The ligature is the part of the saxophone that fixes the reed to the mouthpiece. All mouthpieces usually come with a standard metal ligature which is very basic and offers little or no enhancement to tone production. It is vitally important that the reed is fixed as flat and securely as possible on the mouthpiece table. The sound can be improved significantly with a good quality ligature without having to break the bank! Four of the best makes are Rovner, BG, Vandoren, & Francois Louis. They make many varieties of ligature that each have different sonic characteristics. The Rovner ligatures( pictured)  are made of a fabric which wraps around the reed and mouthpiece, permitting the reed to vibrate more freely. BG ligatures work on a similar principle but have different materials that fix onto the reed. Both makes really enhance the sound, can improve intonation, reduce fatigue when tonguing notes, reduce squeaks and clean up the tone. A good ligature can also prolong the life of your reeds, as the reed remains flexible and has room to breathe.

BG Ligatures. (click for more info) These ligatures are extremely flexible and offer the sax player a variety of sizes to fit most mouthpieces and to cover most playing styles from classical to jazz. The Standard and Super Revelation are designed for most standard ebonite mouthpieces and really bring the most out of the mouthpiece  allowing the reed to vibrate freely, thus improving response and intonation, helping to project the sound. The Revelation Jazz is designed for metal mouthpieces and certainly makes them easier to play and control the sound. 

Rovner Ligatures (click for more info) Like the BG these come in a wide variety of sizes to fit any mouthpiece and to cater for different styles. Dark, Light, Custom and 'Eddie Daniels' styles are the four makes. The Dark really colours the sound and produces a very warm tone. The Light is a little brighter and opens up the sound more. The Custom lig' gives the player greater control over the kind of sound produced and offers excellent stability and good intonation. The 'Eddie Daniels' model is as near perfect ligature as you can get and comes with two different metal inserts that fix the reed to the mouthpiece offering different characteristics of tone, the thinner metal strip being lighter which is ideal for small band work and the thicker which really helps to project the sound, helpful in big band set-ups.

FF tensing ring.  Replace your ligature with the ultimate in minimalist design to allow the reed and mouthpiece to resonate freely. Supplied with 3 different tone plates.

Francois Louis Ligatures Minimalist design to allow the reed and mouthpiece to resonate freely. Supplied with 'The Smart Cap.' Wire metal design with sizes to fit most mouthpieces.

Vandoren Optimum Ligatures These are the Rolls Royce of ligatures, not only in design but in the quality of and control over tone production. They are all-metal ligatures and offer three different 'plates' to fix the reed to the mouthpiece. The plates are 'free-floating' and do not restrict the reed in anyway whilst providing a secure fit. Each plate has a slightly different affect on the tone produced, but with all plates tonal clarity is unrivalled and articulation, intonation and overall playability are excellent. There is an Optimum  ligature available to fit various styles of mouthpiece, ebonite and metal. 

Lebayle Wooden Ligatures This new design concept from the French mouthpiece manufacturer works well with a number of established mouthpiece brands.  I did a few tests in our workshop, and found that the new ligature fitted well on Selmer, Vandoren, SR Technology ebonite, Meyer and, of course, Lebayle mouthpieces!

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