 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: JJ
Date: 1999-07-28 03:12
Hi:
I would like to know why so many pro think
Bonade inverted ligature is the best? I think
there are lot more better ligatures, e.g.
Peter Sprigg's floating rail ligature
is that simply because they have not tried
it out?
JJ
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 1999-07-28 03:37
JJ wrote:
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Hi:
I would like to know why so many pro think
Bonade inverted ligature is the best? I think
there are lot more better ligatures, e.g.
Peter Sprigg's floating rail ligature
is that simply because they have not tried
it out?
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A professional by definition makes his/her money by playing clarinet. They'll use whatever works best for them. I'm not sure that's the Bonade Inverted, but some definitely do use it. And yes, they do try out plenty of ligs every year!
JJ
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Author: steve
Date: 1999-07-28 14:40
at the time the bonade lig became the standard, you cut the center part out of it. This became the unquestioned lig because, possibly, marcellus used it, and you didn't question the results he got, which were imho, unsurpassed. you also used moree reeds and a kaspar mp on an R-13 worked on by moenning if you could get one....I lived in cleveland and attended cleve orch concerts from 1959-1972. lot of good clarinet playing.
But mark's comments are spot on...a pro uses whatever tools he/she thinks allows him to do the best job, be it string or fancy ligs with pistons...
reported said by bernard adelstein, solo trumpet with the cleveland orch upon seeing the super radical, high tech expensive monette trumpet: "wow...you don't even have to practice anymore...:)"
s.
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Author: Kevin Bowman
Date: 1999-07-28 17:48
I've glimpsed Larry Liberson's drawer of ligatures. I can tell you he has tried quite a few (and at the time he was indeed experimenting with several to match the new legere reeds he was also experimenting with). However, he and the other clarinetists in the Detroit Symphony still use modified Bonade inverted ligs with cane reeds (Larry makes his own). Larry is also and advocate of the "whatever works best" school and is constantly trying new equipment.
Kevin Bowman
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 1999-07-28 21:30
I've tried quite a few ligs, I'm more of a skilled non-pro, and I found I "just-liked" the inverts, Luyben, Bonade and Gigl but not the Rovner, but cant tell you why! Don
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Author: Dee
Date: 1999-07-29 00:45
Don Berger wrote:
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I've tried quite a few ligs, I'm more of a skilled non-pro, and I found I "just-liked" the inverts, Luyben, Bonade and Gigl but not the Rovner, but cant tell you why! Don
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I found that when I switched from a Vandoren B45 mouthpiece to the 5RV that the Rovner damped the reed vibration too much for the more closed mouthpiece. Perhaps that is what you experience with a Rovner?
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 1999-07-29 02:13
I have two Bonades:one is non-inverted gold plated one I bought about 20 years ago and one is an inverted nickel plated one I bought one year ago.The former is really far better,reed can vibrate quite freer.I was disapointed to find a new one was deformed and cannot be fitted symmetrically onto mouthpieces.Maybe craftmanship is degrading as same as in other manufacturing fields.I also bought a Bay inverted gold plated one,which was better my invereted Bonade although sounds are a little thinner than with my gold plated Bonade. I am looking for an old silver plated or gold plated inverted Bonade.
p.s.In Japan there are almost no professional players who use inverted Bonades.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 1999-07-29 02:30
The Bonades available today are noted for their lack of quality control! If you look through a bin of them (at a festival or such) though, you can probably pick out a good one. The rails on most are not parallel, and they should be.
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Author: Roger Harvey
Date: 1999-07-29 10:05
Could you please describe the "modification" to the Bonade ligs that the pros make. If the centre is cut out, is the centre portion at the screws or where the lig bears upon the reed? If it's the latter doesn't it make it too bright, like the Rovner 'Light' or the Vandoren inverted leather ligs?
Roger
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Author: Kevin Bowman
Date: 1999-07-29 17:18
The modification:
using a jewelers saw or perhaps a Dremel tool fitted with a cutting wheel, cut out the center peice between the two bands that encircle the mpc. This is the part that bears on the reed and has the label stamped on it. You should be careful not to deform the lig when cutting. You can clean up the cut with a dremel tool (or similar) sanding drum. The result is a lig with four small rectangular "pads" instead of two parallel rails.
I have a modified lig (which I had a jeweler do), and an unmodified lig. I would say that the modified lig "frees up" the sound but does not make it too bright. It lets the reed respond better than the unmodifed version, IMO. Also, you might experiment with various tightening on the lig screws. Personally, I tighten mine just a bit beyond "finger tight" (or just beyond the "grabbing point") on each screw. Or just tighten the bottom screw and leave the top fairly. I've heard that Ted Oin (of the DSO) superglued his lig screws and he just slips the lig on over the reed and pushes it down to hold.
Again - whatever works best ...
Kevin Bowman
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Author: William Fuller
Date: 1999-07-30 04:09
For the past 12 yrs., I have been using Winslow ligitures on all of my clarinets and saxophones. Having used Bonades and Mitchel Lauries "Magic Window" ligs ( which are both good), I feel that the Winslows let the reed produce more harmonics which enhance the sound--especially on sax. Rovner kinds of ligs. are like sound curtains--they only stifle the tone you can produce. The Winslow are expensive, but I think well worth the money. (I have ten) If I had to go back, I probably would use my old inverted silver Bonade. I liked them.
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Author: Daniel
Date: 1999-07-30 18:27
William Fuller wrote:
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For the past 12 yrs., I have been using Winslow ligitures on all of my clarinets and saxophones. Having used Bonades and Mitchel Lauries "Magic Window" ligs ( which are both good), I feel that the Winslows let the reed produce more harmonics which enhance the sound--especially on sax. Rovner kinds of ligs. are like sound curtains--they only stifle the tone you can produce. The Winslow are expensive, but I think well worth the money. (I have ten) If I had to go back, I probably would use my old inverted silver Bonade. I liked them.
Have you ever tried the Rovner Eddie Daniels II model? Very different from the simple Rovners. The metal plate that lays on the reed adds a good deal of vibrance and projection and a enough brightness to counter the darkness the others give.
As for the Winslows. I've found they don't really work well for me for anything smaller than Alto Sax. Smaller reeds don't have as much space and the pistons get so close together than they really aren't doing muchbut clamping the reed. But i use them on Alto Sax, Bas Clarinet, Tenor Sax, Bari Sax (well, i only have one for alto sax, the waiting list is soooooo long now it's not even worth the wait, so i borrow the bigger ones from teachers i know). The Winslow just doesn't give the soprano clarinet enough ring or ping to the sound. Sure the reed vibrates more and you can play higher, but it just sounds dead and hollow most of the time.
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