Are Ligatures (still) a WASTE OF MONEY??

[@grantkoeller8911]

The hand works! Just pay a person to do the whole gig!!

[@topiliski1497]

The reed holder.

[@marcogue_]

Ligatures is more about feedback not what a mic can catch

[@DavePollack]

winner winner winner!!!

[@blackitachi6935]

For my next gig "Hey man, I left my ligature in my other case, could you just use your hand to hold my reed for me? No one cares about alto 2 anyways, be a team player would ya?"

[@DavePollack]

😂😂

[@evanmisejka4062]

The hand ligature is surprisingly good sounding.

[@colinevans9377]

Yes it is. I thought this sounded the best and the clamp second.

[@grantkoeller8911]

For a hand tied string ligature, you need at least 3, 4, 5, or 6 wraps, for maximum reed stabilization.

[@helencaleb2188]

I'm watching this because the ligature for my silver Selmer D mouthpiece snapped (it's very old) and the other ligatures I have to hand (including clarinet ones) are too big! I currently have 2 elastic bands with a ligature over them holding on the reed. It'll need to do until my replacement arrives. I have velcro cable ties too... might try one of them next. No spare shoelaces or plastic cable ties unfortunately.

[@simonsimon5124]

With the C clamp the middle and the high C sounds more resonant and vibrant...

[@timmao2358]

Surprisingly, most of those unusual ligature options sounded excellent, though I heard some obvious problems with the c clamp.

[@golfprochen]

It's in the head!

[@rootbeeeeer]

a shoelace has genuinely worked better for me than any other ligature i’ve used

[@etowahjazz]

Sounded all the same to me.

[@grantkoeller8911]

Always carry a zip tie in your case, it will work as a ligature and also as a neck strap hook, or even a case handle

[@ChaseMaddox]

🙌

[@saxy1player]

Don't be a wuss, play without one!

[@marike1100]

Almost any ligature will sound good recorded into a good condenser mic. But ligatures are 80% holding power / convenience and maybe 20% sound. My favorite ligature are the one screw designs like the Vandoren MO or Optima. Super convenient and they do sound more open than a stock ligature. No one can convince me that the wooden napkin rings that Roberto’s Winds sells are worth it 😂 (sorry Roberto).

[@tylerwaltner1823]

Wow the hand sounded the best 😂

[@hendrikkwindt1564]

My rating: 1-, 2+, 3+,4 -, 5+/-, 6+, 7++, 8+/-, 9 -. So the outcome is exactly as I feared: from now on I'll have to hire a lady to hold my reed while I'm playing....

[@DavePollack]

Probably cheaper to do that than buy some of these crazy expensive ligatures!

[@ronthedon5317]

The audacity of this man... Still legendary.

[@DavePollack]

😂

[@martinwilliams4722]

Dave ya gotta try super glue to hold the reed on! Did that once in an emergency in the college days, it worked!

[@DavePollack]

I’ll be doing that for part 3!

[@TheWladimir1984]

I left the video playing in the background and, when I heard one that I felt was brighter than the others, I took note of it- it was the 8!

[@sergej100qca4]

When you said "someone's hand" I was legit expecting to see a severed hand.

[@DavePollack]

uhhhhhh

[@JohnBravo-b6t]

That might be something to think about for next Halloween.@@DavePollack

[@bassax7045]

soo lucky for you that clamp didnt jump out as best ,imagine having to gig with that from there on out

[@DavePollack]

Ha, even if it was the best I wouldn’t ever actually use it 😂

[@cjhinds8331]

That C Clamp was phat!

[@stradivarius151]

#4 sounds like one of them new 'high mass' ligatures for extra resonance EDIT: OH SNAP WHO'S GOT EARS NOW

[@DavePollack]

😂😂 nailed it!!

[@hughdavis8344]

Video would've looked better if the black box covered the rest of his face! Ha! Got em!

[@DavePollack]

Got eeeeeeeeeeeeem

[@HelioCoelhoJunior]

#4 just damped the sound a little bit, probably because of the huge mass of the clamp and its weight... but the rest not really such a difference.

[@grantkoeller8911]

Number 8 was my favorite!!!! I can't wait to see the results!!

[@christopherdeloffi252]

O rings work

[@jaykay1590]

Still haven't watched til the end but I have a feeling the phone charger is gonna sound the best

[@constandinr8260]

1 2 7 my fav

[@grantkoeller8911]

I went 10 years using nothing but had tied cord, cotton string, boot lace, leather lace, shoe lace, and Hemp cord.

[@user-VladS]

4,6

[@ketong71]

I actually liked the sound from the C Clamp (#4) the best! Yes, really! LOL!

[@netakv]

I chose 2 as my favorite I'm so ashamed!!!

[@DavePollack]

No need to be!! I'd be happy with the sound of all 9 of these on a gig/recording

[@majoraoftime6484]

Pre visual thoughts: my favorite was #4 because of the openess and brightness, my least favorite were #3 and #5, they just sounded stuffy Edit: oh god.... I guess it's time to invest in some c clamp ligs...

[@DavePollack]

Ha!

[@nick_cnc]

I can't believe I wasted so much time designing and 3D printing a ligature when I could have just used a c-clamp!

