 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: jacoblikesmusic
Date: 2010-01-01 19:10
Has anyone had any experience with the BG Metal Traditional Ligature? Is the gold plating worth the price or should I go with the silver?
Also there is the BG Super Revelation and BG Revelation. What do you think of these ligatures? The leather mixed with gold or silver is a new idea for me.
As for Vandoren Ligatures, what are any insights that you may have on the Vandoren Leather German Clarinet Ligature and the Vandoren Klassik Ligature?
I'm currently using a Vandoren Optimum and I find that to be a bit bright. Something darker than that would be nice.
The mouthpiece I'm using is Grabner's K13*.
One more question. Whats the difference between using a leather cap compared to plastic or metal cap. The leather cap seems a lot more expensive.
Post Edited (2010-01-02 02:06)
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Author: Iceland clarinet
Date: 2010-01-01 19:42
First for the BG ligatures. I own BG Metal Traditional ligature and I found it to have less overtones than the silver one. I also have the standard and I found it to be dark but freeblowing at the same time. The BG Revolution that I owned once did not fit very well and the metal strip that holds the metal rails broke and beside I did found the tone to be too freeblowing and the sound specially in the upper register to be too wild and unfocused(saying that my teacher uses one with great result so trying as many as you can is really the only advice I can give you).
Now Vandoren: The leather ligature gives you more resistance than any of the BG ligatures and I found the leather insert(same leather as in the ligature) to give me the best control but the metal one is also very good. For me the soft leather(brown) insert is too dul for me.
I would say that the Vandoren string ligature fits somewhere between the leather Vandoren leather ligature and the BG traditional/Revolution and gives you great variety of tone colors but for me it's too focused and makes some reeds too stuffy. Be sure if you clean it to use not too much water as I once did and it shrinked and I could not fit it to the mouthpiece for couple of weeks.
You see that I use the the phrase "for me" a lot and that's because to tell you what is best for you you need to try it for yourself and it's good to have two set of ears with you.
As Ed Palanker says on his website then what you are doing when choosing a ligature(after you've choosen all othe equipemnt) is to eliminate things you don't like and get in your way of making things easy and to bring out things that you like and helps making your life easier.
I have several ligatures(4-5) that I rotate between and one day I don't like my sound and things are getting in my way and I put another one on and I continue very happy. After a week or less I find that I just sound like myself but hopefully it takes me lot less effort to get the end result.
I think that the best thing is to choose a equipment and forgett all other and just practice and don't waste your time on equipment poker.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2010-01-01 21:10
It's really a personal preference to which ligature gives you the best result. (see my clarinet article on by website about choosing a lig or MP.) I prefer the Rovner ligatures myself, he makes several different models. The only way you will know what's best for you is to try to get some sent to you on a trial basis and play them with your MP and reed. What works for someone else may not have the same result for you. ESP http://eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: BobD
Date: 2010-01-01 21:16
I've probably tried most of them as my collection indicates. Don't like the BG. Like the Optimum. If it's too bright for you try putting a think piece of cork or electricians tape or whatever between it and the mp.
Bob Draznik
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Author: jacoblikesmusic
Date: 2010-01-02 02:16
Okay well I've narrowed it down to either the Vandoren Leather Ligature or the Vandoren Klassik String Ligature.
I think I will order both to try them out.
Any more reviews on these ligatures would be appreciated.
I'm still a bit confused on the plastic vs leather cap. Any help would be appreciated!
Post Edited (2010-01-02 02:19)
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2010-01-02 14:19
I can't believe anyone has any luck with the BG traditional. I can't even get it to fit to my mouthpiece. And even if it did, the screw tightens the bottom of the "system" much more than the top - dumb design.
I have found the Vandoren Leather most flexible and most likely to produce a loud, free sound. That said, I still find myself going back to the Rovner Light quite often when things get a bit too much on the Vandoren.
Definitely go with the Leather Cap. If you have any standard plastic Rovner caps laying around, they will work with the Vandoren ok.
.................Paul Aviles
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Author: Joarkh
Date: 2010-01-02 17:15
I find that the BG Super Revelation for me makes my tone the same all the time - I am having a hard time shifting between different tone colours with it. The Vandoren Leather works great for me, and like Iceland I also prefer the black leather insert. Still, I find myself always returning to Bonade inverted. For me, it is the ligature which I can create the largest differences in tone with.
For some reason, I really like playing Mozart with the Vandoren Leather though...
(I also think you should buy the leather cap, because it is easier to fit in your pocket and also does not make noise when hitting the ground - because it will.)
Joar
Clarinet and saxophone teacher, clarinet freelancer
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Author: jacoblikesmusic
Date: 2010-01-03 01:38
Well it seems now I've been swayed into getting a Spriggs Floating Rail Ligature and a String Ligature to try out. I'll see how those go as soon as they arrive.
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