 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: William
Date: 2002-10-02 22:15
I just finished speaking with John Winslow's son who reports that his fathers health is much improved and that he is still making ligatures in his home based workshop. Thought some of you might like to know...............
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: S J
Date: 2002-10-03 02:29
Morrigan,You don't want to do that.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: William
Date: 2002-10-03 04:16
Morrigan, I posted this information because there was some concern a while ago about John Winslow's health and I said that, since he is a friend of mine, I would check with his family and report back--and my report is that John Winslow's health is "getting better" and that he is still "in business." Any further pertinent info??--contact me "off line." This posting is already too close to being a commercial.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Morrigan
Date: 2002-10-03 04:21
S J
Yes, I SO want to get my hands on a Windslow, I've tried a friend's a couple of times, and wow what an amzing ligature! Even if I barely use it, it will be worth it!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Karel
Date: 2002-10-03 06:38
Albert Alphin Wind Instruments Co sells it, among others,(and is a "sneezy" sponsor), on "http//alphin.bigstep.com/homepage.html".
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2002-10-03 14:15
Morrigan -
I used a Winslow ligature for a while, but switched to a light metal one, or, for concert work, string.
As you know, the Winslow is large, heavy and expensive. Its advantage is that it really flattens out the reed against the mouthpiece table, particularly with all six pins installed (which worked best for me). However, the pins dig into the reed bark, and it seemed to me that this shortened reed life. At least with my mouthpiece, the ligature also scratched the top surface. The weight bothered me, and when I listened to recordings of myself, I found that I sounded better to myself than I did on recording.
By soaking and drying new reeds repeatedly, and letting them finish warping, and then sanding them really flat on the bottom, I've found that I get a good seal against the mouthpiece without the brute force of the Winslow. It seems to me that the lightest possible ligature results in the freest vibration of the reed. For the best vibration, in critical situations, I put up with the inconvenience of string, because I think I sound best that way.
This is of course just my own experience, and ligatures are a very individual thing. Still, it costs you only a little to get a piece of 600 grit sandpaper and make the bottom of a reed flat, and then try string or a shoelace. YMMV.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: William
Date: 2002-10-03 14:56
FYI--I must report that, although John is a friend of mine and I was "in on" the developement and trial of his earliest lig models, I now prefer to use the VanDoran Optimum lig (parallel rail insert) on my clarinet mouthpiece rather than any of the many Winslow ligs (old or new) that I own. As Ken said, the sound just isn't as focused as with a good metal or string ligature. There may be something about letting the reed vibrate too freely and producing too many overtone that adversly effects the clarinet sounds ability to blend with the ensemble or "carry" to the audience. Plus, if you have to switch our mouthpiece quickly from Bb to A or C, the Winslow has a tendancy to shift or pull completely off if your barrel sockets are tight.
However on saxophone (which is John's instrument, BTW) or bass clarinet, these ligatures are golden and well worth the money. I use them on all of my sax mouthpieces, metal and rubber, and they produce a richer, more focused sound than with any other lig I have ever tried. Most of my saxing is done in combo or "big band" settings--mostly jazz, that is.
So, bottom line: Clarinet, one thumb down, one up; Saxophone/bass clarinet, two thumbs up and held very high!!!!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2002-10-03 18:46
super20dan wrote:
>
> overpriced peice of junk!!!
Please elaborate - these kinds of posts do no good.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ken
Date: 2002-10-03 19:38
I played on Winslows (Bb/A) for about 10 years and for most of that period I was a happy camper. For me, I found the design and adjustable pads increased reed longevity, boosted the quality of mediocre reeds and all reeds generally played more evenly, focused, free-blowing and with heightened control up and down the entire range...low E to double C. The peculiarities I DID encounter were similar to that already stated. It was inconvenient/cumbersome having to ratchet it down so tightly all the time. Swapping out reeds when in a pinch was tedious and overly time consuming. Those annoying indentations also forced me to position the reed in the same spot and gave the appearance I was pounding on my reeds with a ball peen hammer. My biggest beef that finally influenced me to move on to others was after years of use (on the exact same set-up) I found my tone gradually and unexplainably becoming brighter and/or edgier and I knew darn well it wasn't me. Since regularly playing on other ligs the brightness disappeared immediately and my reeds no longer look like tiny checkerboards. I also know tons more saxophonists using and swearing by them than the licorice stick set. v/r KEN
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Morrigan
Date: 2002-10-05 02:21
I use the Bonade ligature with the two rails, so I can see where you're coming from, I've also used the Vandoren Optimum but found it didn't focus quite enough. Maybe I'll get a Windslow when I play bass next? Thanks for all the discussion guys.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: steve roberts
Date: 2006-02-28 06:49
With all due respect to the R&D that goes into producing a ligature as complex and promising as the Winslow I feel that I must warn their users. I began to see very warped mouthpieces from players that came to me for refacing in the 90s. I like the concept of the ligature but feel that the huge concentric pressure they force on the mouthpiece is damaging. I wish they could work as well as they do with a lot less pressure. If I played a mouthpiece that was easily replaced (does one exist?) I could see using it without any fear. Any ligature that exerts a tremendous pressure on your mouthpiece can be expected to warp the table and facing over time.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Don Berger
Date: 2006-02-28 13:21
TKS, Wm etc, for reporting re: the Winslow family and health, his ligature is what I would describe as a "pioneer". His only patent [that I found] is US 4,428,271, of 1984. On the USPTO Databases site, I'd suggest clicking on the "Images" for viewing the drawings, page 2 will give you a good view of the "reed-clamping" structure. Not having one myself, I'm not sure that the "commercial" version's structure is exactly the same, owners, please help. My patent search technique was Winslow AND clarinet, and picking among the 10 pats retrieved, Winslow was cited [among many] in later patents. Luck, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: clarinet60
Date: 2006-02-28 14:21
Just a note on the positive side for Winslow ligatures, I've had two, and yes, the first one (an earlier design)left markings on the reed but the newer model I currently use does not. I've tried many other ligatures (Bonade, Rovner, BG, etc., etc.) and have not found one that allows me to control the sound as well as the Winslow. I've used the same mouthpiece now for several years with the Winslow and there has been no warpage. I guess I'm in the minority but this ligature works very well for me.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: BobD
Date: 2006-03-01 21:31
As I recall the Winslow is the one with the one thumbscrew on top and looks like the earlier(40s , 50s) auto heater hose clamps. Is that it?
Bob Draznik
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
