Saxtastic Saxophone: Consoli Ramplig Review

Ligatures are a very important component of the saxophone and clarinet. It holds our reed and can influence your tone. Consoli Ligatures sent me one of their signature Rampligs to review. Find out if this awesome ligature is right for you by reading the review below.

First Impressions: I was sent a custom Bright Ramplig to review. John at Consoli was nice enough to help get a colored strap to match school colors, so I was sent a yellow one. A unique aspect of this company is that they will let you choose a specific color for any bright sound ligature on bulk orders of 10 or more. If you aren't a band director or teacher ordering that many, you may be interested in getting your ligature monogrammed with up to 3 initials! I really like the idea of getting a personalized ligature and think it would be a great gift for any sax player. Another great feature is the ability to quickly disassemble the ligature so that you can wash the fabric. If you are considering one of these ligatures, you need to know the difference between a Bright model and a Dark model. Here is a comparison:

The Dark model has a nylon strap that is double weaved to a .036" thickness in order to make it sound darker
The Bright model features a single weave at half the thickness (.018") to give you a brighter sound
Dark only comes in black
Bright comes in white unless you bulk order

Design: The ligature is a one screw ligature that has two metal bars locate on each side of the ligature to help apply equal pressure on the reed. The ligature must be placed so that the screw is on top of the mouthpiece and the screw must be on the right when you look at it straight ahead in order for it to work correctly!!! The Ramplig has a Lexan poly-carbonate ramp where the reed sits to help keep the reed firmly against the mouthpiece without "suffocating" the reed at resulting in a stuffy sound and more air needed in order to produce a sufficient sound. According to Consoli,

It is this patented design feature which is the heart of the easiest blowing, best sounding ligature available anywhere today at any price!

At first I was skeptical of this "miracle design" but was proven wrong. This ligature is easy to play! I instantly found that I had to blow less air in order to produce a great sound with this ligature. The nylon strap ligature is also a plus because you can wash it and it won't scratch your mouthpiece. One claim on Consoli's site is that it will bring your old reeds back to life. After playing with this ligature with both a newly broken reed and a really, really old reed (it was about six months old and deemed, "too old" by my band director), I found the same quality of sound. Overall, this design is full proof.

Cost: $39.95

Pros:

Will encourage beginners by making it easier to play the sax
Won't scratch your mouthpiece
Gives you the ability to quickly change out reeds
Makes old reeds sound great
Money back guaranteed

Cons:

For a beginner, $40 for a ligature might be out of their price range

Rating: 5/5
Amazing. This ligature is so great and works wonders for me. It is easy to put on, won't scratch my expensive mouthpieces and helps give me a great tone. If you aren't convinced that this ligature is for you, call up Consoli and ask about their no obligation offer in trying their ligatures. Overall, I will recommend this ligature to anyone. Try it out today!