Klarinet Archive - Posting 000236.txt from 2005/08

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausmann1@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] Ah, ligatures....Gold vs. Silver
Date: Sat, 13 Aug 2005 14:03:33 -0400

At 08:06 AM 8/12/2005 -0700, Steve White wrote:

>I know that the largest amount of difference the ligature makes for me is very
>likely psychological.
>
>If I had to try and frame it into a scientific medium....I would only reason
>that Gold had a denser molecular structure than that of Silver and such
>difference may soften/darken(whatever) the sound somewhat. Knowing that gold
>plated items are silver plated first adds to the density of material for the
>ligature.
>
>But this is probably just BS. It does look very nice on the instrument
>though.

I suspect that a test in which the player was blindfolded and handed each
to try, already attached to the reed and mouthpiece, would result in a
completely inconclusive result; that is, no perceptible difference other
than appearance. Of course, many trials would be necessary, preferably
with multiple players, and multiple ligatures of each type would have to be
used to reduce that variable, etc. Then again, if you like the look of
gold on the instrument, go for it. and to heck with the rest of it. (I
have a silver Harrison and it is nice, but I like my Selmer Benny Goodman
ligature better, even with its inferior NICKEL plating. Now that has
NOTICEABLY greater mass and that may contribute to the difference I can
detect with it. It would take a fine scale indeed to measure the mass
difference between a gold and silver Harrison.)

Bill Hausmann

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is TOO LOUD!

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