Vandoren V16 Tenor Optimum Ligature and Cap LC080P - Plastic Cap

I'd forgotten how good this ligature is! I bought a Vandoren V16 metal mouthpiece and matching ligature about 7 years ago and was very pleased it. Then about 18 months ago the ligature broke. As a stop gap I used an old fabric ligature and it seemed to work OK, so when I saw how much a proper replacement cost I kept putting off buying a new one. Then just recently I decided to treat myself to some new gear. Wow! It's a very free-blowing set-up - to the extent that I've had to switch to slightly harder reeds! The different pressure plates do make a difference to the sound, but it is slight and possibly only subjective. I use the plate with the ridges running along the reed. I think it makes for a richer sound, while the one with ridges running across the reed gives a purer sound - though I have read conflicting comments on the web. I don't like the plate with the four dots as they dig into the reed and may make it difficult if you want to make fine positional adjustments to the reed or ligature. The single screw design, with the opposite-handed screw threads on each side, makes it very easy to position precisely. Overall I thoroughly recommend this ligature. I almost only gave it four stars as it is pricey, and my first one did break after about 5 years - but hopefully that was just bad luck.

The supplier responded:Thank you for taking the time to share such a thoughtful review, it's great to hear you are enjoying your new Vandoren Optimum ligature.