 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Jaymz
Date: 2002-12-21 04:33
Hey ya'll wuts up...i was questioning what to get myself for cristmas...i got a box of V12's but i want a ligature my friend came up to me today and said lookin to buy a ligature buy a bonade...so i'm thinking about it so should i listen to my friend and buy a bonade or save my money for the vandoren optimum ligature *drool* hit me at my e-mail if possiable it's yo_dude24@hotmail.com
laters
~*8Jaymz8*~
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Author: William
Date: 2002-12-21 14:00
Save for the Optimum. It plays the same as a Bonade reverse without the constant re-adjustment hassel.
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Author: Benny
Date: 2002-12-21 16:11
The Optimum isn't worth it. I have a Bonade and I actually like it better than the optimum. You should try both ligatures and choose which one you like best.
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2002-12-21 16:13
The Bonade reverse suits me fine, just as it suits many thousands of others. No readjustment problems have ever bothered me. As no Optimum ligature has ever fallen into my hands, I am not qualified to make a comparison... perhaps it is the better item. By the way, a Velcro ligature also works for me quite well at negligible cost.
Do make every effort to try out any ligature before you buy it or one like it. A ligature is almost as personal a purchase decision as the brand of underwear you buy. Some like one thing, others prefer something else. If there were a perfect ligature, everybody would use that type, and that would be it. This hasn't happened, so one would think each variety must have at least some faults along with its benefits.
Regards,
John
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Author: GBK
Date: 2002-12-21 21:11
My Christmas wish: That Leblanc will finally care enough to produce the Bonade ligature the way it was originally designed to operate - with the parallel inside ribs being the only thing touching the reed.
The newer Bonades should come with a pair of needle nose pliers for making the necessary adjustment.
Better yet, find a Bonade ligature from the 1970's...GBK
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Author: johnny
Date: 2002-12-21 21:25
I just got my optimum from WWBW and it's wonderful. It sounds incredibly better than my micheal lerurie swichboard which is pretty much identical to the bonade. The pressure plates are a real plus. It's like 3 different ligatures in one. I prefer the 3rd one with the small bolts on all four corners because it gives me the most controlible sound. It costed only 39.99 without the cap and i learned my buffet cap was too small after a got it so I'd op for the cap.
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Author: Morrigan
Date: 2002-12-21 22:40
I played my bonade for about 2 years, then bought an Optimum because I thought it sounded better. However, six months later I went back to the Bonade simply because it had that little extra bit of focus that the Optimum just lacked in.
Even though initially you may not hear the difference, I believe that the Bonade is the superior ligature here. The Vandoren also inhibits my lower lip and chin a little, because of it's bulky screw mechanism.
I'd say get the Bonade, it's much cheaper. But try them both first.
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Author: Joel K.
Date: 2002-12-21 23:03
I like the Bonade sound better (especially after making the above-mentioned adjustment). The mechanics of the Optimum are beautiful. I'm just not crazy about its sound. I also like the BG sound better than the Optimum.
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Author: Larry Liberson
Date: 2002-12-21 23:42
"I just got my optimum from WWBW and it's wonderful. It sounds incredibly better than my..."
"I played my bonade for about 2 years, then bought an Optimum because I thought it sounded better."
"I like the Bonade sound better (especially after making the above-mentioned adjustment). The mechanics of the Optimum are beautiful. I'm just not crazy about its sound. I also like the BG sound better than the Optimum."
Hmmm...I must be doing something wrong. I have all of my ligatures sitting on a table and not a one of them makes any kind of sound at all!
Back to the drawing board....
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2002-12-22 00:26
Larry Liberson wrote:
>
> Hmmm...I must be doing something wrong. I have all of my
> ligatures sitting on a table and not a one of them makes any
> kind of sound at all!
Sure they do, Larry. Just think like a percussionist and give 'em a whack with a chopstick ... ;^)
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Author: Vicky
Date: 2002-12-22 06:43
I really recomend you to get the Optimum. I have had mine for a while now, and my tone has improved so much.
