The Clarinet BBoard

The Clarinet BBoard The C4 standard

New Topic | Go to Top | Go to Topic | Search | Help/Rules | Smileys/Notes | Log In

Previous Message | Next Message

Re: Mystery Ligature

Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2013-02-09 17:40

It's a Winston ligature, which sold for nearly $100. The idea was that the reed was contacted only by the 6 plungers, which had rubber collars that gave a cushioned pressure on the reed. You tightened the ligature until the cushions were halfway compressed.

The kit included a fiddly tool that let you remove one or more of the plungers, which changed the response. I found that it worked best with all 6 in place.

It was extremely heavy, which killed some of the resonance, but otherwise played very well. Larry Combs used one briefly. The problem was that the plunger tips gouged into the cane and quickly ruined the reed, but they were great while the reed lasted.

The one in the photos is the second iteration. The original had a thick metal plate that held the plungers.

The inventor has died, but I believe the ligature is still made somewhere in Germany. Unfortunately, I've lost the URL.

Ken Shaw

Reply To Message | Avail. Forums | Flat View

Newer Topic | Older Topic

Topics