Vandoren LC57DP M/O Ligature and Plastic Cap for Alto Saxophone; Gilded Finish

I am a novice saxaphone player(6-9 months) I bought a $300 Glory saxaphone(to make sure i stuck with it, and because it was really unique and good looking).... I played almost everyday, and developed decent skills on it(i thought) but, i was squeaking anytime I went too high, and warbling when hitting those low notes. I have been purchasing different recommended mouthpieces/reeds, as it is said that these will significantly change your sound. Alas, the improvement in sound was very minimal. I saw one lost post in the eternal depths of the internet that said a ligature can improve the sound... I was looking for a new mouthpiece(3rd or fourth one for my alto) and stumbled across this ligature, and recalled the eternally lost comment that I had read(and dismissed. Because how is this tiny stupid little piece of metal going to alter the sound....?) It was cheaper than the mouthpiece i was considering, but was still just a stupid flimsy little metal collar with the purpose of domesticating reeds....... I hated the idea of spending $50+ on this thing.... I convinced myself to give it a try(very reluctantly) by pointing out there is a single screw vs my two screw lig, and had a slot for the reed(a place for everything, and everything in itsplace, EVERYTIME!!!)... so I got it, and was very doubtful of any change, so listened very closely for any difference. I played them back to back(seriously planning to send it back when it did nothing...) After playing them back to back, i was completely dumbfounded in the difference, as I continue to be..... I was in such disbelief, that I had to bring my wife in to listen to them back to back. She gave me the "you're an idiot" look, once I had told her what I paid for it... I finished playing the same song on each, she said "ohh my, it sounds like a completely different instrument... it's so much richer and smoother. " Now I'm going to get one for my tenor sax too(definitely warbles out on lower notes..) The moral of this story, buy it! If you get in trouble for spending so much on part off a soda can, play them back to back, all is forgiven! 😉 🤣

I bought this to evaluate a Selmer mouthpiece where the legacy ligature was having issues.It worked great, is easy and quick to install properly, and allows full vibration of the reed while holding it in place. A fine and affordable alternative to the high end ligatures.What this item is probably not good for, would include very beginning players who may treat it roughly. The metal is not substantial though it is more than enough for careful handling.

As ligature go this vandoren m/o is a step down from the more expensive optimum ligature, but has most of the same sound quality. A ligature is still only a small part of a sax setup and not the most important. This holds the reed firmly in place and is durable. If you play in high humidity environments you will have to replace this about once every few years. Store this with the included cap to prevent bending of the metal. Store without the reed to slow oxidation of the ligature.

Looks great and works great! No wiggle from the reed and the single screw makes it very easy to adjust when compared to ones with two.

UPDATE: I loved it while it lasted but that was actually less than one year. The thread became stripped. i don't believe I was terribly rough with it. I do believe the metal used is on the soft side and can easily become stripped. So knocked off a star for fragility. I may get another one one of these days. If so, I'll super careful about over-tightening it, that's for sure.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I have a number of alto ligatures, the Vandoren M/O reviewed here, a Bonade regular (not inverted), a Rovner "dark", an F. Louis "Ultimate", and at some point an Optimum (long lost). I like the new Vandoren best, though the Bonade and Rovner are good in their own right. The M/O gives me the bite of the Bonade but with a bit more body, a more "centered" tone in a sense. I think the tone is a little more flexible with this new lig overall. The Bonade is quite bright, and the Rovner very mellow and dark. (I don't like the F.Louis "Ultimate" - very hard to get the reed held evenly and very easy to not knock out of wack once you do.) I do like the way it hugs the reed in place too. Not the cheapest - but worth it.

Absolutely perfect lightweight goes on easy stays on easy to adjust. This is the one you wanna buy!

If your young musician is having trouble with "squeaking" or poor tone, I highly suggest this ligature. I bought this same Vandoren brand and design for both my sons who are playing the clarinet and saxophone. The ligature is notched out for the reed, and only two points of contact touch the reed, so it doesn't inhibit vibration as much as the usual included ligatures. The single screw makes it really easy to install and remove, which promotes cleaning the mouthpiece (something my two boys were avoiding which is just nasty after a while). I also recommend Bari Star artificial reeds. The combination of the Bari reeds and the Vandoren ligature is a literal game-changer for a young musician, with immediate, noticeable improvement.

Everything good the other people say about this ligature is TRUE! I am very happy having found it. I use it with LEGERE reeds. I don't know how it would be with natural reeds.