 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: donald
Date: 2005-08-02 11:19
ok
i've got heaps of gigs at the moment- including the Schoenberg wind quintet (with principals from Philharmonia) and the premiere of a new concerto on Saturday night........ i'm pretty darn busy and playing most of the day (really really really hanging out for a few hours free for a surf...)
SO i decided i needed to have some "clarinet nerd goody" and i got myself a PETER SPRIGGS FLOATING RAIL LIGATURE
i swore to several friends (hello Heatherrrrr!) that i'd NEVER BUY ANOTHER LIGATURE, but i got this- it will DEFINATELY be my last one ever, as it's very very very darn amazing
i won't try to describe what i like about it except to say i feel it has the sound of the Bonade with the eveness of the Optimum.
if you're into the "metal ligature sound" (yeah yeah, i know we all sound like ourselves etc, but i'm sure that those of you who like metal ligatures will know what i mean) this is definately for you.
me? i'm never buying another ligature, honest!
keep playing the good tunes
donald
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Author: BobD
Date: 2005-08-02 11:23
....but it looks like it's a pain in the axx to put on and adjust. Is that true?
Bob Draznik
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2005-08-02 11:26
I've been using a Spriggs exclusively since 1999 ... it pretty much eliminated the "edginess" I didn't like in my 10G and help articulation immensely compared to everything else I ever tried on that clarinet.
For me an additional bonus is that it semms a bit less sensitive to placement than other ligatures (which means I don't fiddle about as much).
As in every equipment choice, YMMV ...
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Author: BobD
Date: 2005-08-02 17:18
......of course, even a shoelace is....
Bob Draznik
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2005-08-02 17:48
I've been using a Spriggs for a few years. It is beautifully made (Greg James -toronto) Greg makes them for Peter Spriggs . He is a very meticulous machinist/clarinetist. The ligature is also one of the coolest looking products out there. Greg also makes a bassoon profiler that can be adapted to make clarinet reeds. John
Freelance woodwind performer
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Author: hartt
Date: 2005-08-02 19:30
Adjust ?............there is no adjustment. It is 'self leveling' to a reed.
I, too, have used one (I have a spare) for years. Locals have tried mine and bought their own. It improves the articulation, especially in the high register and opens up the sound in all registers.......so were the comments from fellow users.
Interestingly, a Tucson SO player tried mine extensively, then asked how much I paid. He opened his wallet, handed me $80 and said "buy yourself another one".
My duet partner and psuedo teacher, Dr. Chuck Aurand turned me on to the Spriggs ligature. He uses a prototype that Peter had him test drive when he first began making them.
Don't let their appearance deceive you, they are not as fragile as you may think. It is a one screw design, made of stainless steel.
Couple this with a Fobes CF+mp and bbl and you have a different (better) sounding clarient.
Bear in mind that a 'normal/usual' lig cap will not work. Peter supplies a cap and but can always order/use a Smart Cap, sold by several suppliers, eg: Omar , The Doctor.
Not everyone may like it as I bought my spare from Michael Wayne of the Wichita SO
Again, my 5 cents.
dennis
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2005-08-03 01:06
I've got a drawer full of ligatures - the famous and the infamous oft mentioned on the BB. My favorite for most work is the Spriggs Floating Rail Ligature. I find the design appropriate to push down the sides of the reeds that tend to warp, and each rail floats independently which I feel applies more even pressure to the entire reed against the table of the mouthpiece. Reeds, mouthpieces, ligatures, all must work in unison and each individual has different needs - so this is a vote of one player for this ligature. I too have had to buy more after letting others try it and refusing to give it back and only offering a check in return!
L.Omar Henderson
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Author: Ed
Date: 2005-08-03 01:12
Does anyone have any problem with this ligature slipping during fast clarinet changes or when removing the mouthpiece for swabbing?
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Author: hartt
Date: 2005-08-03 02:13
ED...........
yes, there is a tendency for it to slip, perhaps no more than other ligs and, depending on the tightness of the mp cork/bbl.
Many players use the same bbl for Bb/A and alleviate that problem.
For swabbing...........of course the lig needs to be removed, one can't swab a mp with the reed on it. Why remove a mp for intent of swabbing arend then remove the lig and reed ? If I'm going to swab my mp, I don't want to be juggling around a mp, lig, reed and swab at the same time.
dennis
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Author: hartt
Date: 2005-08-03 03:19
ED
I believe I answered what you were looking for. I add, that when I used a BG Super Rev, it, too, slipped and as I recall, even more so.
