The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: travelingclarinetist
Date: 2011-04-14 02:43
Are the old Kaspar and Harrison ligatures still in existence somewhere? If so, are they really any better than the new Rovner's etc. of today? Sure I have just opened a can of wormy opinion here-but alas, am curious. Thanks!
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Author: A Brady
Date: 2011-04-14 05:09
I have original versions of both the Kaspar "Superb" and the Harrison ligatures in my collection. Both are quite good, but I use other ligs on an ongoing basis; as others have stated, only you can determine how any particular piece of gear will work for you or possibly enhance your playing.
I try my colleagues' equipment when possible, and also own a substantial assortment of mouthpieces, ligatures, reed working equipment, etc, all of which helps me find my most comfortable playing experience on any given day.
I consider this highly important as a professional performer, but also as a teacher, to give guidance to my students in their equipment options.
Good luck in your pursuit of a beautiful playing experience!
AB
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Author: Ed
Date: 2011-04-14 10:40
According to what I was told, Scott took the bodies which were not completed and added the screws. The body of the lig is original.
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2011-04-14 15:50
I would like to replace my Bonade inverted from 1984. It broke a couple of years ago and its replacement (a cutout version from Mundy) did not work the same. I ended up buying a Vandoren Optimum and love it, but I wish that my original Bonade had never broken... :(
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2011-04-14 18:24
There are still original Harrison ligatures around. In fact, there's a guy on this board who has (or used to have) a pretty sizeable collection of them, gold and silver both, and he was able to help a friend of mine when hers broke. I won't "out" him, in case he doesn't want to be outed about this.
There was also at that time (three years ago?) some major company making Harrison copies.
Susan
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Author: jparrette
Date: 2011-04-14 18:56
I have several of the Kaspars from Muncy. They are very well made, and they are my favorite ligatures I've ever used. I gold-plated them, so they are not just raw brass or german silver. They hold the reed with very even pressure from top to bottom and side to side, which minimizes warping. They also grip the reed very well when you go to remove your mouthpiece with the reed on.
John Parrette
CLARION MUSICAL SERVICES
john@clarionmusical.com
914-805-3388
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Author: BartHx
Date: 2011-04-15 16:09
There are a coupe of Harrisons and a couple of FAXX copies on that auction site now. However, one of the Harrisons is pictured with the screws on the reed side of the mouthpiece. I tried one of the FAXX copies, but the plating started flaking off (in large pieces) the first time I used it. Haven't tried it since. I play with one person who has a Harrison he has been using since high school. He says it works great for him, so he has seen no reason to try anything else. Another person who got a Rico copy and loves it.
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2011-04-15 17:27
I did have a student who got a Rico version and loved it but it broke after 6 months. And this student takes care of her stuff. Now she's got a Bonade inverted.
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Author: BartHx
Date: 2011-04-16 16:34
I wonder how many have had ligature experiences similar to mine? I've never had a private lesson. Everything I have learned has been through school, reading, trial and error, and emulating my older brother who had private lessons through high school because he wanted them. Overall, it seems to have worked fairly well for me. However, I have heard very little about ligatures. I started playing in group lessons at school in fourth grade. We were told that the ligature should be "tight". Over the years, I did not account for the fact that I was growing and getting stronger than a fourth grader, but I still kept putting my ligature on tight. I, eventually, got to the point that I realized I was destroying both reeds and ligatures and was amazed to find that the reed worked just as well, or better, when it was only snug. I now tighten the ligature just enough to firmly hold the reed in place and get a much better response. Sometimes, to challenge myself, I use a relatively loose shoe lace for a ligature. That will tell me very quickly if I am applying forces to the reed, while playing, in directions that I should not.
I wonder how many broken ligature problems are the result of people over tightening them without even knowing they are doing it? In how many cases are the problems due to the way the ligature is used and have nothing to do with its design?
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Author: Juanzen
Date: 2019-11-01 05:44
How tight you make it depends on the type of ligature, I would agree that metal should only be snug because you can warp the ligature itself or damage the reed/ mouthpiece.
Now a leather/string ligature should be tighter than what you tighten a metal ligature at in my opinion, some even need to warp shape in order to match your mouthpiece ligature, so if you don't tighten it enough it won't work as it should.
Post Edited (2019-11-01 05:45)
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Author: richard smith
Date: 2019-11-03 20:19
mine. Velcro , both cheat ( make your own ) and readily adjustable . instructions in old message by me.
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Author: seabreeze
Date: 2019-11-03 21:12
I used to prefer the old Kaspar inverse ligatures and also liked the BG metal ones (traditional and DUO) but now the Ligaphone inverse ligatures from France give me an even better balance of tone centered between vibrant and mellow. The gold plated and the vintage are the most vibrant; the rose gold is the mellowest.
In the USA Innoledy in New York City sells them.
https://innoledy.com
Post Edited (2019-11-03 22:13)
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Author: fernie121
Date: 2019-11-03 21:35
I have actually been eyeing the vintage thin Ligaphone ligature. I am very happy with the vibrancy I get from the BG duo though. I feel a thinner version of the BG duo would be great.
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