Ligatures Ultimate Ligature Hyperion or marketing master class?

[turf3]

The pressure plate on a two screw lig is something I've never seen anywhere else except in photos of your ligature. And yet it seems like a good design unlikely to have serious faults.

I will call everyone's attention to the fact that on Pete's ligature (as on all well designed metal ligs of this type) the two screws are about as close as they can be to being tangent to the OD of the mouthpiece AND they run through long bosses, so the tendency of the ligature to bend at the screw location is minimized, unlike the Hype-hype-hype-irion, where they've got the screw up on a couple tall plates that will clearly bend preferentially to putting tension in the band.

This is the way hose clamps, V-band clamps, zip ties, the string ligature, all work, because of those laws of physics things we techies learn early on in those classes the artists don't have to bother with.

 

[turf3]

Hey, "HYPE" is right there in its name!

 

[Tuppertn]

Given the tongue-in-cheek style of the video, I'm quite sure they were being deliberately ridiculous with the whole "design team" hyperbole. I don't believe any of it.

I'm personally not attracted to a ligature. I'd love to try the piece though.

 

[JSL]

It amazes (but doesn't surprise) me that there's so much hype and so-called 'innovation' surrounding a simple clamp that holds the reed to the mpc table. The relatively simple design for this device to work has been in place for many years. It can be accomplished with one or two screws, properly placed, and a clamp that fits the mpc. That's about it. Once you have a ligature that fits properly, you're all set. No reason whatsoever to go on an extensive search and for numerous 'new & innovative' designs. A total waste of time and money that could be spent far more wisely.

 

[Targa]

Hyperion - son of Uranus

 

[Pete Thomas]

The relatively simple design for this device to work has been in place for many years. It can be accomplished with one or two screws, properly placed, and a clamp that fits the mpc. That's about it. Once you have a ligature that fits properly, you're all set.

Yeh but just think what a richer saxophone heritage we would have if only Bechet, Parker, and Coltrane had access to a Hyperion.

And I’m not the only one who gets the irony in the name. After spending money on designers, it’s crazy to not pay for a branding consultant who would have noticed immediately you don’t put the word Hype into a name and marketing campaign.

 

[mizmar]

... Boring mechics aside, and continuing from the discussion in the Better Sax Session sax thread...

... I do wonder what market they think they're after, getting Wally Wallace as influencer?

Is he a particular favourite amongst the 0.1%ers wanting to learn sax, or something?

 

[Pete Thomas]

... I do wonder what market they think they're after, getting Wally Wallace as influencer?

Is he a particular favourite amongst the 0.1%ers wanting to learn sax, or something?

I think people these days will always value an influencer over, for example, a professional player.

 

[mizmar]

I think people these days will always value an influencer over, for example, a professional player.

Sure - but each must have a profile. A constituency with a demographic; age, income, experience etc.

 

[Colin the Bear]

Hyperion - son of Uranus

Whose?

 

[Targa]

I still can't get the concept that people not simply accept but want to be told what to buy and do by someone actually calling themselves an influencer.
It takes what little subtlety there was out of marketing and advertising.
I suppose it does save them the trouble of having an original thought and it is easier following the herd.

 

[Tonehole]

Me too, but whenever you invest in a designer, you can end up with a wonderful design - but if it's innovative (which is what you want to say in the marketing, then it could well be something that some people love and others hate. And yet again peopl who wonder why is a ligature worth investing in the cosmetic side of it, especially if it takes precedence over the function. It's what my wife would call "having a bit of a hat on." No ligature needs a hat.

The best ligature I've ever seen (and I still have and use one) is this.

Pete I have a lot of ligs but not this one! Makes one wonder where Vandoren got the idea for the Optimum ligature. Over engineer this lig, add a few additional reed plates and you have an Optimum!

 

[Grumps]

Looks pretty nifty.

And other than holding a reed on... that's an understandable qualification. Maybe number two on the list. Francois Louis for me!

 

[WallyWallace]

I think people these days will always value an influencer over, for example, a professional player.

Perhaps. I've also made a living performing and teaching at several Universities. I don't play background music or $150 jazz "gigs" anymore. If that makes me "not a pro" - I'm cool with that.

 

[WallyWallace]

I watched this video the other day.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HvlMzaJIis


"Hyperion" is a ligature that took a design team 3 years to create and it is designed to fit only one mouthpiece!
Yes the best ligature ever designed won't fit an Otto Link or a Meyer but a Tonaline Brilhart alto piece because why?
It was determined a white Tonaline is the best piece to play on alto!



But wait, this Brilhart piece that the Hyperion ligature fits has been specially designed to fit the Hyperion Ligature?
GetASax has designed a "special" Brilhart tonalin copy and enhanced it and adjusted the shank so they reverse engineered it to fit.
It was determined that .076 is the ultimate tip opening as well.

