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Re: Tarnished metal ligatures, sound radiation and response

Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2023-03-27 15:35

I know you mean well Donald.

So the more superficial the difference between ligatures, the less it has anything to do with performance. There are a number of different manufacturers that make the same ligature in Silver plating and Gold plating (and even a third more ambiguous "black coating").

The differences there, where there could be some tangible difference to how the material will allow the reed to vibrate (faster or slower.........brighter or darker) can be perceived but MAY not be worth spending another $150.00 to find out (my wife categorizes me as obsessive due to my multiple versions of the same ligature).

Tarnish does not change anything significant about the material or how it responds to vibrations (that I can tell).

For silver oxidation (if that bothers you) I would recommend a silver polishing cloth. The best of the them are red (and contain rouge which is a mineral that tears away at the surface of the metal causing the oxidized layer to be removed so it's best not to do this a lot). I believe Coca-Cola has the reputation for doing this as well, but I wouldn't expose anything with a crucial mechanism to the vagaries of sticky syrup.

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

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