Silverstein Works Ligature

This post is a bit belated, but I wanted to share my experience with the new Silverstein Works Ligature. A couple of months ago, I was selected to receive a trial ligature as part of the Trial for Pros program. The ligature arrived in a very nice tin box with my name on the side and a bow on top, which was a nice and unexpected touch! When I put the ligature on the mouthpiece and started to play some scales, I was instantly struck at how clear my tone sounded across all registers. The low notes spoke with great ease and the projection in the upper register was impeccable. Was it a huge difference from my current ligature? Not necessarily. I recorded myself over a few days playing both ligatures and after careful comparison, I'm not sure I could tell a big difference from the recording. What a recorder does not pick up, however, is the difference in the feel, which was incredible. I think if I was blindfolded I could tell which ligature was on my instrument just because of the resistance of the reed and ease of projection that I greatly enjoyed in the Silverstein Works ligature.

As for the ligature itself, there is one giant screw on top that adjusts two feet with rubber stoppers down onto the top of the mouthpiece, pulling the five cords tighter against the reed. The cords are completely fixed in place and do not move. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the cords have quite a bit of structure to them and are not 'floppy'. I half expected the ligature to resemble an OLEGature when it was off the mouthpiece, like a wadded up shoestring with a screw attached. However, the ligature is very sturdy and durable! There are two metal plates on either side of the reed that touch the mouthpiece. I found that if these were positioned too closely to the reed they would have a bit of play to them, as they were not even touching the mouthpiece (or at least not securely). I would have to move them up higher on the side to feel that they were snug in place, but I am not sure at how much of a difference it makes in the tone as I found no difference from their various placements.

All in all, this ligature is due some serious consideration when in the market for a new piece of equipment. It certainly fits the bill for everything I look for in a ligature with response, dynamic clarity, ease of project, and tone consistency. The price tag is a little higher compared to other ligatures on the market, but I think it will be money well spent and I look forward to purchasing my own Silverstein Works Ligature.

Visit their website here.