I have fetish for ligatures and have well over a hundred for different saxophones, eighteen alone specific to STM Link tenor pieces not counting OE.
The price of this ligature is $140.00 which is reasonable compared to the insane prices of some other gold plated boutique ligatures offered these days.

My issue is that it is mouthpiece specific. So am I going to move on from my trusty vintage NY Meyer 8 and my A45 Limited for a remake of a .076 Tonaline made of a dental material?

It is my understanding the lig & mouthpiece is $400.00USD and already sold out.

I have a drawer of old Brilharts, I won't be revisiting them.

Hey There, bit of clarification:
1. It was sized to the stock "Meyer" - fits most jazz hard rubber pieces.
2. The ligature price is $130 - mouthpiece combo was $325
3. The Vert Team haircuts are ONLY trendy in Sydney, Australia.
4. You guys are a hoot!

 

[skeller047]

I don't play background music or $150 jazz "gigs" anymore. If that makes me "not a pro" - I'm cool with that.

A true pro will play a $15 jazz gig, if the rhythm section is any good.

 

[sax panther]

No ligature needs a hat.

But they do go well with a mouthpiece cap

 

[Tonehole]

Hey There, bit of clarification:
1. It was sized to the stock "Meyer" - fits most jazz hard rubber pieces.
2. The ligature price is $130 - mouthpiece combo was $325
3. The Vert Team haircuts are ONLY trendy in Sydney, Australia.
4. You guys are a hoot!

Thank you for sharing that it fits a Meyer, I was distracted by the "hyperbole". Since your youtube review will drive customers to the Hyperion web site I would suggest that detail be mentioned.

I think all agree it is a cool / funky looking ligature of apparent quality and that the price point is very reasonable in today's marketplace. I am envious of that transparent bulbus cap.

The only other concern voiced and unaddressed is how close the screw tightens the plates and how rigid they are. This we will soon know in the fullness of time. The plates seem very close together in the pictures and on the piece you are playing in the video. I assume the design team accounted for this in their real world use of the ligature. As we are all too aware not all of our pieces are created with the same diameter. GS was hands on with it while play testing their new piece so likely a non issue.

I would hazard the Hyperion does not jump the shark in your presentation and fortunately does not meet the standard of this marque image destroying ad for Jaguar.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLtFIrqhfng&t=30s




I look forward to buying a 2nd hand one in the very near future.

 

[Pete Effamy]

A true pro will play a $15 jazz gig, if the rhythm section is any good.

I try not to play gigs any more #gigwornoldpro

 

[WallyWallace]

Thank you for sharing that it fits a Meyer, I was distracted by the "hyperbole". Since your youtube review will drive customers to the Hyperion web site I would suggest that detail be mentioned.

I think all agree it is a cool / funky looking ligature of apparent quality and that the price point is very reasonable in today's marketplace. I am envious of that transparent bulbus cap.

The only other concern voiced and unaddressed is how close the screw tightens the plates and how rigid they are. This we will soon know in the fullness of time. The plates seem very close together in the pictures and on the piece you are playing in the video. I assume the design team accounted for this in their real world use of the ligature. As we are all too aware not all of our pieces are created with the same diameter. GS was hands on with it while play testing their new piece so likely a non issue.

I would hazard the Hyperion does not jump the shark in your presentation and fortunately does not meet the standard of this marque image destroying ad for Jaguar.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLtFIrqhfng&t=30s




I look forward to buying a 2nd hand one in the very near future.

Ha, I will absolutely use that ad in our next launch! Our video was a tongue-in-cheek take on Wes Anderson. My business partner, Andrew Simpson, owns Vert Design studios Vert Design Studio - the 15 hipsters are his full time employees. Only 2 worked on and off on the project. The engineering (yes, we have engineers) were done by Chain Ray who manufactures for the Taiwanese Space program. (a perk of working with Vert). Completely agree that "time will tell," and that was one of the perks working with industrial designers. Andrew was insistent that we make a tooled prototype and I try to break it. Seriously. We waited for three years because:

1. we were not in a hurry. Andrew and I have become good friends and have several products in development.
2. I wanted to test the ligature at length on a variety of mouthpieces.

Over 2.5 years, you can see my youtube videos with the "golden sample" prototype cranked down on a variety of mouthpieces. The lugs, by design have a bit of flex. But, they're designed to have a huge surface area brazed to the band (one drawback to traditional 2-screw). We could absolutely get more clamping force, but that was not our our goal. My friends who reface warped tables know the dangers of torque first designs.

We, unapologetically, put aesthetics as a high priority. Every time I put on the cap it puts a smile on my face. We made the thing we wanted to see in the world. I'm over the moon. It's not for everyone, we're cool with that 🙂