Morrigan said:
"The Vandoren also inhibits my lower lip and chin a little, because of it's bulky screw mechanism."
Now, I use that to my advantage. It is a great guide to see if you are setting your mouth correctly. I paid attention to that and it helped me get rid of my bad habbit of scrunching my chin.
But it all depends on how your mouth piece, reed, and ligature work together. So as it has been said, just try out a couple and see which one works for you(but Optimum is the best! haha )
Vicky
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Author: Larry Liberson
Date: 2002-12-22 13:08
Mark Charette said:
"Just think like a percussionist and give 'em a whack with a chopstick ... ;^)"
Well...sure, Mark....that makes sense, I guess....but what kind of chopstick (weight, thickness, density, material composition, etc.) would I need to produce a dark sound with any given ligature?
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Author: Benni
Date: 2002-12-22 17:09
Well, Larry, if I may offer a suggestion, I think a chopstick with a wood tip (not plastic!) will definately give you a darker sound . . . Hickory is pretty common, but there are lots of other woods available, and don't be fooled by the color, as certain chopstick makers stain the wood. I would say to go with one that feels comfortable in your hand, with decent wrist control without using your fingers. Now, if you are playing the marching ligature, you'll want a heavier chopstick, but if you are playing a jazz ligature, you'll want a much lighter, thinner one. Also, have you considered a rubber practice ligature so you don't disturb the neighbors? Also, the construction of the ligature plays a part in the sound - the hammered ones tend to sound darker, while the shiny, buffed "brilliant finish" ones are very bright, bordering on metallic.
Finally, make sure the chopsticks are matched before you buy them. Roll them on a flat surface to make sure they are not warped and tap them to make sure they are of equal tone. Don't always trust pre-packaged "matched" chopsticks . . . They may have warped by the time they got to the store!
;-D ;-D ;-D
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Author: Morrigan
Date: 2002-12-22 23:49
My Bonade lig. still needs to be bent around so that only the rails touch. My teacher has been meaning to take me through how to do it for 3 years now, and never has!
Can someone give a step-by-step guide?
PS. My chopsticks were hand-selected by Larry Combs. They give such a great sound, and are great at the table at dinner time. =]
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Author: ed
Date: 2002-12-23 02:00
"My Bonade lig. still needs to be bent around so that only the rails touch. My teacher has been meaning to take me through how to do it for 3 years now, and never has!
Can someone give a step-by-step guide?"
Check the archives- I think Greg Smith posted some time ago on this topic.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2002-12-23 15:24
Morrigan -
Adjustment of the Bonade ligature, particularly the inverted style, is about as simple as a job gets. It's the ideal first project for you.
You will need two needle-nose pliers -- small and medium. These will last the rest of your life, so get the best -- Sears Craftsman, for example.
Put the ligature on the mouthpiece, using a worn out reed, and check whether the two metal strips make even contact with the bark. On most Bonades, the outside edge contacts the bark and the inside edge does not. If this is the case, take the medium pliers and insert the ligature as far as it will go, just up to the end of the flat part of the jaws. Squeeze gently, working a little at a time, reversing the ligature so you work from both ends, to flatten out the profile so the strips match the surface of the bark.
If the inside of the strips contact the reed first, insert the two pair of pliers from opposite ends and increase the curvature.
Of course, the curve of the bark varies from reed to reed, but try to hit the average.
Next, you need to bend the metal just outside each strip, so that the ligature doesn't touch the edge of the reed. Insert the medium pliers to hold the strips and use the small pliers to do the bending.
If you ruin the ligature, it's a small expense.
Harold Wright bought a new Bonade inverted ligature every year, on the theory that the metal stretched out and got fatigued. Kalmen Opperman makes the same kind of adjustments on inexpensive Martin metal ligatures, and I can testify from personal use that they play great.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Jim S.
Date: 2003-01-01 06:47
Marcellus is supposed to have cut the center out of his Bonade so that only the four small remaining points of the rails touched the reed...for that universally admired Marcellus sound. Who can ever know what is best without two bodies, one for playing and one for listening.
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