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Ligatures that fit Selmer bari sax mouthpieces.

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Hello all, I've been using a Rovner on a Selmer S80 bari sax mouthpiece simply because it's one of two ligs that I've found that fit the mouthpiece, the other being a standard 2-screw lig. I have a Vandoren Optimum but it doesn't fit right and I haven't been able to try any other ligs out. What other brands of ligatures would fit this mouthpiece? Thanks, -Scott

I've been playing Selmer mouthpieces on bari for years. Until recently, I used an Optimum without any problems. At the moment, I use a Brancher Leggerio. It's a little tight, but it works well, and you can't beat the sound quality.

i use the optimum also and it work fine for me. you may want to try using a different plate with it

I've tested ligatures extensively, including recording them in performance halls. I'm looking for a vibrant, dark, warm, well projected tone with clear articulation on all clarinets and saxophones. The testing has led me to believe that metal projects better than fabric, leather, or string and that two rails on the reed surface with nothing contacting the edges of the reed, and minimal mouthpiece contact is the answer, at least for me. Fabric ligatures and metal ligatures such as the Vandoren Optimum have too much material in contact with the mouthpiece, dampening the tone, in my opinion (and the opinion of those who have listened "blind" to the recordings I have made.) Daniel Bonade, the legendary clarinettist and teacher was the first to design something like this, but unfortunately over a few months of playing, the Bonade ligagure metal weakens and the circumference ofthe ligature starts to contact the edges of the reed with a noticeable dampening of the sound. Ligatures that share the "rail" system are the Eddie Daniels Rovner, the BG Super Revelation (both fabric), the BG Tradiitonal, Brancher, Peter Spriggs (only made for clarinet and bass clarinet), the Vandoren Optimum, and Francois Louis. The Peter Spriggs ligatue has two rails that have pivot points in the center,and the Francois Louis has a single curved plate that contacts the reeds at it's edges and will pivot around a single central screw. Both of these ligatures will "fit" the rails to the reed better than fixed rails, and both have the least "body and weight" and least contact of materials with the mouthpiece. The Francois Louis ligature is available with various plates. I prefer the brass plate which retains the exectional vibrancy and ease of artiulation but provides a lovely dark tone. The newest Louis ligature is called the Pure Brass and comes with this plate, but either of his "floating" ligatures can be fitted with Stainless Steel, Rubber Covered Stainless, or Brass plates. I still use the Spriggs ligature on clarinet alone, since the plate of the Louis ligature for clarinet is not curved enough and the full plate contacts the reed with very obvious dampening of vibrations. Any ligature that has minimal contact with the mouthpiece has issues with staying on in one place, especially in an orchestral situation where one is shifting the mouthpiece between A and Bb clarinets. A thin Vandoren mouthpiece patch on the back of the mouthpiece almost totally obviates the problem. All just my opinion, but I see more and more saxophonists with Francois Louis ligatures in this community, Vancouver, BC. We are very lucky to have a premiere instrument technician/repairman who also is a retailer and he carries and promotes new and wonderful accessories...Sandro Massullo. He also maintains a fantastic variety of vintage mouthpieces and perfectly restored vintage saxophones.