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Re: Vientos Vintage Ligature: Amazing..and not so amazing

Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2021-09-18 02:55

I have to return to this ligature but first a disclaimer:

[Gear will not impart a good, resonant tone if you don't already have it. In fact, having a solid standard sound is necessary to hear differences amongst clarinets or differences amongst other associated gear which can be quite subtle]

Now I want to gush.

This ligature is quite AMAZING. The problem I initially had with a "corrected size" version is that I quickly grabbed one of the larger, more rubbery mouthpiece patches to use as a shim underneath the ligature to get it to seat higher up the mouthpiece. I did not manage to get the ligature high enough and the rubbery material acted more as a damper to the ping that is the hallmark of this ligature. I was not being patient.

Solution number one:

I started stacking small sections of Scotch Plastic tape (NOT electrical tape.....totally different material) upon the top surface of the mouthpiece until the stack got the ligature with a Legere reed to sit just at the line of ligature. Once I achieved the right spot for my mouthpiece (I believe there is a dip in my table) the ping and power increased from the original sized ligature that grabs the reed all the way at the bottom (too low, but it worked). The truly amazing thing about the ligature is that it smooths out the timbre (or formants) from one register to another (even the notes from the "G" four ledger lines above the staff and higher became smoother and much less strident (sort of a hallmark of the Legere experience that I have gotten used to). The lack of constancy of sound from register to register on every other ligature only becomes apparent in comparison with the Vientos Cristiline. There is this hauntingly beautiful sound and response of which this constancy of timbre plays a key role.

For the second attempt at a "shim" I used a small section cut out of a Sterlite container lid (malleable translucent plastic). Though the plastic tape worked pretty well, the plastic shim had less of a damping effect and just made the ligature sing. I now suffer a little from what I call "The Red Shoes" syndrome and just don't want to put the clarinet down at all!!!!

I can see now through the use of the shims that Vientos would find it nearly impossible to get a custom size to fit exactly for those of us where the mouthpiece architecture requires a more specific spot for maximum performance. This will make the Cristiline ligature a bit of a project for some, however, I think the up side is so impactful that it is more than worth any possible extra effort to make the ligature work to its fullest potential.

Simply AMAZING !!!!!

....................Paul Aviles

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