Vandoren LC09P Optimum Baritone Saxophone Gold-Gilded Ligature and Plastic Cap, Black

I bought it because it did offer a bit less resistance than my Rovner versa X, but it has some issues. The plates are really difficult to change, and the metal bends pretty effortlessly. Also the cap it comes with is terrible, barely fits the ligature and goes in at an angle. I’ll be keeping it because it is easy to use most of the time, but it is not a perfect product.

I'm still a relatively beginner self-taught player, and I've been struggling off and on for many years trying to get a smooth tone without squeaks or hisses. I thought the problem was me just not being good enough, maybe a weak embouchure or something to do with my breathing, or a bad habit that I've developed without knowing it.I noticed that many clarinetists were using funny-looking ligatures, so I started to read up about them and came across these reviews on Amazon. I was going to buy a cheaper Rovner ligature, but I was directed to the Optimum ligature by one of the (professional) clarinet reviewers. Although it's a lot pricier, I thought I'd give it a try.OK, so my playing didn't improve immediately, but I did notice an immediately change in the character of the sound, it was A LOT brighter, I kind of had to reign in my blowing. It certainly was so much easier to blow and get a nice sound, but I seemed to produce far more squeaks than before. The fact that the single screw makes it so much easier to adjust and try out different reed positions is a minor but important bonus.Then I played around with different reeds and reed strengths, not to mention preparing the reeds properly. It took me about a week to get used to the slightly different way of playing and to figure out which reed to use (the reed I used on my regular mouthpiece seemed to play too harshly with the Optimum ligature).Now, with the Optimum ligature and the right reed in the right position, I'm finding that I can actually play the clarinet quite well. I'm getting those lovely soft tones in both registers, and I can easily step across the break (before it seemed like a "leap"). And I'm also finding that I because don't have to focus so much on blowing and getting the sound and tone right, my finger work seems to be more flowing. I can tackle music with leaps and flats and sharps and key changes that seemed insurmountable before.So it wasn't me after all! It really does make a difference to upgrade the technology of the instrument itself. No doubt a better clarinetist will be able to adjust for the more "sluggish" feel of a simpler, plainer instrument - but as a beginner, this product provides a great leg up. Highly recommended.As for the plastic cap, it does state this in the description - but the image is highly misleading. CHANGE IT AMAZON! I looked up the price of a silver-plated cap and it costs nearly as much as the ligature itself! It obviously doesn't make any difference to the music, so it's not important. However, the plastic cap doesn't quite seem to fit snugly. You have to push it down over the ligature so that the "legs" stretch slightly. But it's just a protective cover after all, so no big deal.

This is a classic ligature. It's not magic, but it does what it's supposed to do without excessively coloring the sound or being too gimmicky. Three different plates give options, but the differences are pretty subtle. If nothing else, the single screw mechanism is smooth and much easier to use than many stock double screw options. If you're a student, I'd highly recommend a good ligature and mouthpiece before getting too excited about upgrading to new sax.

The Vandoren Optimum Premium Ligature was strongly recommended to me by my Clarinet private instructor as he also uses this very ligature. I saw some reviews on Amazon talking about the 3 different pressure plates for the ligature I was excited to see what I will sound like. Shipping was extremely fast and when I say fast I mean 3 days on free shipping. wow. The Ligature comes very neatly packed in its own box with the logo's on the side and whatnot. The box inside has a pamphlet describing each of the 3 pressure plates individually in full depth. The Ligature is very nicely placed inside a brown plastic non-corrosive bag to protect the silver plating on the ligature. When I opened the bad the shiny ligature was carefully placed inside a plastic mouthpiece cover. I must say, when I took the ligature out is was and looked very very very well made, all the parts are of the finest quality (Before hand questioning this $71.00 product to see if it was worth the $). The ligature comes with three different plates. Wow. When I played on my clarinet (R-13) I was so stunned I didn't know if It was me who was playing or not it was so good! This ligature really makes the reed vibrating freely and evenly number 1 priority. It's so easy blowing but still maintains the same color and darkness a clarinetist strives for. Let me tell you now, This ligature is basically 3 different amazing ligatures all in one with these pressure plates, Each has a very distinct difference of sound, it's so awesome. No need to buy any other ligature, THIS IS THE ONE TO GET. Not only does it play absolutely beautifully, but it looks really cool too! This ligature is a MUST HAVE for any Sax or Clarinet player, you will sound 100% better than you originally have and you will know it the first time you play a note! Don't mind the money, it's worth every single penny no joke hands down the very best ligature out there on the market today. I would recommend this to the intermediate player through Professional musicians. Hope this helped, Happy playing :)

This made a distict difference to my performance, particularly when I managed to change the base place for number 2 rather than the number 1 that was prefitted. The first plate does reduce any squeaks but it is a bit limiting on the sound. Plate number 2 allows the reed to move more freely. A few squeeks may occur initially but, toning up the ambrasure will deal with that. I have not tried plate 3 yet and that is my first quibble, the plates are a real b*g**r to fit. Perhaps an additional gripe, it was a tad tarnished. Must have been in the shop a while. Wiped clean with a suitable silver cloth, and yes, although this is often described as metal, it is in fact silver plate. My final gripe, the plastic vandoran cap supplied with it is a real piece of rubbish. Fortunately my existing cap still fits.

This is a popular ligature and for good reason. It does the job it's meant to - it holds the reed to the mouthpiece securely and as long as your mouthpiece table is flat, it creates the perfect seal.I'm a fan of one screw ligatures for the simplicity. Some people like the precision you can get with varying the tightness of two screws, but I like to just get playing!The plates are a nice idea but I don't hear any major tonal differences. The Optimum with any of the plates will naturally feel different to a fabric or leather ligature. Articulation feels cleaner and I find notes in the extreme registers to speak more freely.I've got one for tenor and alto and they fit a wide range of mouthpieces. Yes, some people may not like the bold 'V' cut out and want something boutique and unbranded, but if you don't care about looks and want to get playing, you need this in your musical arsenal!

Having used the original ligatures on both my Symphony 1010s for many years, I thought I would try a change. I chose this one as it appeared to have maximum flexibility. I found the sound quality noticeably improved with a good reed compared to the originals, and markedly better response speed. Higher notes were more reliable. The ligature seems sturdy but it is quite new. Changing the contact plates was fiddly, but did vary the sound produced. The position of the ligature on the mouthpiece was more sensitive than with my original ones: two millimetres lower than the ideal position and it was a quite unstable response. Correctly positioned it was a worthwhile upgrade.

This is the first upgrade for my clarinet. The Vandoren Optimum Ligatures go well with my new Vandoren M15 mouthpiece, it holds the reed firmly with one easy adjustment, and there is a marked improvement in the tone over a wide range as compared with the generic mouthpiece/ligatures I had before. It also comes with 3 interchangeable pressure plates to adjust the sound depending on the musc I play. I would give the ligatures a 5-star. But..One minus is the cap that came with the ligatures - it is the black plastic cap (C01P), not the silver-plated one as shown on the product photo here or on the actual box. It is still a decent quality Vandoren cap and still fits the ligatures, but there is about a £10 difference between the silver-plated cap that was supposedly there and the black one that was included, so I feel a bit cheated. Not sure if it was a change by Vandoren or the seller.

I have been playing for 5 years, and have previously used a leather ligature, but found this did not always hold the reed in place.This ligature includes 3 plates, and they all hold the reed securely. The plates are not easy to change, as they need a bit of careful brute force to remove them, but they are worth it to alter the ease of playing, and tone.