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Rico Inverted Ligature

Author: Max S-D
Date: 2021-08-20 03:35

I discovered the inverted Rico-branded ligatures (not the H-Ligature) recently and picked them up for bass clarinet, clarinet and tenor sax (actually the soprano sax model that fits my metal tenor mouthpiece). Each of them costs around $17-$20 without a cap, a few bucks more with the same plastic one that comes with the H-ligatures.

I'm quite impressed by them! They are reminiscent the old Vandoren Master's ligatures. Suspiciously so, really. The metal is quite a bit thicker than those old Vandorens, so they don't quite form up to the mouthpiece and reed quite as easily, but hopefully that means they will be durable. I was able to shape mine a bit with a combination of tightening and pressing in places, much like you would with a Bonade.

I mostly use a Vandoren Optimum or my old Master's ligature, but as a holdover from my teaching days, I am always on the lookout for solid, affordable equipment and I think this fits the bill.

A ligature's impact on tone is one that has been hotly debated here for years, but I think it has a small impact and this ligature, to me, is in between the "free" feeling of an inverted Bonade and the relatively more "controlled" feeling of my Optimum. I think it sort of splits the difference between my Optimum and my Master's ligature, if that is a comparison that helps anyone. I find it to be on the stable side of the "minimalist" ligature crop, but definitely lighter in response and tone than the denser-sounding/feeling Optimum.

I also think that this inexpensive Rico-branded product is worlds better than the more expensive H Ligature. I never felt like the H patterned metal on the front sat properly on my reeds.

For me, this ligature also feels like it has a more secure hold on the reed than the H lig or the inverted Bonade, both of which have a tendency to want to slip for me.

For the price, I think this is hard to beat. I haven't had students for a number of years, but this ligature seems like a pretty solid option for a very reasonable price that I'd be happy to recommend to them. I've certainly played ligatures that cost a lot more that I liked a lot less!

Has anyone else tried these? What did you think?

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