 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ed Lowry
Date: 2021-06-27 09:49
I have won a drawing for any Van Doren ligature that they make. I generally use a string ligature. Does anyone have a recommendation or two to help me make my choice?
Thanks,
Ed Lowry
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Author: Bob Barnhart ★2017
Date: 2021-06-27 10:31
Ed,
Congratulations on winning a Vandoren ligature.
I've spent most of the pandemic experimenting with various setups (mouthpieces, reeds, ligatures). Currently, I'm mostly playing on a Vandoren BD4 mouthpiece and have settled on the following Vandoren ligatures as my favorites:
1) Black Optimum - this ligature seems anodized rather than plated and has a noticeably darker (and possibly less powerful) sound than the silver Optimum. I like the ability to change plates depending on circumstances. For me, I find the plate with the horizontal ribs gives the deepest, most vibrant, powerful sound. The plate with the 4 "dots" provides the most covered sound. I feel like the "Bonade" plate gives a denser, perhaps more restricted sound. However, your results will vary depending on the reed and mouthpiece.
2) Leather - I don't care for any of the inserts with this ligature as they make it difficult to use with thicker reeds. I like the freedom and flexibility I get with no insert. I feel like this ligature allows the reed to be responsive and yields a more open sound that is warm at the core with a nice vibrancy to it. For me, this ligature feels most like a German String ligature.
3) Silver Optimum - This version seems more powerful than the Black version, but also yields a nice round sound. Again, some mouthpieces play better with the Black, and some with my Silver one.
4) Black M/O - This ligature is very free and allows the reed to be responsive while still yielding a round sound. I like this ligature with mouthpieces that are more resistant.
5) Gold M/O - I feel that although this plating yields a darker/warmer sound than the Black M/O, it feels more restrictive. I would choose this ligature with mouthpieces that are more open/free, ones that need to have more control applied to them to obtain a more consistent response.
After must experimentation, I keep the Black Optimum and Leather ligatures on the mouthpieces in my case. I like both and might use one or the other depending on circumstance.
I hope this helps.
Bob
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Author: ruben
Date: 2021-06-27 11:52
Ed: Vandoren makes a ready-woven string ligature for German mouthpieces that slips right on. It allows the reed to vibrate freely and smoothly, has a velvety sound and is very quick and easy to slip on. It works perfectly well on a French mouthpiece. I'm surprised more people don't use it.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: donald
Date: 2021-06-27 12:47
I've used string often (I even have a piece of genuine German ligature string) and I have to agree with Bob that the leather ligature feels the most like a string ligature.
dn
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2021-06-27 15:33
I would vote for the Leather, which is one of my favorite ligatures of the panoply of ligatures i have ever tried. There are 3 "plates" that come with the ligature, two different leathers (one firm and one softer) as well as a Bonade style metal plate. I loved the metal plate for cane and have recently used the harder, black leather plate with Legere.
If you choose this one, see if you can also get the leather cap with it. This cap can be used with almost any ligature on the planet (certainly every inverted ligature). And it is perfectly silent if it hits the stage during rehearsal or (God forbid) performance!
..................Paul Aviles
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Author: donald
Date: 2021-06-27 15:56
For what it's worth, it's 35 years since my first professional gig, and I've never once dropped a mouthpiece cap or sat next to anyone who has done so either in rehearsal or performance... So it always seems so weird to me that there is any anxiety about this. But I guess it only has to happen once....
Post Edited (2021-06-27 17:23)
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Author: Micke Isotalo ★2017
Date: 2021-06-28 22:02
I agree about the leather, and for me it's the closest one compared to string when going for a sligthly firmer grip. On the other hand, the stringlike "Klassik" offers a slightly softer grip (the softest of any ligature known to me). Thus I would place string in between these two. I use the leather mainly with the black leather plate on cane reeds, but on Legeres I use the brown one - just because it's a little bit less slippery. On some cane reed/mouthpiece combos I however prefer the Klassik.
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Author: Bob Barnhart ★2017
Date: 2021-06-29 01:41
OK, I can’t seem to get the VD leather to fit around my reeds when I use an insert. I play Pilgerstorfer reeds that are about like V12s and have BD# mouthpieces. Why is it so tight!
Bob
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2021-06-29 05:58
Bob,
One thing to try is breaking in the ligature with the insert. Get the reed/mouthpiece/ligature together and then clamp down tight for the night. Should be fine by morning. If not, repeat again another night. Leather stretches.
..................Paul Aviles
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