The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: kilo
Date: 2007-01-01 13:07
The stock ligature for my HS** has begun to strip out (after 40 years) and I just started using a Brancher ligature -- an elegant looking inverted single screw with wire sides. I've noticed, however, that the ligature seems to work its way up the mouthpiece as I tighten the screw, I've never had this problem with conventional two screw ligs (which I also use inverted). I can push it back to securely seat the reed and it seems to stay in place but I wondered if this is "normal". It seems to happen more with synthetic reeds and I may try to "rough up" the heel of the reed with some fine sandpaper to get a little more "tooth" on the table.
edit: should have looked around a bit; I see this topic has been raised before... http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=175204&t=175204 ....but perhaps not answered conclusively.
Post Edited (2007-01-01 13:16)
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Author: bufclar
Date: 2007-01-01 17:14
If you put a mothpiece patch or piece of tape on the back of the mouthpiece then the ligature will not slip at all.
Hope this helps.
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Author: Escsrc
Date: 2007-01-01 17:42
The same thing happened to me, kilo. I just put a bit of rough masking tape on the back of the mouthpiece and in general, I kept the lig pretty loose. Seems to happen to me a lot with metal ligatures....hmm.
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2007-01-01 17:43
Also, you can take a nail file and rough up the mouthpiece where the ligature makes contact. Won't look as good, but it'll still play and it'll work as well.
US Army Japan Band
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Author: kilo
Date: 2007-01-01 20:56
It's a relief knowing this happens to other people! Thanks for the replies.
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Author: C2thew
Date: 2007-01-01 22:14
I personally can't connect with the brancher ligature. it seems to dampen the sound if you tighten the lig too much. although it looks elegant, it slips too much, and doesn't allow the reed to vibrate that freely. My 2 cents
Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. they are but improved means to an unimproved end, an end which was already but too easy to arrive as railroads lead to Boston to New York
-Walden; Henry Thoreau
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Author: kilo
Date: 2007-01-01 23:54
C2thew wrote:
> I personally can't connect with the brancher ligature. it
> seems to dampen the sound if you tighten the lig too much.
> although it looks elegant, it slips too much, and doesn't allow
> the reed to vibrate that freely. My 2 cents
>
Hmm ... yeah, I was wondering the same thing. I'll give it a while longer while I make a few adjustments. There's a bewildering choice of pretty toys, isn't there -- and to think I was happy for forty years! Appreciate your 2 cents.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2007-01-02 13:46
With my curiousity aroused, I looked for a Brancher AND ligature OR clarinet OR woodwind [US] patent without success. Is there more info available, perhaps in music-store brochures ? I'll try again, but all help will be appreciated. Often there is info in a pat which answers our questions. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: kilo
Date: 2007-01-02 18:58
I'm thinking that the Brancher might be "mouthpiece specific" -- it would probably work better on a 'piece with less of a conical taper.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2007-01-02 20:55
Kilo - TKS, this is one of those pats "hard to find", I guess. I tried Branch AND mouthpiece AND clarinet which turned up Ferron {FR}, US 4,515,060 which didn't seem to match what little I know of the ?lig?. Help !! Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2007-01-02 21:13
I had ordered a Brancher Leggerio ligature from WW&BW last year, and I had the same problem with mine...always popping off the @#$@&%$ mouthpiece. I sent it back and got a different ligature that would actually stay on the mouthpiece.
Jeff
Post Edited (2007-01-02 21:14)
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2007-01-04 10:48
Just rough up the inside surface (that is, rounded area under nut and the railes that touch the read) of the ligature (slightly) with sand paper....rub laterally so minute groves in this surface go side to side. There should be no slip at all. I like mine better than the inverted Bonade.
.............Paul Aviles
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Author: kilo
Date: 2007-01-05 19:26
Well, I scuffed up the mouthpiece a bit with some 240 grit silica carbide wet/dry sandpaper, right over the "Selmer" logo, and guess what? The thing works. Now that the mouthpiece has been rendered somewhat unsightly, I'm glad I've got that elegant ligature to even things out again.
What? The sound? Frankly, I don't notice a difference in timbre or responsiveness compared to my old stock ligature but the Legere 3.25 offers just the right degree of resistance and I think I can go back to just practicing and playing again. Once again, thanks to all.
Post Edited (2009-09-27 16:05)
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