Winslow/SAXXAS slipping/sliding off mouthpiece - solutions?

josephyorio said:

I have 2 different generations of Winslows and a few SAXXAS ligatures. At one point or another with what seems to be a random combination of mouthpiece and Reed, they have all slipped on me (no rhyme or reason). I've gotten better at anticipating it, but that leads to a distracted performance.

What tactics have you used to prevent this?

Thanks in advance!
Joe

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Yeah, I got a Saxxas years ago to try and maybe review but every time I tried it it would slip so easily that I got frustrated with it and couldn't use it. Tightening it as much as possible doesn't solve it either, at least for me. It seems like they should have made the bumpers out of non-slip material but maybe that would affect the sound..........I'm curious if anyone has a solution to this also..........

josephyorio said:

I have 2 different generations of Winslows and a few SAXXAS ligatures. At one point or another with what seems to be a random combination of mouthpiece and Reed, they have all slipped on me (no rhyme or reason). I've gotten better at anticipating it, but that leads to a distracted performance.

What tactics have you used to prevent this?

Thanks in advance!
Joe

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Next!

josephyorio said:

I have 2 different generations of Winslows and a few SAXXAS ligatures. At one point or another with what seems to be a random combination of mouthpiece and Reed, they have all slipped on me (no rhyme or reason). I've gotten better at anticipating it, but that leads to a distracted performance.

What tactics have you used to prevent this?

Thanks in advance!
Joe

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Use a Rovner ligature?

I GAVE mine away (Winslows for sop, alto, and clarinet, for metal and HR pieces). DAVE

Use a propane gas burner and lightly heat up neck cork, this will expand the cork,

Bruce (olhonker): It wasn't clear what slippage the OP was writing about. Was the ligature slipping off the reed, or was the whole assembly (ligature and reed and mouthpiece) slipping on the cork? I suspect it was about the ligature slipping off the reed, which happens when one uses these ligatures and attempts to move the whole assembly on the cork for tuning purposes. Expanding the cork will only exacerbate the OP's problem, making the mouthpiece too tight to adjust for tuning. DAVE

Serate the legs touching the reed

The Saxxas is smooth on the little metal pieces that touch the reed, whereas the Winslow is rough. The Winslow digs into the reed a little, which keeps it from slipping. I had a ton of problems with the one that I had when the cushions got worn, so I'd advise you to change those out too.

Sakshama said:

Serate the legs touching the reed

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That sounds like good advice. I'll try that on mine........

The little nubs on my Saxxas have a crosshatched pattern on them, albeit very shallow. Never had a problem with it slipping much once I got used to it. Obviously, I have to hold the mouthpiece when I tune, rather than grabbing by the lig, but left alone, it has never just... slipped off. Regular application of cork grease and a properly sized cork have made it a non-issue for me.

josephyorio said:

What tactics have you used to prevent this?

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Get a different ligature that fits properly and holds the reed firmly.

Sakshama said:

Serate the legs touching the reed

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is serate the same as sanding? i can't find the right translation for serate

Joe, just a thought. What model m/p are you using? I have used both of those ligs over the years. I had one m/p that had a very high slanted ridge (body) where the Winslow went and the slope caused the lig to slip once in a while so I stopped using the Winslow years ago. Not sure if that might be the issue.

I have since changed m/p's and use the SAXXAS on an alto and tenor hard rubber but no slope or high ridge so no problem....yet

Well, having a small number of rigid contact points and then twisting the mouthpiece to adjust tuning is a recipe for it slipping. Thus my suggestion to use a Rovner ligature, or alternately the traditional two screw type.

It's all well and good to say "just grab on the mouthpiece to tune" but that's not so easy with a slick round mouthpiece and sweaty hands, especially with a little soprano piece. And if it's going to slip, it's most likely going to happen when you try to take advantage of that 2 measure rest to reach up there and make a small adjustment - and suddenly the reed and ligature come off in your hand. Who needs that? Not me.

Most of this ligature voodoo is, in my humble opinion, a bunch of solutions in search of a problem.

I have both Saxxas and Winslows. In my experience the Saxxas tends to slip more. The ligs, IMO, are superior to anything else and I have tried everything else. They just fit certain mp's best and won't work on others. Try putting a mp patch on the top of the mp. It seems to help getting a grip. Make sure the neck cork is well lubricated and tune by twisting the mp shank. No reason to grab the lig.

Leoroel said:

is serate the same as sanding? i can't find the right translation for serate

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Get a file and do some passing over the legs with the edge to make a dent. Rough sandpaper could also work but I bet on the file. First I thought about a serrated knife but it may not be strong enough to make a dent or keep filing on the same place.

Sakshama said:

Get a file and do some passing over the legs with the edge to make a dent. Rough sandpaper could also work but I bet on the file. First I thought about a serrated knife but it may not be strong enough to make a dent or keep filing on the same place.

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thanks Sakshama,
I use my saxxas for the Sakshama Shorty, I am still enjoying that mpc very very much