THE STORY
THE INVENTOR, JEAN-LUC VIGNAUD TELLS
From world-famous saxophonist to budding inventor
What if a ligature made all the difference?
I'm Jean-Luc Vignaud, inventor of the JLV Ligatures, which revolutionized the saxophone market.
"It's my passion for music that led me here. The world of sound has always intoxicated me. Instruments have always fascinated me."
A renowned saxophonist, I've won numerous awards (including the CNSM in Paris), performed on international stages, and recorded several albums.
"When I wasn't playing my instrument, I was trying to understand its inner workings. It was in my small workshop that I took apart my saxophones, modified them, and perfected their settings."
"It was in this workshop that the story of JLV began. It was an autumn evening, it was almost dark."
An unusual anecdote at the origin of the JLV Ligatures
I was returning from a day of recording that had almost turned into a disaster.
The reed on my saxophone had come loose.
Imagine if I hadn't noticed and my instrument had made a "quack" (you know, that duck-like noise that's every soloist's fear).
Anyway, I was in my studio, observing my instrument.
Why were my reeds deteriorating so quickly?
More than 10 years to create the perfect prototype
I began creating my first prototypes. Although the problem seemed obvious to me, the solution was much less so.
The commercially available ligatures were placed on the heel of the reed, which disrupted its vibration at the tightening points.
Imagine if I hadn't realized this and my instrument had made a "quack" (you know, that duck noise that every soloist fears).
To avoid disrupting the vibration, the ligatures had to be moved forward toward the tip of the reed.
That's where the technical problems arose! Since the mouthpiece is conical, if you moved the ligature forward, it would slip and no longer hold the reed.
It was therefore necessary to find advanced contact points while maintaining this stability.
This was the only way to make the reed vibrate along its entire length to enhance the instrument's sound.
It took six years to research and create prototypes. Many engineers were involved in the project. And after that, it wasn't over! It took four more years to perfect the product.
What materials should I use?
I wanted it to be as beautiful as it was effective!
MADE IN FRANCE
A family business that enhances French craftsmanship
I wanted to create a family business and showcase French craftsmanship.
In addition to technical challenges, we faced logistical issues.
Our product was going to be entirely made in France using high-quality materials to enhance sound resonance. And I wanted to do all this while keeping prices affordable! Then, we had to have inventory and set up a sales and distribution system.
PRIZES and AWARDS
The JLV ligature, big winner at the 2013 Lépine competition.
To launch the product, I entered the Paris Fair, and therefore the Lépine competition. I admit I didn't really believe it. I went to the fair to talk about my product to the journalists there. I was about to leave before the awards ceremony, but my son told me to wait until the end.
When the announcement came, I couldn't believe it: my product had won the President of the Republic's Grand Prize at the Lépine International Competition in Paris. That was in 2013.
An international
success
We fight against planned obsolescence. Our products are, above all, made to last. That's why we choose high-quality materials and create our ligatures without soldering for ultimate durability.
You can keep your JLV ligature for life. That's right, even if you change instruments! What's more, our ligature adapts to all types of mouthpieces, saxophones, and clarinets.