The Clarinet BBoard

Re: Rico

Author: GBK  Date:   2011-03-30 19:53 The Rico retro version of the Harrison is (to me) a poor copy of the original both in design and response. The original Harrison ligature, (which I own 3 of for clarinet, and one for alto sax) were gold plated. The Rico version is gold lacquered. The original Harrison had a small "H" configuration design which held the reed in place. In the newer Rico version, the "H" configuration is bigger, wider and thicker. The surrounding bands of the original Harrison ligature were both thinner and narrower than the Rico version. The Rico version is wider and larger in overall design. The two thumb screws of the Harrison ligature were smaller, had a different thread size and are not interchageable with the Rico version. As for sound - the Harrison gold ligature helped produce a darker, more covered sound, yet with nice overtones. I found the Rico version to have a nice quick response, however the sound was both thin and bright, lacking in personality. Again, what works for me or does not work for me, is meaningless. You need to see and hear for yourself if the Rico ligature helps produce the sound quality you have in your aural memory. The original Harrison ligatures were prone to breakage at the "H" connection of the surrounding bands. Although none of mine have ever broken, others have reported it is a problem to be aware of. BTW -The cap for the newer Rico version of the Harrison ligature is very nice and is a perfect fit for the older Harrison ligatures, if you were ever looking for a suitable cap. ...GBK

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