 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: davidsampson
Date: 2016-01-10 10:18
6 or 7 years ago I bought a silver player inverted cut-out Bonade ligature for my bass clarinet and loved it. Sadly it got lost at some point and I have been looking to replace it. I ordered one from Amazon and when it arrived it was in a plastic bag, unlike before when it was in a plastic box, and it was crushed. I returned it, thinking it was a shipping problem, but looking around I am seeing reviews on other websites (wwbw was one) saying that theirs arrived crushed in a plastic bag too. Further, not that it really matters too much, but I can only find people selling the nickel plated bass clarinet ligs, not the silver plated ones that I liked the look of.
1. Anyone know what's up with the quality control? I looked around but I couldn't find a manufacturers website for the Bonade ligature, either to give them a heads up about the issue or to see if they still make the silver plated model for bass.
2. Is there anyone selling the same ligature I had before? Or should I switch to something different? I am a bit concerned about ordering another nickel plated one only to find it crushed again.
3. If the answer to 2 is give up and try something else, what would you recommend? I looked at the Vandoren Optimum, but it is pricey.
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Author: Morrigan
Date: 2016-01-10 13:44
Also check out Taplin Weir - they do custom platings and the ligature arrives in a small plastic case!
I got a 24K gold Bonade, purely for the looks. It plays a little TOO well - very focused sound!
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Author: KenJarczyk
Date: 2016-01-10 17:17
Bonade was marketed by Leblanc. Since their demise I really don't know who or what markets them. For years (30+) I was a Bonade guy. Still am, sort-of. The idea works. Since one cannot purchase a non-bent Bonade, I have converted all (Eb, Bb, A, & Bass) my clarinets over to the Vandoren Optimum Ligature. Their double-rail plate pretty much makes it a perfect Bonade.
Ken Jarczyk
Woodwinds Specialist
Eb, C, Bb, A & Bass Clarinets
Soprano, Alto, Tenor & Baritone Saxophones
Flute, Alto Flute, Piccolo
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Author: eddiec ★2017
Date: 2016-01-11 09:13
I bought a inverted Bonade last year for an e-flat M30 mouthpiece.. It wasn't bent, but really didn't fit that mouthpiece. If I recall right, it wouldn't slide far enough down. Eventually it was usable with some bending, but it mars the mouthpiece under the screws. Not sure if that was just a combo that didn't work, or it wasn't made right. I like my old B-flat model that is 30 or more years old.
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Author: gwie
Date: 2016-01-11 15:15
The quality control is awful...I fix every single Bonade ligature I buy with a pair of pliers to get the metal bands to not contact the shoulders of the reed when mounted.
However, having done it hundreds of times now, it's not a difficult fix, and for the cost they perform really well.
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Author: seabreeze
Date: 2016-01-11 17:05
A few music stores, such as Weiner music and Taplin-Weir (as suggested above) seem to select good Bonades that tend to fit without a lot of adjustment, including some specially-plated ones in silver plate, gold plate, or rose gold plate. For me, the precious metal plated ones sound better than the regular (nickel-plated?) ones (less harsh, more balanced throughout the range, and still project well).
Post Edited (2016-02-28 05:38)
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Author: James S
Date: 2016-01-12 04:22
The Bonade quality control is really, really, bad. I played on one with much success for 3ish years (until someone stepped on it and turned it into a metal pancake). After that unfortunate accident I tried three more, but none of them fit right. The metal is very soft, to say the least. I gave up on the default ones (the nickel ones made by Leblanc). Taplin-Weir's plated and fitted ones are sooooo much better. If you like the bonade rail concept, go the Taplin-Weir route!
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Author: Ed
Date: 2016-01-12 06:02
I don't remember a time when they were not in need of adjustment. The nickel ones, which I have always preferred are actually plated brass, not pure nickel silver. The really old ones are pure nickel silver, but they are pretty hard to come by and command an extremely high price.
Nonetheless, with a little tweak Bonades can be really nice and are a great bargain, when you consider what some of the ligatures out there today.
As always, just my opinion and your mileage may vary.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2016-01-12 06:34
You take two needle-nosed pliers and bend the metal out so that it doesn't touch the edges of the reed. It takes about 5 minutes of fiddling.
The rest of the ligature bends easily and adjusts to the shape of the mouthpiece as you tighten the screws.
You may also need to flatten out the area where the vertical bands are (so that they touch the bark evenly).
Harold Wright did this for his entire career. Robert Marcellus also did it for many years, using a hacksaw to cut out area between the upper and lower bands.
By the way, Kal Opperman and Richard Stoltzman use $5 Martin ligs, bent the same way.
I have a normal and an inverted Bonade lig dating from around 1960, which I still use from time to time. If these are the famous nickel silver versions (which I had never heard of before today), what am I offered?
Ken Shaw
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Author: Ed
Date: 2016-01-12 17:01
Attachment: Old Bonade.jpg (21k)
From what I understand, the older nickel silver ones say "patented" rather than "patent pending" as the newer ones do. I don't know when these were in production.
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Author: tylerleecutts
Date: 2016-01-12 19:13
There are many Bonade-esque models available (as mentioned previously) but I would stand by the recommendations to stick with a trusted seller who knows what they are looking at such as Muncy, Taplin Weir, or even picking a Bonade up from a fellow clarinetist. Ebay MAY be a good option if you know the seller personally. I have a friend who has more than a dozen bonades lying around from various sellers that he has offered me, email me and I'll pass you along to him.
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Author: Sean.Perrin
Date: 2016-01-13 23:49
It sounds like you may have gotten a fake. But the quality control is very poor these days on them I agree. The last one I bought was touching the sides of the reed!
I was also going to suggest Taplin, I saw on their website that they are pre-testing them before sale and adjusting properly.
Founder and host of the Clarineat Podcast: http://www.clarineat.com
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Author: tylerleecutts
Date: 2016-01-14 08:23
Would Taplin sell the nickel plated Bonades? Their website indicates that they sell silver and the gold-plated but leaves no word on nickel plated ligatures.
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Author: Without a Song
Date: 2016-01-15 19:17
I bought a new Bonade inverted lig off of Amazon in July. It came in a plastic box, but was still a bit bent out of shape and the plating seemed to prevent the ligature from staying put -- it slid down my mouthpiece within seconds. A little time spent with needle noise pliers and sandpaper on the inside of the ligature got it working perfectly. Took about 5 minutes, but it is frustrating that whoever makes them (the box had a Leblanc logo) on it can't get it right from the factory.
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Author: Geronimo
Date: 2016-01-17 05:47
David,
If you need to replace your bass ligature I recommend the Rovner platinum. It allows the reed to vibrate well and has a very clever way of holding the reed to the mouthpiece. Normally I use the vandoren optimum on the higher clarinets, but for bass the platinum (in my opinion) is better.
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