Klarinet Archive - Posting 001085.txt from 2000/02

From: "David B. Niethamer" <dnietham@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Throwing down the glove - ligatures
Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2000 22:04:57 -0500

on 2/26/00 11:01 AM, Walter Grabner wrote:

>I've tried everyone of these ligatures, all manner of Rovners, The BG's, the
>Optimum, etc.
>
>In my opinion, all of these have similar problems, They all seem to diffuse
>and dull the tone quality. Our ears, hearing through the bones in our heads,
>are fooled into thinking we are getting "that dark, chocolately" tone.
>
>I really think it's usually just duller. Depends on the reed actually. A
>very
>bright, shrill reed can be helped, usually at the expense of response.
>
I too have tried about everything. I have a Vandoren Optimum, and a
Rovner Eddie Daniels (and a Rovner Light which I didn't buy - came with a
used instrument). I keep returning to my "heavy metal" silver plated
Bonade inverted.

Some years ago, Lee Gibson evaluated a bunch of ligatures in his
"Claranalysis" column in "The Clarinet". He too liked ligatures that all
fell within a certain weight range - not too light, and not too heavy -
and all metal ones, as I recall.

The Daniels has a couple of inserts, like the Optimum, which can tweak
the sound and response. I like it almost as much as my Bonade when I use
it without any of the inserts. It's very homogeneous from bottom to top
of the instrument, with a slightly smaller sound. The Optimum is similar,
with the insert which has vertical bars (somewhat like the Bonade).

Jim Fay and I both wrote about the Eddie Daniels at some length in the
past. A search of Sneezy (Rovner and Daniels, maybe?) should get you the
posts with more detail.

One place that I like the Rovners - Eb - just the right damping of all
that brightness for me.

>I'm sticking to OLD, HEAVY metal ligatures.

Walter, I knew you were a heavy metal kind of guy!! ;-)

David

David Niethamer
Principal Clarinet, Richmond Symphony
dnietham@-----.edu
http://members.aol.com/dbnclar1/

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