Ligatures PPT Tenor - best ligature

[Chris98]

Hi Kev,

That sounds good on the one hand but not ideal on the other. I think I'll hold back and see if a better solution is found before trying other ligatures, the Rovner with a shim is okay for the moment, but it'd be nice to have something with a better fit.

Best wishes,

Chris

 

[kevgermany]

I'm about to make a new strap for the Rovner - out of the webbing straps they use for luggage tie downs. Haven't had time to go to the leather shop again. It's going to look interesting in light blue, against a dark blue PPT, but who cares - if it works.

 

[Pete Thomas]

FF lig arrived. Fits nicely and sounds good, but it's easy to move the reed while you're playing.

It's a great design, but I think most ligs apart from Rovners will slip a bit on a mouthpiece with a taper like the PPT unless done up quite tight. Because the FF has a rubber foot on the top, you can afford to screw it up tighter than you might with a standard lig.

I've spoken to Ed about making it less of a taper, and he is concerned about changing something that seems to be working well. Although I don't believe it would affect the sound, he thinks it may. So at the moment the taper is there to stay.

I thought the Fortissimo FF is a great design, with either screw it fits any mouthpiece, from most sopranos to up to most baritones. The minimalist design is cool, but does make you wonder if it's overpriced

 

[kevgermany]

Sorry Pete, wasn't complaining. It fits as you said, stopped the squeaks from a badly fitting Rovner. But was in the middle of playing something and just blew.... There it was a few mills out of line. Will try tightening it more next time. Some of the guys on sax on the web said the saime thing about it. Most liked the sound. Not sure if there was a difference between that and the rovner, myself - at least when it was packed properly.

 

[Rogerb]

I'd just reiterate that the Rovner EDII holds a reed completely firm on my PPT, and shows no sign of slippage.

 

[Chris98]

Hi Pete,

Have you come to any ligature conclusions for the PPT, is the Fortissimo ligature the answer or the Francois-Louis Ultimate or Pure Brass? Or as Roger suggests the Rovner EDII?

My standard light Rovner has now stretched due me doing it up so tight in the vain hope that it will succumb to the shape of the mouthpiece, but alas it still needs a shim.

Any thoughts gratefully received.

Chris

 

[Pete Thomas]

Hi Pete,

Have you come to any ligature conclusions for the PPT, is the Fortissimo ligature the answer or the Francois-Louis Ultimate or Pure Brass? Or as Roger suggests the Rovner EDII?

No real conclusions. I am happiest with a Rovner EVO, it fits perfectly. The Fortissimo is good, but kevgermany finds the reeds slip. I also like the very cheap basic 2 screw (available from Howarths, I think it's unbranded but has USA stamped on it). My jury is still out a bit on the FL, I need to also do more testing with the ultimate. The pure brass is OK but I did notice some reed slipping when manhandling the mouthpiece on tight corks (that can be a really good test).

I have also spoken to Ed about making less of a taper, but he is wary of this, we have a great soundin mouthpiece and he thinks that changing even the external shape may affect the sound, and who am I to argue?

There is nothing bad about using a leather or cardboard shim, some people use them whether needed or not as they think it can improve the sound. I have my doubts ...

 

[kevgermany]

The fortissimo sits in the box. I tried really tightening it, as Pete suggested, but it didn't really stop the movement. However it does fit nicely, and holds the reed well enough to get a great sound.

Am still looking for a suitable material to make a more angled strap for the Rovner. Must get my finger out, but I've been really busy. There was also another sugestion earlier in this thread. Worth checking back.

 

[TomMapfumo]

Rovner EVO is an excellent ligature, fits the PPT perfectly, and therefore produces a great sound - everyone is happy, apart from LigSceptics!;}

Kind regards.
Tom😎

From my point of view I purchased an EVO-5 Ligature and then found a reed and mouthpiece that fitted it. My PPT is an excellent recomendation to compliment my EVO-5. And they say mouthpieces don't affect the sound of Ligatures

 

[Chris98]

Rovner EVO is an excellent ligature, fits the PPT perfectly, and therefore produces a great sound - everyone is happy, apart from LigSceptics!;}

Kind regards.
Tom😎

From my point of view I purchased an EVO-5 Ligature and then found a reed and mouthpiece that fitted it. My PPT is an excellent recomendation to compliment my EVO-5. And they say mouthpieces don't affect the sound of Ligatures

Tom, I wasn't aware you had a PPT, comforting to know that you too have had success with the Rovner EVO-5.