[@Lucas.Blevins]

Couldn’t tell much of a difference between any of them. My brain just chalked them up to slight differences between performances as would be normal for anyone playing the same jazz head nine times. Sure looked funny uncovered though 😂😂 Can’t wait to see the C-Clamp lig make a public appearance 🤪

[@DavePollack]

Hah! I really plan on bringing out my "will it play" instruments and weird ligatures to some jam sessions sometime

[@jonahchalnick6416]

Was it just me or was the hand ligature legit darker?!

[@johnrogers7411]

Ligatures are like watches. You can buy a decent one for 5 or 10s of dollars. But some will buy it for status and flare. #4 sounds the worst other than that no difference in sound from my perception.

[@arthurbuccioli]

C clamp is also usefull to add that extra weight some dudes are always looking for with custom neck screws😀

[@grantkoeller8911]

I thought the hand tied shoe sounded the best.....

[@shysaxguy]

I really loved the shoelace. Now I know my favorite backup ligature is always with me.

[@FoolishFrankie]

Ok I want to see the bloopers for the hand one 😂

[@DavePollack]

Honestly it was just a bit of laughing before I started and that's it - there were no issues at all playing it!

[@FoolishFrankie]

@@DavePollack wow how did you get it to line up so easily though without your helper moving it?😂😂

[@DavePollack]

She plays saxophone so she knows the deal!

[@FoolishFrankie]

@@DavePollack Ohhh that makes way more sense then😂🙌🏻

[@jazzman_10]

If my reef does not seal properly I just know it will not sound good,bit may work most of the times but it will end up squeaking. It seems it does not bother you too much though... you still sound great.

[@DynamixWarePro]

Until number 6, I didn't hear much of a difference, but from 6 onwards I did. I like 7 and also 8. 8 sounded like 7 only cleaner. After seeing them uncovered that really surprised me but really ligatures are more important on how they make the reed respond to the player than the subtle differences to the sound.

[@DavePollack]

Totally agree!

[@grantkoeller8911]

I went 10 years straight using a hand tied string ligature. USAF boot laces where the best. Hand tied 5 or 6 wraps.

[@emil25558]

Epic video

[@saxoferm]

The 2nd one sounded sterile

[@PostMasterNick]

All this confirms is that the Rovner is just a meme🤣

[@DavePollack]

I mean I still use it as my only ligature, so it works for me

[@stradivarius151]

👨‍🚀🔫👨‍🚀 Always was

[@iamnegan8878]

Reminds me of when we used to use Rubber bands

[@cereal4059]

Rubber bands work

[@grantkoeller8911]

Wow, I picked the Rovner!!!!!!!

[@lejazz6938]

So, like was to be expected...it's a waste of money ànd a waste of time to spend so much time on comparing and choosing the best one .... :)

[@DavePollack]

Are you saying I wasted time making this video? You know making videos is a source of income for me, right? 😂

[@orcaandrea]

You are too good. I think the only challenge left for you is playing WITHOUT ligature. I bet you could do that too.

[@DavePollack]

Actually I should have tried that! Just hold it on with my mouth...next time, hahah

[@HB-ve4wi]

Does it have to be that specific hand, or would any hand do? If the first option, where can I get it?

[@DavePollack]

😂get your own hand!!

[@gangofgreenhorns2672]

Even the difference in feel is pretty mild with regards to ligatures (compared to say mouthpieces, reeds, or even the horn). Whenever I do hear or find a ligature that changes a sound ~5% I think of that as an extreme outlier lol. That's about as much as they can probably effect the sound. Eg the Rovner Versa uncovered in the most recent Better Sax ligature video has a noticable--but mild--effect on his tone.

[@DanceMyStyle]

Yes and no. For me a ligature is much more about the response (and to some extent, projection) than tone type/quality. When I got my first soprano the lig was an absolute waste of metal and I used 2 zip ties - which I stuck with for ages! As an experiment once I asked the techs at work to bend a penny slightly, used that as a 'cradle' for the reed and fastened the lot to my mouthpiece with a rubber band. Just as good as any other 'metal plate' lig you could pick up, and of course a fraction of the price... All of that said, my favourite ligatures are the Rovner Platinum and Yani Sixs (the latter of which I won in a competition). But like I said at first, for the response I get, much less so than tone, cos most of that is of course mouthpiece/reed and, well, me

[@grantterry2382]

Love the mark 6!

[@gustavohernandezr4560]

kids in highschool bands using rubber bands and hair ties

[@DavePollack]

works perfectly fine!

[@orzanoap]

Rovner fabric lig definitely has a different sound than a standard metal lig.

[@DavePollack]

Yup, and I did that comparison in the other video!

[@marike1100]

Has anyone tried the Rovner Platinum that pretty much the entire sax section of the WDR Big Band uses?

[@c.l.4895]

No gorilla glue?

[@DavePollack]

That's for the next one! I have a bunch more wacky ligatures to test.

[@martinkrieger7411]

Guessed nearly right (#4 or #8 would be the Rovner Versa/Daniels); mayby the contact metal-reed recommends a slightly "more engaged" playing - I like my FL Pure Brass (just today).

[@DavePollack]

No versa - it’s just the standard rovner (no metal plate)

[@martinkrieger7411]

@@DavePollack Ah, okay (another prejudice abandoned).