 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: kev182
Date: 2006-08-14 13:19
Hey guys,
long story, but i just lost my Optimum ligature when i moved from India..and am now using a traditional rusty metal one I found in Kyrgyzstan...
School is going to start at the Interlochen Arts Academy and I need a new ligature by the time I get back.
I was thinking about trying something different from my optimum. I already have a synthetic rovner one, which totally sucks for articulation and tongueing...so those are out of the question. I was looking at the BG revalation series?
any suggestions will help,
thanx =D
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Author: DressedToKill
Date: 2006-08-14 13:36
You might also wish to consider the simple, inexpensive, fabulous Bonade ligatures. (I use the inverted). Great articulation, and I've never had a problem with getting a nice sound out of it. Worth a try! (And at about a third the price of the Revelation)
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Author: kev182
Date: 2006-08-14 13:48
Robert DiLutis in Rochester, NY reccomeded i try the Bonade as do a lot of people. Although a great ligature it plays almost exactly as the optimum with the similar corresponding plate. I was looking for something non metal this time. thanx a lot for the suggestion
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Author: DressedToKill
Date: 2006-08-14 13:54
Hrm..alrighty then. My next suggestions would then be a Vandoren leather lig, the Revelation, and a Bois. (I just bought a Bois and I REALLY like it on my rosewood horn.)
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Author: GoatTnder
Date: 2006-08-14 15:06
A good one to try (and cheap too) is the Luyben ligature. Good projection, dark covered sound, but without the stuffiness of a Rovner. www.luybenmusic.com
Andres Cabrera
South Bay Wind Ensemble
www.SouthBayWinds.com
sbwe@sbmusic.org
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2006-08-14 15:54
After trying a lot of BGs (metal and fabric) and the Optimum, plus a lot more that I don't even remember what they were, I think the best two I found are the regular metal Vandoren and the Oleg (best thing after a shoe lace). Especially the difference between the Oleg and the Optimum I was using for years was bigger than the difference between a good and bad reed. I couldn't believe it (espeically since I tried the Oleg just for fun without any intention of looking for a new ligature, and expecting not to hear and feel any difference). I use the regular Vandoren because I haven't bought the Oleg yet, and I am too lazy to use a shoe lace all the time.
Hope this helps.
Good luck.
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Author: kev182
Date: 2006-08-15 07:48
wow, never expected to hear reccomendations for oleg (googled it)...looks very interesting and I think im going to try it out!
thanx guys!
wow, pretty pricey! I wish i could go to a store and try all of them out =(
Post Edited (2006-08-15 07:51)
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Author: Clarinetcola
Date: 2006-08-15 10:35
I've tried a Bios Ligature two months ago and find it better than Optimum in all aspects, give it a try!
Nathan
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Author: kev182
Date: 2006-08-15 10:41
I tried looking up the Bios ligature you mentioned and found nothing! maybe its australian made =D
if you could supply me with some linkage or some pics, that would be great
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Author: triddle
Date: 2006-08-15 12:00
Here's a twist for you...
I play a BG Super Revelation with the screw adjustment and rods removed.
I have replaced them with a thin elastic cord threaded in a figure 8...three passes seems to work best for me. Knoted in the middle.
Closest thing to a string ligature I have tried.
Works great for me...I am a military band guy...no A clarinet to switch to.
Give it a try, y'all!!
Tom Riddle
P.S. Just so you know...I play on an Arioso ASB-101T Bb clarinet with a Gennusa "Excellente" GR ** 107 tip. Reeds are Gonzales "FOF" 3 1/4 and Xilema Pro "D" reeds...whatever is working that day.
Tom Riddle
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2006-08-15 16:15
Bonade Bonade Bonade. Bonade inverted is the way to go...simple and relatively inexpensive.
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Author: 2E
Date: 2006-08-16 06:45
I play a BG Revelation and it suits me just fine. I liked it much better than the BG Super Revelation. I was looking at upgrading to the BAY ligature as I know a bunch of people who play it and they say its superb. BAYs can be a bit pricey but check it out, you may be surprised.
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Author: kev182
Date: 2006-08-16 08:16
omg...so many reccomendations! does anyone know any online music store in the states that allows you to buy like 7 ligature and return the ones you don't want? ive already emailed muncy winds
Interesting about the rubber bands with the revelation! BTW what is the difference between the super and the plain revalation? I know Ricardo plays on the regular one but whats the difference?
Why does everyone like shoelaces? just because its the original and traditional way doesn't mean its better! isn't it hard to articulate with it and give a muffled kind of sound?
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2006-08-16 08:37
"Why does everyone like shoelaces? just because its the original and traditional way doesn't mean its better! isn't it hard to articulate with it and give a muffled kind of sound?"
