Question:
What ligature to use with a tenor Morgan Excalibur???
Thanks,

Answer:
I use a Francois Louis ligature on my Kessler OL7Pro. It's rubber like the Excaliber. I was using a Selmer lig, and tried a Rovner as well. The FL ligature provided a LOT more response than the Rovner. Better than the Selmer too, but not by a lot.

Answer:
I have a Morgan Excalibur EL7 on my tenor and I´ve used a Rovner Mark III alto sax lig with it but I´m currently using a metal BG Tradition L10 alto sax ligature. I think the BG opens the sound more than Rovner letting the reed vibrate more freely.
I´ve tried a tenor sax Vandoren Optimum on the Morgan, but it doesn´t fit. However, I recall the Optimum worked well on a metal tenor Link. Stock ligs that come with tenor Otto Links, Meyers and Selmers are too big for a tenor Excalibur. BG Super Revelation tenor lig is also too big and loose on Excalibur.
Hope this helps.

Answer:
I have played the EL excalibur tenor mpc with an alto sax Optinum HR and fits well! That is what I am playing on with my friend's tenor Morgan EL now!
Regards, Saxobari

Answer:
The tenor Optimum ligature that I tried must have been Optimum V16. I guess Saxobari´s Optimum is a V5. I´m not sure if the Optimum is really worth all that money. BG is a lot cheaper and it works very well.

Answer:
You are right VilleK,they are very expensive,and maybe another lig will do just as well ! I alread had that Lig for my Meyer 6 alto,but also have one for my sop.and tenor! I like them cause they do work nicely!
Regards,,Saxobari

Answer:
The Vandoren alto Master's inverted works quite well on the tenor Excalibur...and it's a bargain. I wish they would make this design for metal mouthpieces.

Answer:
Try a BOIS ... I use the alto Hard Rubber on my 7EL Tenor.

Answer:
Rovner Light for Alto hard rubber works fine.
Markus

Answer:
It seems to me that your question needs to be parsed into two aspects: 1.) what ligatures have a good fit on an Excalibur tenor piece and 2.) how will various ligs sound on an Excalibur? Is that what you're getting at?
Most alto ligs for hard rubber mouthpieces fit the Excalibur tenor mouthpiece. If you have questions about a specific lig, it might be helpful to contact Dave Hoskins at . Dave is very helpful and knowledgeable about ligs that fit on Excalibur mouthpieces.
As to how various ligs work with respect to response and tonal qualities on an Excalibur, it often comes down to the tonal concept that you have for a tenor. In this way it becomes a simple matter of personal preference.
One thing that can be helpful is to think about the particular design features that Ralph Morgan uses in the Excalibur. Foremost are the thin chamber walls that make the Excalibur different from the other Morgan mouthpieces and the thinner than usual beak (used in all of the Morgan mouthpieces). What this tells me -- and it's also based on my experience with an Excalibur -- is that the Excalibur is designed to VIBRATE and produce a range of overtones. With this in mind, if you use a ligature that cuts down on the natural vibration of the Excalibur then you are in effect working against the design features that make the Excalibur a special mouthpiece. See what I'm getting at?
Based on my experience with different ligs on my Morgan mouthpieces, I would suggest that you do not use Rovner or other kinds of fabric ligs. Rovner ligs (even the Lite model) have a muffling effect on a Morgan mouthpiece. I've done comparative tests with this and the results are noticable to both myself and others. Focusing on metal ligatures, I recommend ligs that are as minimal as possible in their design (ie, having less metal on the mouthpiece or under the reed) while providing a solid seal for the reed.
Personally, I've had the best results with a Francois Louis silver lig and a Vandoren Master's. I'm currently using the Master's on clarinet and tenor. It seems to me that the Master's has a level of response and an opening of the sound that is similar to a FL lig. What I prefer about the Master's is that it provides a better amount of seal to the reed. This can be more of an issue with some reeds than others. It's my opinion that if you're using a high quality cane reed you can't go too wrong with either a FL or Master's lig on Excalibur. Both ligs will let the Excalibur work at an optimal level of vibration and sound.
A final thought about ligs..... I've come to realize that I get the best results with my set up in using a minumal kind of inverted metal lig that provides a good reed seal. In this way, the reed and mouthpiece can work together in the best possible manner. Then, I can try different reed cuts and brands to give me the particular tonal color and tonal qualities that I'm looking for in my sound. Thus, if I'm looking for a darker sound I'll use a thicker cut reed for the dark sound rather than use a ligature that darkens my sound. On the other hand, if I want a brighter sound I'll use a different cut of reed. I'm finding that this approach gives me a more resonant and vibrant sound than if I use a ligature that has a darkening or muffling affect on the mouthpiece.

Answer:
Roger!
What you say makes perfect sense. But quite some time ago, Ralph told me the only lig he recommends for his pieces is the Rovner dark. I can't remember if we were talking about the regular models or the Excaliburs though, so maybe that makes a difference. I'm wondering if something has changed, if you know something I don't or if you have had Ralph recommend any ligs to you. Could it be a simple matter of what Ralph prefers compard to what you prefer?
It has been my experience that when Ralph prefers something, there is a good scientific reason for it. But.....what you say above just makes good sense!
BTW, I have used a Rovner dark for alto on my tenor EL with no problems. I have never really tried any other lig though.

