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Van Doren Optimum ligature users

Hello all,
I took a trip into Boston today to pick up a couple of ligatures (one for my alto sax & one for my bari sax).
I've seen using standard metal and Rovner (originals) on both of these instruments but I felt that it was time for a change.

I use Optimum ligatures on my Bb and bass clarinets...and I like them.

For those of you that use Optimums, do you ever switch plates?
I just use the one originally installed (with two ridges) and it seems to work for me on my clars.

Do you use one of the other plates, and if so, why?
 
I have a couple - clarinet, alto and tenor sax. The only plate that I do not like are the 4 pins.
If you tighten the lig a bit too much the pins end up going into the cane and it ends up a flat plate and you can't do a slight reed adjustment as it wants to slide into those reed pin holes.

I like the top and bottom wide plate as that is exactly like their old "Masters" ligature.
The vertical ridges are my preferred ones though.
 
I use the Optimum "vertical" plate. However I'm not using the Optimum as much as I used to. I'm playing mostly a crystal MPC and the Optimum tends to slip around. The Vandoren leather works better.
 
I travel (or traveled Before Covid 22) to NY to take a few lessons from a former Basie Alto player,
He preferred the one with the 4 dots due to it's limited contact.

I don't notice any difference. I believe that It may have more to the degree of tension when the lig is set in place.

Thanks Mojo, it's nice to find another Fibracell fan!
 
I use the Optimum "vertical" plate. However I'm not using the Optimum as much as I used to. I'm playing mostly a crystal MPC and the Optimum tends to slip around. The Vandoren leather works better.
You may want to look at the BG Revelation as an alternative. It may be closer to the Optimum vertical plate than the Vandoren.
 
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