was putting a Francois Louis on yesterday and thinking how the ring concept seems similar in that it offeres minimum "touch" points and direct 'non-compression' of the reed. One thing I think I would miss though is that with a ring, you can't vary the location of the lig on the table. I think that lig location is a cool variable for spread to focus sound/response. Can you comment on this Aaron? because I may very well be misunderstanding the concept.

 

[LeftySaxDude]

This new ligature is something else---- it has amazing response, with full power and projection without getting too bright, it really helps me get more character in my sound. I would like to see the ceramic resonance plate in a more traditional ligature design, something similar to a vintage 3-band Brilhart, simply because it takes some getting used to the ring design and ligature placement issues.

 

[Brian]

Again this is a general question from a curiosity and interest standpoint. Are you sure that the 'resonance plate" is something that really helps project character of sound. The purpose of the ligature is to hold the reed to the mouthpiece in such a fashion as to allow the reed to vibrate properly and uninhibited. That way the reed can do it's work in initiating the air column which makes the saxophone sound. Difference in sound come from different reeds (vibrating slightly different), mouthpiece design, bore dimensions, or any infinitely variable combination of factors like this. I don't doubt that a ceramic resonance plate would change the sound you hear, but I do not understand how it can affect the sound projected from the instrument (other than properly holding the reed, or holding a reed in a unique way affecting the sound uniquely). If there is a "resonance" contributed it would only be heard by the ears of the player and not projected 20' away to the ears of an audience. For what its worth, I have the same feeling about the Francois Louis claim of their 'pipes' adding to the sound of the sax. I don't doubt it exists, I've proven to myself that it does ... but I doubt it makes a difference recorded over 10' away.

Again, take this as a sincere question and not a 'dig' to the concept.

 

[LeftySaxDude]

It works for me and helps me get closer to the sound I want, which is a pretty unique Kenny Garrett-ish sound. That 'character' of sound, tone, and response comes out a little stronger than with my Optimum ligature.

 

[Drake Mouthpieces]

It works for me and helps me get closer to the sound I want, which is a pretty unique Kenny Garrett-ish sound. That 'character' of sound, tone, and response comes out a little stronger than with my Optimum ligature.

That's great to hear, many thanks!

Finally got the page up for the ligatures: Drake Ligatures