Answer:
Carr,
Believe me, I trust Ralph Morgan's judgement. He's never steered me wrong in any of the recommendations that he's made to me since I got to know him. In fact, he made several suggestions that made dramatic differences in my playing on clarinet and saxophone.
That said, it's been several years since I last spoke with Ralph about ligatures. It's my understanding that he and Phil Rovner are friends. I don't know if that's a reason why Ralph continues to have an insert in his mouthpiece tubes that suggest using Rovner ligs. Frankly, I've wondered about that myself!
Please understand that I used Rovner ligatures on all of my horns around 4-5 years ago. I started with Dark. After a few months I came to realize how much it affected my sound and projection. I then switched to the Mark III model and had better results. Over the course of time I also tried the Lite and EDII models. For whatever reason, there was something about Rovner ligs that gave me an unsettled feeling. That is, I was looking for something more in my sound and my horn's response. Then, when I first tried a FL lig I was immediately impressed with it. It's like it freed up my set up to play as it was meant to play.
Interestingly, last year I got a 6EL tenor piece on ebay and needed to get my hands quickly on a lig that would fit it. So, I went to my local music shop. The only lig they had in-stock that would fit the EL tenor piece was a Rovner. So, I purchased a Lite model. It was the first time that I had used a Rovner in around 4 years. It only took a few notes to remember why I stopped using them. Even the Lite Rovner had what I'd describe as a muffling of the tonal qualities that I've come to expect from a Morgan mouthpiece. After a couple of weeks I got a FL silver lig that fit the EL. Talk about a night and day difference!
In one conversation I had with Ralph a number of years ago he mentioned that he has a vintage Selmer (I think) lig that's pure silver. He said it has such an amazing quality of sound that various players visiting his shop have tried to buy it from him. A silver lig such as Ralph's is WAY different from a Rovner fabric lig.
It's my feeling that if you get a Vandoren Master's lig (it's inexpensive) and do a side-by-side play test comparison against your Dark lig you'll be amazed at the difference the inverted metal Master's makes in both your tonal quality and the response of your horn. In addition to listening to the comparison yourself, I suggest that you ask a trusted musician friend to listen to you on the two ligs -- ideally in a performance hall or at a gig -- and give you feedback on which lig sounds best to his/her ears in terms of total clarity, richness of sound, response through the range of your horn, and projection.
If you take me up on this suggestion and find that you don't like the Master's I'll buy it from you. I could use a back up lig for tenor anyway.
Roger

Answer:
Roger, I appreciate your generous offer. I think I still have a gift certificate to WW&BW somewhere, so trying a Masters may be very inexpensive!
So are we only talking about a Masters vs. a Rovner on the EL, or should I expect the same results from using a Masters on the regular non-Excalibur Morgan models as well?
Pablitus, have you been able to try any of the things suggested to you, and what were your results?

Answer:
Hite Lig
Hite ligs fit Excaliburs. WWBW stocks them, if you believe their catalog. The Hite alto and tenor pieces are slim like the Excaliburs. They are low cost metal high-performance ligs which contact the reed with 4 raised bumps.
I don't use Rovner darks anymore. For me they muffle the reed's vibration. I find this more of a problem on the smaller horns such as alto, soprano and clarinet.

Answer:
Carr,
"So are we only talking about a Masters vs. a Rovner on the EL, or should I expect the same results from using a Masters on the regular non-Excalibur Morgan models as well?"
Absolutely! While I like the EL very much, my regular mouthpiece on tenor is a 6L. I'm getting great results with a Master's on it...along with my RM28 on clarinet.
Roger

Answer:
pablitus,
I have tried a rovner dark with my morgan 7EL Excalibur and my The Martin Tenor. I just wasnt happy with the sound. A friend suggested an Olegature so i purchased an Oleg 2G of ebay, ($40.00 australaian delivered), ... WOW. The sound is awesome, alive and responsive all over the horn.
So Comparing the two i have to agree with Roger in that the rovner muffles my sound on the Excalibur. But having said that, you may like that sound where as i didnt. Dont go spending a fortune on the things though becuase chances are you wont find the one for you first time, shop around, try ebay, borrow a friends for a while, I mean What are mates for :D
Simon

Answer:
Originally Posted by MM Hite ligs fit Excaliburs. WWBW stocks them, if you believe their catalog. The Hite alto and tenor pieces are slim like the Excaliburs. They are low cost metal high-performance ligs which contact the reed with 4 raised bumps. As well, the Hite ligs are made in such a way as to minimize their contact with the mpc barrel.

You know what's funny? I don't use the Hite lig that came with my Hite Artist tenor mpc. It allows the reed to vibrate too freely! :shock:

Answer:
Originally Posted by carr Roger, I appreciate your generous offer. I think I still have a gift certificate to WW&BW somewhere, so trying a Masters may be very inexpensive!
So are we only talking about a Masters vs. a Rovner on the EL, or should I expect the same results from using a Masters on the regular non-Excalibur Morgan models as well?
Pablitus, have you been able to try any of the things suggested to you, and what were your results?
Yes I did, I finally bought the Dark Rovner for Alto sax and it worked pretty well, I am also impressed with the sound.
Thanks everybody for your comments.
Best regards,
Pablo

Answer:
Originally Posted by Simon67 A friend suggested an Olegature so i purchased an Oleg 2G of ebay, ($40.00 australaian delivered), ... WOW. The sound is awesome, alive and responsive all over the horn. I agree that the Olegatures yield a very responsive setup...I use one on STM Links for bari. I find that they scratch up mouthpieces pretty badly and have gouged up at least one HR mouthpiece that I have. They also have a tendency to bend the tightening screws if you are not always anal about tightening the two screws equally in stages.

Answer:
So do you guys use Vandoren mouthpiece caps with the Masters ligs, or will any cap do? The Masters lig seem like a good deal if you buy just the lig. Maybe I read it wrong, but it looks like the Vandoren cap that comes with it is as much or more expensive than the actual lig!