BTW, I have my mp cork 'adjusted' so that I can remove the mp intact
Bear in mind that if you purchase one from an online retailer, it is returnable if you are not satisfied.
dennis
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Author: hartt
Date: 2005-08-03 05:19
BBL = BARREL, the body joint between the MP (mouthpiece) and the UJ (upper joint).....with keys which attaches to the LJ (lower joint)...with keys, which attaches to the BELL
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Author: studioline
Date: 2005-08-03 08:32
is this ligature similar to the Francois Louis ligature? It looks like the same sort of thing.....
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2005-08-03 10:47
studioline wrote:
> is this ligature similar to the Francois Louis ligature?
You mean "is the Francois Louis ligature similar to the Spriggs Floating Rail ligature?" In a very superficial way. There's no "floating rail" on the Louis.
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Author: Morrigan
Date: 2005-08-03 10:54
My psychic powers are telling me you will, indeed, buy another ligature in your lifetime. It is not clear when, why, or what it will be... But I see the words "aerodynamic" and "free" in my hazy vision... My vision that WILL come to be. Do not ignore my words! Those who don't are fools!
...AHEM what I mean to say is congrats I hope it really does last you the rest of your life and you're completely satisfied with it for eternity!
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Author: BobD
Date: 2005-08-03 11:23
"one can't swab a mp with the reed on it."
...but of course you can. Grab the barrel and remove it with the mp/lig/reed.
Swab the remainder of the horn with your silk swab. Swab the bbl etc with a "mouse". Reattach and play.
Bob Draznik
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Author: CJB
Date: 2005-08-03 11:56
Ok I'm probably being very slow here, I'd worked out from context that bbl=barrel, but why?
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Author: Gandalfe
Date: 2005-08-04 00:53
One sold on eBay last month for $45. That's a $20 discount from other sellers on eBay who start at $65.
Jim and Suzy
Pacifica Big Band
Seattle, Washington
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2005-08-04 03:18
Dennis, you mention my setup ......Spriggs and Fobes CF+ It works great.
Freelance woodwind performer
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Author: larryb
Date: 2005-08-04 03:20
just so I understand, are the "floating rails" the two small pieces that come in contact with the reed? does each rail float independently? and is the purpose to make contact in a way that conforms to each reed's unique shape?
and the (main) difference with the Francois Louis lig is that it has a fixed plate that comes in contact with the reed?
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2005-08-04 03:28
larryb wrote:
> just so I understand, are the "floating rails" the two small
> pieces that come in contact with the reed?
Yes.
> does each rail
> float independently?
Yes
> and is the purpose to make contact in a
> way that conforms to each reed's unique shape?
Yes
> and the (main) difference with the Francois Louis lig is that
> it has a fixed plate that comes in contact with the reed?
Probably. It looks that way, but looks can be deceiving.
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2005-08-04 12:35
Some of my clarinets and saxophones are old and have mouthpieces that modern ligatures don't fit well. I'm becoming partial to two-sided Velcro, sold in hardware stores. It's inconspicuous, it's cheap, it's infinitely adjustable and it doesn't scratch up the mouthpiece or dig into the reed. It would be a lousy choice for someone who plays in public, however, because it's noisy: Rrrrrrrrrip! It's not something to use for adjustments in the middle of a concert. Great stuff for someone who fools around with old instruments at home, however.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
Post Edited (2005-08-04 12:36)
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2005-08-04 23:27
Mark C quoted Larry B:Quote:
> and the (main) difference with the Francois Louis lig is that
> it has a fixed plate that comes in contact with the reed?
Probably. It looks that way, but looks can be deceiving.
I have a FL lig (Francois Louis). It has afixed plate which is bowed the same direction as the reed. Due to this, and the bow being more aggressive than the curvature of the reed, the edges of the plate (essentially two thin strips) are what makes contact with the reed. It's a bit of a pain to set up (cause the plate floats freely and can twist as you're trying to position it), but I've had great results with it and think that it is a VERY good ligature.
Larry B, if you're interested in a ligature swap (If you have one I haven't tried and want to and you're interested in trying an FL), let me know (email me). We'll ship 'em out and even up a trade. I don't use my FL lig (ever since I tried a shoelace lig) so it's just collecting dust. But I do enjoy trying out new ligatures and equipment if only for the sake of trying something new. Let me know.