I'm just a bit hesitant to put my hand back in my pocket at the moment unless I know it's really going to fit. I've tried the Vandoren Optimum lig which I already had and was said to fit but alas wasn't a good match so bought I got a standard Rovner which now appears not to be as good a fit as the EVO 5. The EVO 5 was discontinued hence why I had to go for the standard Rovner.

The shim doesn’t bother me too much apart from the fact that I dropped it at band practice on Tuesday and was hunting around as though I'd lost a contact lens.

Best wishes,

Chris

 

[kevgermany]

The shim doesn’t bother me too much apart from the fact that I dropped it at band practice on Tuesday and was hunting around as though I'd lost a contact lens.

Best wishes,

Chris

I'm using a doubled over thick bite plate, so easy to make a new one if you drop it - or it would be if I used bite plates and had some.

 

[TomMapfumo]

Hi Chris!

Howarth still have EVO-5 Ligatures at £19.98. I was joking about having a PPT. I have the Francois Louis/Barone Jazz for Tenor, and spend money mainly on Trombones. Sorry to be misleading.

Kind regards
Tom😎

 

[Rogerb]

Well the EDII...now replaced by the Versa ....works very securely, so I imagine those Rovners of similar design would, also.
I got the EDII, in as new condition, from a member here, on ebay, so didn't havta pay the rather high new price!

 

[Chris98]

Hi Chris!

Howarth still have EVO-5 Ligatures at £19.98. I was joking about having a PPT. I have the Francois Louis/Barone Jazz for Tenor, and spend money mainly on Trombones. Sorry to be misleading.

Kind regards
Tom😎

I didn't think you had a PPT and so I was confused by what you were saying, I was in a bad mood earlier which probably didn't help either.

Thanks for the heads up on the EVO-5 I'll take a look at Howarth's website tomorrow.

All the best,

Chris

 

[Chris98]

Well the EDII...now replaced by the Versa ....works very securely, so I imagine those Rovners of similar design would, also.
I got the EDII, in as new condition, from a member here, on ebay, so didn't havta pay the rather high new price!

Hi Roger,

I wonder why they changed the name, so it's the Versa now!

I hope you're finding you're tenor voice and polishing all that silver regularly ;}

Ideally I'd head for somewhere that has a range of ligatures and try them out, but unfortunately the places around me only seem to do Rovner Dark and Light ligs so it'd mean getting to London or Sax.co.uk which would seem sensible for a saxophone or a mouthpiece but a special trip for a lig seems a bit excessive.

Best wishes,

Chris

 

[Rogerb]

Yes, Chris, Eddie Daniels has, I believe, ceased to be an endorser (what a lovely clarinet sound he has!!!)....so they had to take his name off....I guess Versa, is short for 'versatile', as there are so many perms & combs with the different 'inserts'.

With one of the metal inserts in, the two 'tensioning bars' on top are well-separated, but not parallel, as they cope with the taper.

Re the M2 tenor.....I am following my teacher's advice and concentrating mainly on the alto, and only having a blow on the tenor occasionally.
The silver plate is lacquered, so no polishing required (TG!) and I am still cracking the note on that G2 ...just can't seem to hit it cleanly, except by creeping-up on it, legato !! I've tried other mpcs, tuning, and reeds, all to no avail 🙁

 

[AlistairD]

Two suggestions:

- Bois which is just a ring type lig
- Olegature which is metal chain link type lig.

Just a thought, I like both types and they might work on a PPT...

 

[Pete Thomas]

Two suggestions:

- Bois which is just a ring type lig
- Olegature which is metal chain link type lig.

Just a thought, I like both types and they might work on a PPT...

I tried an Olegature, it slips a bit.

 

[kpsenior]

I agree with Rhys, Vandoren Optimum works fine. I also use the Rovner Platinum since some weeks. It works excellent too. Cause the ligature is very long you have to put it far back and fix the reed carefully. But if you have done so it is blowing more freely than the Optimum. So I prefer this one. It is worth a try.
Klaus

 

[TomMapfumo]

Isn't it time that we had the PPT ligature from the Earl Thomas?;}
I am already keeping a list of possible names.............

Pullyerlegature

The Little Belter

What goes around......

The Missing Lig

Don't sit on it, Deidre!

Ligs Eleven

Swings'n'roundabout

The Claw

Tightenem

Any Old Iron

Piffle


Seriously it would be nice to have an official PPT Ligature, or have one officially recommended - surely there is someone out there whose talents could be utilised. I'd suggest a quick chat with Francois Louis to do a custom adaptation of his Basic Ligature. I'm sure it would promote both products very well and lead to more money for charity - the PTFLig!

Kind regards
Tom😎