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Re: JLV Ligature

Author: spikey1973
Date: 2023-07-18 13:49

Hey Lydian,

I find it interesting how one can be so right and (imho) so wrong at the same time.

I agree of course, practising / time on the instrument is the most important thing period! There should never be any discussion about that! (And I really don't think there is)
And yeah I fully admitt I should practice way way way way more then I do. So yeah you are right again period.

But (here is the expected but) the thing is...
The way and the place where a reed is mounted to the MP by any straight up ligature is inherently the worst possible thing to do for creating a nice sound.
It blocks a lot of the vibrations that travel through the instrument (MP) instead of the air column before it can be transferred to the air column, right at the point where they start and since the quality of the sound is basically depending on getting ALL the produced vibrations out, this is a bad thing. Something that will not be able to be over come (maybe slightly compensated, but not overcome) by any amount of practising.

Hence, and I think anyone would agree.. sorry if not.
We would just hold it in place if we had three thumbs.
But we don't. Never the less that would be nearly ideal.
Another nearly ideal possibility would be to make a contraption to mount it at the MP but where the force would be rested against, a location near the bell for example. somewhere near the end of the instrument. But really I don't think I should even need to start to explain to a toddler why that for other obvious reasons would be a really really REALLY bad idea.

So this inherent problem gives the start of the probably an eternal design contest.

How to design the ideal ligature.

And here I agree again with you again, the more basic the better it usually is. So indeed rubber band / shoe laces work just fine, but they can be improved upon.. and so the race continues and yeah. Then there comes the other issue. People just like to spend money on things that make them look fancy. Big houses big cars, expensive instruments, so of course also expensive ligatures.

This does open up an other question in my mind. Just something that I have been wondering about.
Most expensive ligatures are made from brass and or steel with a nice plating on to. But if people like to spend so much money on their ligatures.. Why aren't they made from precious metal alloys. these would also make a tremendous difference in timber of the sound and as I already discussed (some) people tend to be willing to pay for it, then why isn't this happening? But this is a question for another thread though.

Anyway, all I am trying to say is that the eternal search for the impossibly perfect ligature rests both in logic and ill-logics at the same time.

So for now I like my cheap chinese knock-off and it is very unlikely that I will spend large amounts of money on any ligature at all! But this doesn't exclude, that I will still be interested in hearing differences in sound and trying things out and thinking how I could design that ultimate ligature myself. Especially if the ligature itself makes placing the reed in perfect position and hold it there too an easy thing! Anyway l, Believe I just admitted to be human, so sew me for that if you need to

but I am going window shopping today and look at that jlv ligature.

To be continued / or for the fans.

I'll be back

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JLV Ligature new

FreddyG

2017-02-08 14:32