Klarinet Archive - Posting 000642.txt from 1997/08

From: CLARNTMAN@-----.com
Subj: Ligature recommendation
Date: Sat, 16 Aug 1997 13:33:45 -0400

Here is a ligature recommendation. The inverted metal Bonade is, and has
been my favorite for over 20 years. I have tried the now popular Rovners and
do not like them at all. They seem to make good reeds sound badly and play
harder with much less flexibility. They are also very difficult to put on
exactly correctly. The function of the ligature is to hold the reed
"squarely" on the mouthpiece with NO air escaping from around, or
behind/underneath the reed. If the Bonade is made correctly (i.e. the 2
rails that touch the reed are parallel to each other) then it will hold the
reed in the desired manner. I have tried the plastic model of the Bonade and
feel that the reed seems difficult to control due to the lack of weight on
the reed and therefore added reed vibration.

Sometimes newer is not better. The old tried and true has been very reliable
for me.