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  • This topic has 8 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 10 years ago by Anonymous.
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  • November 24, 2015 at 11:00 am #28218
    Marc
    Participant

      You’re quite right.
      That’s why there are a lot of “inverted” ligatures on the market, that are designed to be mounted with the adjusting screws (some have only one) on top and press the reed with a smooth, plain section. Examples of those are Rovner textiles or leather, and Rico metal ligatures.
      Of course you can use a standard ligature in the inverted position. Only drawback is that the screws point to the left and you must adjust with your left hand. Nothing impossible, but kinda awkward for a large percentage of the people.

      November 24, 2015 at 9:05 pm #28254
      Anonymous

        Hi Marc

        I just bought myself a BG leather ligature for my Tenor, because the metal band type kept slipping down the mouthpiece.

        The drawback you mention can be addressed by turning the mouthpiece around so that it is pointing towards oneself
        (instead of away), then one can still observe the reed and the screws can be tightened with the right hand.

        I fix the reed so that it is just held firmly, do the reed final alignment, and then tighten the screws.
        This allows one to check the reed gap from any angle whilst the reed is held in position.

        November 30, 2015 at 9:07 am #28439
        wayne wojnarowski
        Participant

          Hey Jeff I’m confused I think my ligature is a VANDOREN Optimum and this type can’t be played upside down, in regards to the reeds, bud I have 2 boxes of Rigotti Gold ,1 is 2.5 strong ,the other2.5 med, 6 individual Rigotti reeds all 2.5 as well, 13 Rico La Voz all med hard, and a box of Superial by Alexander 2.5 strength all of these are alto reeds give me your address I would like to send you a Christmas gift from Chicago to South Africa!!! Ho HO HO !!! Merry Christmas! from Wayne Wojnarowski .Jeff than you will have enough reeds to last on your alto into next year!!

          November 30, 2015 at 10:20 pm #28478
          Anonymous

            Hi Wayne, thank you for your very kind offer, but I have more than sufficient reeds now to last me for a very long time.

            I alternate playing on two reeds and the two I have now are about six months old and still going strong. I wash and dry the reeds after playing and replace them into their plastic holders which I believe increases their lifespan.

            I’m sorry if my description was not clear here is an image of the position for the ligature which I have now adopted for better performance.

            Ligature rotation image

            December 1, 2015 at 9:21 pm #28500
            john
            Keymaster

              Jeff this type of lig is the worse one you can use
              They are always included with the saxophone you buy as the bottom line way to hold your reed onto the mouthpiece but that’s about it
              They are constrictive and once you have been playing for more than a few days you should upgrade

              December 2, 2015 at 6:54 am #28505
              Anonymous

                Johnny, yes, hindsight is an exact science. LOL

                If I had known how much time I would spend playing my sax, I should have flown to France to see Henri about a Selmer!

                December 4, 2015 at 4:09 pm #28626
                john
                Keymaster

                  ha yes. the good news is a slight upgrade is very cheap with those ones that wrap around with black soft material rather than the metal.
                  one of the most popular makes is the Rovner at about $45 but you can go much higher than that for even better ones.

                  December 5, 2015 at 7:26 am #28644
                  Anonymous

                    Point taken, but I’ve spent quite a bit recently replacing the corks, pads, and a leather type BG ligature for the Tenor. Now that I have two really good sounding saxes, it’s time for me to get stuck into your courses and develop some fluid playing skill.

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