 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: LGS316217
Date: 2019-06-28 19:10
Summer's here and the time is right for summer band and parades. I'll be doing a bunch of both in the HOT, humid northeast this summer. That means my Buffet is staying inside. My "street horn" is an Andino Luis Rossi, a real workhorse (plastic) that I'm happy with, as it produces a great sound for the price and so far is indestructible. I have it paired with one of my older mouthpieces that's in good shape but won't be a huge loss if it gets a chip etc. What's a good, durable all-purpose ligature that won't break the bank and can roll with fluctuations in temperature and humidity? I normally just use an old stock mouthpiece outside, but am wondering if I could up my outdoor game a little bit without making a big investment on something I wouldn't want to expose to the elements.
Amy Paul
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Author: kdk
Date: 2019-06-28 21:08
I can't think of a non-exotic ligature that would be vulnerable to bad weather. Any of the Rovners would be fine, metal like Bonade or (if you want to spend a little extra) Vandoren Optima. I'm not sure what effect you're afraid exposure to the elements might have.
Karl
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2019-06-28 21:18
Hi Amy,
There are lots of inexpensive ligatures available. I still play my original Luyben from the 1970s but a newer version is available for ~$14. The Gigliotti, about the same price, is really great but you might have to hunt for one.
There are also a lot of inexpensive ligatures like the Bonade and several Rovner model for about $23. I've played all of these on my clarinets and have actually been very pleased with the results.
Hank
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Author: fernie121
Date: 2019-06-28 22:23
I like the BG flex ligature a lot. I find it plays a lot better than Rovner. Only bad thing is it’s kind of ugly looking.
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Author: LGS316217
Date: 2019-06-28 22:42
Thanks, all. Point of clarification... I'm not concerned about weather damaging the ligature, more curious about are there ligatures that are known to perform poorly with temperature fluctuations/moisture (for example, I was thinking that a leather ligature would be unstable outside.)
Amy Paul
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Author: kdk
Date: 2019-06-28 23:16
LGS316217 wrote:
> ...more curious about are
> there ligatures that are known to perform poorly with
> temperature fluctuations/moisture (for example, I was thinking
> that a leather ligature would be unstable outside.)
>
The only thing a ligature does is hold the reed to the mouthpiece. Any differences in response come, if anywhere, from the way the ligature makes contact, how much contact area there is and, per a great deal of the advertising, how free the edges of the reed are to vibrate (does the ligature avoid touching or binding the edges?).
Those things are all functions of the design. The metal ligatures won't change, so their performance shouldn't be affected. The leather and cloth ones might conceivably tighten or loosen slightly in response to changes in the temperature and humidity (I don't now that they will, but they might, for argument's sake), but that's what adjusting screws are for - you can counter any change by tightening or loosening the screw(s).
Bottom line IMO is that you should choose the ligature that gives you the easiest response and best sound in the outdoor acoustic conditions and then not worry about physical changes in it when it gets warmer/more humid outside.
BTW, one caveat regarding Gigliotti ligatures (mentioned by Hank): they're harder to find these days and if you do find one you need to be very careful about overtightening the screws, or find two so you have extra screws in case you forget. The plastic screws had a weak spot at the end of the thread where it met the thumb piece. They had a strong tendency to shear off if you were careless about overtightening or about keeping them lubricated.
Karl
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2019-06-29 00:31
The good news about the "leather" ligatures is that most aren't, such as BG or Rovner.
A great ligature on all counts is the Rovner Light. It has the "hole" in the middle so it doesn't over dampen the sound like the Dark version, and it is virtually indestructable. I have just about every ligature known to mankind (and adding every month!); still the Rovner Light is one of the best bar none.
............Paul Aviles
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Author: Kaos
Date: 2019-06-29 00:58
Paul Aviles is right, Rovner Light is the best. My teacher suggested to buy it after I broke my Yamaha metal one and I used it since then. It's fake leather so works in all weather conditions
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Author: Episkey
Date: 2019-07-01 02:25
The ligature(s) you already have. Shouldn't be a concern at all. Should actually be concerned with reed selection/practices to avoid rapidly drying out or even warping outside.
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Author: Ed
Date: 2019-07-01 04:55
For my taste a basic Bonade or Luyben would be a great choice
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