No. The fact that it is the "original and traditional way" has nothing to do with it. For me, the shoe lace feels the most free blowing and has the best sound. The easiest articulation I had is with the Oleg ligature, with the shoe lace close behind it. The Optimum almost makes my clarinet like a cheap leaky clarinet in comparison (i.e. so much harder to play).
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Author: kev182
Date: 2006-08-16 11:10
If the difference between the optimum and the Oleg you say is true, i'm into a big surprise =D Which optimum plate were you using?
so far reccomendations are:
-Oleg
-bonade (have one)
-Revelation
-Optimum (have one)
-Luyben (plastic ?)
-Bois (way too radical for me! but MAY try)
-Bay (looks similar to bonade)
-Vandoren leather lig
quite a list!!
If i could pick three i think it would be:
Oleg, Revelation and the vandoren leather
but if somehow i could order more than three from a store i would try al of them =D
just wondering what the dif is between Super and normal revelation is....
interesting about the shoelace too... never tried one out!
anyway, thanx for the help
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2006-08-16 11:30
"If the difference between the optimum and the Oleg you say is true, i'm into a big surprise"
It was true for me, doesn't mean it will be true for you.
"Which optimum plate were you using?"
I used mostly the 4 dots one, but after trying the Oleg I checked all plates to make sure it wasn't just the bad plate, and it wasn't.
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Author: Tom Piercy
Date: 2006-08-16 13:06
Kevin,
Try out the string / shoe lace as your ligature.
Relatively inexpensive and you have more control over the kinds of sound(s) you want.
You asked re shoelace/string:
"isn't it hard to articulate with it and give a muffled kind of sound?"
Try it for yourself and find out. Make it a very interesting and fun experiment. Try different length strings / laces, different types of string / laces; find what works for you.
Also, string is easy to replace if lost - and you don't have to wait for it to be delivered by mail order.
I often use white cotton string and love the sound and response.
Tom Piercy
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Author: Alex M.
Date: 2006-08-16 13:17
For those who use string or shoelaces, how do you secure the ends? Do you just tuck it into the bottom coil? Also, how tightly to you wind it to secure the reed? How far up the reed/MP do you wind it?
Alex M.
Massachusetts
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Author: Detru Cofidin
Date: 2006-08-16 15:24
Have any of you guys heard of this "floating rails" lig. Sounds very interesting I think. Check it out here: http://www.pspriggs.com/ (about half way down the page) By the way, I use a simple bonade inverted and don't have any trouble with it. It's cheap too, so whenever something bad happens to it (as it often does to those poor ligs), I can get a new one without too much trouble...
Nicholas Arend
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Author: kev182
Date: 2006-08-16 15:51
thanx for all the advice, interesting about the shoelace i think ill try it out!
BTW has anyone tried the vandoren lace lig? looks interesting
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Author: GBK
Date: 2006-08-16 18:42
Detru Cofidin wrote:
> Have any of you guys heard of this "floating rails" lig
The Spriggs ligature and just about every other brand has been discussed in numerous past threads.
It's always a good idea to first read what has been previously written in the archives.
The search feature works well. Try it ...GBK
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Author: Tom Piercy
Date: 2006-08-16 18:53
BTW has anyone tried the vandoren lace lig? looks interesting
I have tried it, like it, and use it occasionally. I find it to be very similar to my string ligature and somewhat easier to put on. However, I don't find that I am able to adjust it to suit my varied needs as much as self-tied string.
I think it's a good alternative to putting on your own string if you are not comfortable with that process.
Be careful when putting on your string ligature (watch the very good movie link above) to not break the corner of your reed as you wind the string around the mouthpiece.
Tom Piercy
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Author: Mags1957
Date: 2006-08-16 19:27
A couple of suggestions: For a few years now, I have been using a gold Bay ligature - absolutely excellent for articulation, facility, etc. I recently tried a Vandoren leather, and didn't really care for it, BUT I did really like the Vandoren "ligature Klassic" (a string-type ligature with the ability to loosen/tighten the top or bottom). A nice, dark, round sound - I could really tell a difference. Able to articulate better than a Rovner/et al, but not quite as well as the Bay - darker sound than the Bay. I have now switched to using it, but I won't get rid of my Bay for a while. They are both great - you can't go wrong.
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Author: Malcolm Martland
Date: 2006-08-17 09:48
Luyben every time. The reed does not slip about when you apply it unlike the BG ligatures - real pain when you are rushing!
Malcolm
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Author: eric293
Date: 2006-08-17 16:44
I think you should defefinetly get a Bonade. Its just what you need.
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