Klarinet Archive - Posting 000241.txt from 2005/08

From: "David B. Niethamer" <dnietham@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Ah, ligatures....Gold vs. Silver
Date: Sun, 14 Aug 2005 00:24:56 -0400


On Aug 11, 2005, at 8:38 PM, Ormondtoby Montoya wrote:

> ...and it's also possible (probable?) that all Gold Tradition ligatures
> are not identical, just as all instances of Grabner CXZ-SW2 mouthpieces
> and all R-13 Bb clarinets and all V-12 reeds are not identical. You
> apparently tried only one of each ligature, and perhaps you tried
> several ligatures on the same day and what you heard was your
> embouchure
> losing strength or breath support or whatever.
>
I actually had an interesting experience trying out this ligature. At
OK one summer, I tried the ligature and liked it a great deal. I was
playing on a silver plated inverted Bonade, and they are notoriously
inconsistent in fit and response. So I kept trying the BG's, and went
through about a dozen from the BG display. They were remarkably
consistent - much more so than the Bonades I had played for years. I
ended up buying one, and playing it in RSO for a few years. I preferred
the gold version for the response and resonance of sound that I could
get with it.

The BG rep at the booth told me that the Gold Tradition ligature was an
attempt to replicate the design of the inverted Bonade without the
problem caused by having to solder the rails into the ligature. The one
piece "folded" design of the BG was supposed to improve the evenness
and response compared to the Bonade. I felt from my experience that
they had succeeded with that design.

I gave up this ligature because the single screw that holds the
ligature in place is so low that the "grip" on the reed (at the top of
the ligature, just below the mpc window) isn't very firm at the top of
the ligature, with the result that the slightest warping of the reed
caused chirping on the start of notes.

Of course, none of this is very scientific - just one person's
impression at an exhibit booth at the OK Symposium.

David

David B. Niethamer
dnietham@-----.edu
http://members.aol.com/dbnclar1/index.html

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