 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: DougR
Date: 2004-02-18 13:19
Per a thread search I just did, the last discussion on this was the middle of last year. As my Bay bass clar. ligature finally let go yesterday (the bands on my Bays always seems to split by the top screw after several years--possibly due to over-tightening on my part) I thought I'd inquire as to what everyone's using for bass clar. ligatures these days?
I play a Selmer C785-115 mouthpiece, Marca #4 reeds (both of which I'm fine with, they make a nice big round sound) and... any ideas?
I'm interested in anyone's experience with the Vandoren Optimum and/or the Bonade, regular or inverted.
PS, I have a BG Revelation that works well, but the CAP!!! it barely fits around the lig/mouthpiece, and is about 2 inches longer than it has any business being, & there's a huge gap that lets the reeds dry out...I think it's a bari sax cap & BG couldn't be bothered to design a m'piece cap specifically for bass clar, which considering the amount of money BG is making off of clarinet players, BUGS me!! (but that's another topic)
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Author: saxlite
Date: 2004-02-18 14:13
I also play a Selmer C85-115. Rovner works for me. Cap is OK. They have a "bright" and a "dark" model. Inexpensive and rugged, too.
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Author: William
Date: 2004-02-18 14:26
I am using the VD Optimum lig (parallel rail insert) on my Walter Grabner mpc with a Legere #3 reed and am satisfied with the resulting tone quality and flexability of expression in all registers. What I like about the VDO is the manner in which it allows the plastic reed to respond without accentuating the plastice "buzz" that I seemed to get with my Bay and Buffet stock BC ligs.
BTW, I had the same "splitting results" on Bb Bay ligs and Charlie told me that I "was tightening the screw too much". He said that his ligatures were fragile because of the thinness of the metal used in construction--according to him, his "secret"--and the scrolling which causes weak spots that tend to split when over tightened.
In am waiting for a Winslow lig for my bass clarinet (I use them on all of my saxs with Legere reeds and like them) and have hopes that I will find good playing results. However, until then, it's the VanDoren Optimum lig for my bass--cane or Legere.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2004-02-18 14:46
Doug - It appears that each of us likes her/his own BC mp/lig combo, its the same with me! On my two Pomarico glass-crystals and a Selmer C* I use a Mitchell Lurie, 2 horizontal bands on the reed, or a Rovner type "backwards"! [placing the 2 vertical "tightening" rods on the edges of the reed, like the Bonade]. It makes me "think" the sound is darker ?? Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: JamesE
Date: 2004-02-19 03:10
Perhaps not amazing, but I am using the exact same setup as William two messages above. The sound quality seems very good to me and has been mentioned by others (some only until they found out the reed was plastic!).
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Author: graham
Date: 2004-02-19 07:57
For what it is worth, I use an old style two screw metal lig. I like the results, though I have not taken the trouble to experiment with others.
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Author: DougR
Date: 2004-02-19 15:31
Thanks, all! If money weren't an issue, the Optimum would have been my first choice, but then I got to wondering if there was anything ELSE new under the sun. I just went & ordered a Bonade standard (not inverted) lig & cap from Weiner, plus a box o' reeds, and with shipping it all came to less than the Optimum lig plus cap, NO shipping, no box o'reeds. So we'll see.
thanks for the input, everyone!
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