Alexi
(email under my profile)
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2005-08-05 14:37
I also think you'll eventually buy another ligature someday. We always have that little voice in the back of our brain saying, "you would sound so much better if...." It's the same philisophy that drives clarinetists to purchase dozens and dozens of mouthpieces.
I've been playing on the BG Super Revelation for about 8 years now. But, after reading this maybe I need to try the Spriggs...hmmm
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Author: DavieCane01
Date: 2005-08-06 01:35
This ligature is everything everyone says it is, and more. I've never heard its equal in combining freedom of vibration and warmth of tone. It is the only ligature I endorse.
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Author: Tyler
Date: 2005-08-07 16:58
Out of curiosity, what aspect of the Spriggs ligature contributes to warmth of tone? I can certainly see where the freedom of vibration comes from.
-Tyler
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2005-08-07 18:13
Tyler wrote:
> Out of curiosity, what aspect of the Spriggs ligature
> contributes to warmth of tone?
No clue & don't care.
> I can certainly see where the freedom of vibration comes from.
I can't and I own one.
All I know is that it works, don't care which part(s) contribute to what. Perhaps the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I don't think it's a dissectable piece of equipment., just like a mouthpiece.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2005-08-08 05:06
Quote:
All I know is that it works, don't care which part(s) contribute to what. Mark, I've been of that mentality for a while and I have to say that it certainly keeps my mind in ease. Most of the time I don't worry about why something works, or how, but just accept that it DOES work.
Out of curiousity, for those Spriggs floating rail owners out there, I have two questions that I'd like to know about it.
A) How easy is it to put on? I know my FL is a bit of a pain to put on due to the side to side movement of the plate. Does this require certain care and adjustment while putting it on or does it just slip on and off quickly?
B) Does it stay on when switching the mouthpiece between clarinets? I know some ligatures tend to slip off if you need to do a quick change from Bb to A clarinet during a composition. Is this the case with the Spriggs lig also? Or does it stay firmly on while switching?
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: donald
Date: 2005-08-09 20:49
well, one thing it DOESNT do- make a bad reed good. Who's going to invent THAT ligature i wonder?
after a week of using it i'm still keen, but i do confess i'm insecure about it slipping when i pull the mouthpiece off to swab or swap instruments- if the mouthpiece has been freshly cork greased and i'm careful where i put my fingers.... no problem. But i would have to say that i'm encountering quite a bit more "slippage" than i'm used to (enough that i didn't want to use the lig in Thursdays Phil concert).
By the way, a student of mine tried it the other day- a 12 year old who plays as well as some 15 year olds but needs to improve her tone.... i can report that the Spriggs ligature didn't magically transform her sound, suprise suprise.
i stand by my original enthusiasm though- although the day they do make a ligature that makes a bad reed good.... well yes, then i might have to pull out my credit card!
keep playing the good tunes
donald
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Author: Steve B.
Date: 2005-09-29 14:00
Well after all the raves. I just had to try the Spriggs Floating Rails ligature.
My initial impression:
Great! It does what the Bonade Inverted was designed to do but it doesn't need constant adjustment. Lot's of ring and easy articulation. It also doesn't scratch the mouthpiece or slip like the current Bonade's.
It is also very light weight. I tried the Vandoren Optimum with the parallel rails plate, (and really wanted to like it), but it was too heavy and added additional weight to my already heavy Buffet Festival.
I'm currently using the Spriggs with a Hite D facing and the FL smart cap seems to work very well. One question to those who are using the Spriggs.
How do you store it? Do you keep it on your mouthpiece with or without a reed. I'm always a bit concerned about damaging the facing or table which was not a problem when I used a Rovner Dark.
Steve
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Author: Sylvain
Date: 2005-09-29 16:06
I love the Spriggs lig, but as Ed suspects it isa real pain to deal with when switching instruments rapidly. I haven't trusted it yet in a concert situation. I owned and played fabric ligs (rovners/BGs), metal ligs (bonade/optimum/Spriggs). My favorite for now is the olegature, which feels to me like a good compromise between the comfort and flexibility of fabric with the clarity of sound of a metal lig. And if put on the mouthpiece properly, it is possible to take mpce on/off safely.
i have to admit that the Spriggs adds something to the sound, but I simply don't feel comfortable using when switching instruments.
-S
--
Sylvain Bouix <sbouix@gmail.com>
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