 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Liam
Date: 2005-03-14 03:15
I was just wondering which plate you all use with the Vandoren Optimum Ligature. Lately, I've been switching between the one with 4 dots and the one with the 2 lines on either side of the center going vertically. I have not been using the one with the 2 horizontal lines on the top and the bottom as my teacher said that it is the worst one.
The only thing is, I can't tell a difference between any of them. I'll even play on the Ligature without using a plate at all and I can't feel/hear any difference.
Any ideas?
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2005-03-14 04:16
I remember a lot of people saying on this site that they primarily use the ones with the two lines going down (the ones on either side of the center). This seems to be the basic premise for a lot of different ligatures out there (BG Super Revalation, Peter Spriggs, Rovner MKIII, Bonade, an option for the Vandoren Leather ligature, etc. etc.) so it leads to me believe that that's one of the "tried and true" designs.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: RAMman
Date: 2005-03-14 09:24
Personally, I use the one with four dots. The reason for this is that it marks the reed, and in a way provides a template for ensuring the reed and ligature are consistently close to the same place whenever set up.
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Author: David Peacham
Date: 2005-03-14 09:42
I've tried all three. I haven't tried using no plate at all, but maybe I should.
I find there are slight differences, but probably less than the differences between supposedly identical reeds. I find the four dots tends to let the reed buzz, and I don't like the amount of damage it does to the reed surface. I find the two horizontal lines tends to make the reed play slightly harder, and gives a more nasal sound. So I generally use the vertical lines.
If you picked a plate and a reed at random from my case, and made me play without looking, I doubt I could tell which plate it was. If you made me play all three plates with one reed, I could probably tell which was which.
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If there are so many people on this board unwilling or unable to have a civil and balanced discussion about important issues, then I shan't bother to post here any more.
To the great relief of many of you, no doubt.
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Author: senior
Date: 2005-03-14 11:06
Over the years I have tried many different types of ligs. Vandoren Optimum is my favorite. I now use nothing else. I play alto and tenor sax as well as clarinet and have an optimum lig for each. I can definitly tell the difference in the plates. On the alto I use four dot plate and on the tenor and clarinet I use the 2 vertical lines on center with the reed. If I want to blend in and not over power those near me I use the plate with the horizontal lines. It quiets the reed. I can get a variety of sounds from one mouthpiece simply by changing the plate and reed. Using the four dot plate and a Hahn reed Will make a classical mouth piece sound very load and with alot of edge.
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Author: hans
Date: 2005-03-14 13:46
I use Optimum ligatures on clarinet and alto and tenor saxes with the "4 dots" plates.
Hans
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Author: William
Date: 2005-03-14 14:46
Parallel (vertical) rails for me. I use the Vandy Optimum on my soprano and bass clarinets. Winslows (X configuration) on my sop, alto and tenor saxes. BTW, when I was still using the Winslow lig on my sopranos, I employed the four corner peg arrangement and liked that best. But while the Optimum four dot plate is very similar to the Winslow four peg, it does not work nearly as well--for me, that is.
Why PRs--?? Because they play like the old Bonade reverse ligs which I pretty much grew up playing.
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-03-14 14:53
I use the 2 horizontal plates for Clarinet and the Vertical wavy plate for Sax.
I don't like the 4 dot plate at all.
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Author: ving
Date: 2005-03-14 16:06
I like the 2 horizontal plates on sax, but on clarinet it seems to get a little harsh in the mid register from middle c up to g for me. I have found that I like the sound of the vertical lined plate the best, but only if I happen to be playing on a reed that is slightly softer. Also, as one more combination, I tried using the gold plate from my alto lig on the silver clarinet lig and I think I liked that combination the best...! I could only see using the four dot plate if I had some stiffer reeds or something....
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Author: poopsie
Date: 2005-03-14 18:01
I generally use the 2 parallel plates. the four dots make my reeds buzz. Not a pretty sound. I tend to change the plates based on what setup I am using, with my crystal mouthpiece I use the four dots plate, with my Vandoren m-13 lyre mouthpiece I use the 2 plates. I don't like the sound of the wavy plate with any setup.
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Author: sinkdraiN
Date: 2005-03-15 13:01
I use the horizontal plate. I was driving myself crazy switching and comparing the tones of the plates so I just picked the one that held the reed on the best! : ) But now this thread awakened that bug again...time to compare my plates.... : /
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Author: BobD
Date: 2005-03-15 15:36
Maybe the dots should be larger.......
Bob Draznik
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Author: john gibson
Date: 2005-03-16 02:09
have the optimum and use the horizontal plate.....don't care for the dots....
vertical plate works well with my buffet wooden MPC on the R-13......
but.....i tend to use velcro ligs mostly.......
JG...the clarinator
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Author: William
Date: 2005-03-16 14:57
"Maybe the dots should be larger......." BobD--a good suggestion.
That is one of the features the made Winslow's ligs work as well as they did. The contact area of the foating pegs was much larger that that of the Optimum "four dot" plate. John did product some pegs that had a much smaller contact point, but they tended to deaden the clarinet tone and limit reed response.
Post Edited (2005-03-16 20:10)
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