 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: jim sclater
Date: 2024-06-01 05:22
Just saw an ad for a Vandoren carbon fiber ligature for Bb clarinet. Price - $567.00 Is this for real? April Fools joke? What gives???
jsclater@comcast.net
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2024-06-01 17:59
I can't find the Youtube video at the moment--assuming it still remains available for public viewing--but I remember listening to Vandoren's David Gould talking about this ligature and how...
now mind you, in fairness to Mr. Gould, I don't remember the exact quote and I don't want to mischaracterize him:
the carbon fiber ligature 'takes the ligature out of the equation.'
Now, of course, I think he meant that paraphrase of mine in a positive way, in that with the carbon fiber ligature it's just you, the reed, and the mouthpiece and that the ligature now in no way interferes with the artistry of performance.
This said, for something North of $500 I expect a ligature to not merely fade away into the background, I expect it "to make me eggs for breakfast."
I get it. Ligatures make some difference. And there are even some more expensive ones I like not for their performance, but how they're designed for quick reed changes, like the Vandoren double threaded Optimum series for the Adam Kessler (AK) ligature which features speedy reed change. I even understand how cost reflects the high price of development across relatively small sales, even how carbon fiber is an expensive material; ligatures aren't exactly a broad market appeal item like a "kitchen toaster" that many consumers own where fixed and initial development costs can be spread across many units.
And I get how nobody's forced to buy it. But $500 for a device touted as a problem eliminator rather than a feature rich "Swiss Army knife,".....hmmm
For now I see this like I do the Buffet B-12 limited production clear "plastic" instruments: a collector's novelty item whose price difference from alternatives isn't justified in its performance, only its novelty.
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Author: Julian ibiza
Date: 2024-06-03 10:10
"Ligatures And Contemporary Mythology"
By Freda Squander.
Julian Griffiths
Tel. 34 696 798 853
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Author: Tom H
Date: 2024-06-04 08:07
I've always felt the ligature is by far the least important piece of equipment. But for sure there are those who'll buy this one.
The Most Advanced Clarinet Book--
tomheimer.ampbk.com/ Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001315, Musicnotes product no. MB0000649.
Boreal Ballad for unaccompanied clarinet-Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001314.
Musicnotes product no. MNO287475
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Author: JamesOrlandoGarcia
Date: 2024-06-04 09:17
Carbon fiber is expensive, working with carbon fiber is expensive. It's why it is that costly.
It's just another option out there for people to find what works. Price of equipment doesn't carry that much weight.
I've worked with a few people who sound great on it. Good for them!
James Garcia
Bass Clarinet/Clarinet III, Des Moines Symphony Orchestra
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Author: Julian ibiza
Date: 2024-06-04 11:16
A good ligature should hold the reed at specific points to allow it to better vibrate and this is why the Silverstein Hexa with six cords costs three times more than the Quattro with only four. Baffling as it all is, such a cozy reconciliation between science and theology can only bring a tear to the eye.
Julian Griffiths
Tel. 34 696 798 853
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2024-06-04 22:30
I don’t wish to violate the spirit of the thread, but I feel compelled to add that I’ve actually gotten better, and more consistent results from the Quatro.
Also, as a sort of apology for being so pro gear over the years, I’d like to admit that I have found (during a reed drought) that there is a lot to the matching of various components that gives you a certain result. This explains (perhaps) why we as a community get pretty mixed results with various pieces of equipment.
Further, I’d say that for all its various pluses, the Vandoren Optimum is the “best deal around” for a ligature.
………..Paul Aviles
Post Edited (2024-06-05 01:35)
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Author: Julian ibiza
Date: 2024-06-05 10:05
Hi Paul,
I actually like the Silverstein ligature design, although I suspect that as the number of cord coils goes up, the even distribution of the tension between them likely goes down. Sometimes less is more? I have and like the Quattro too.
My jibes about ligs are just because their virtues as offered by different manufacturers seem to be based on somewhat contradictory principles.( limited pressure points on the reed vs uniform)
As someone who has tested a lot of gear and is into the finer nuances , what's your take on this seeming split of principles?
I'm always happier with things making sense.
Thanks. J
Julian Griffiths
Tel. 34 696 798 853
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2024-06-05 16:04
I don't find contradiction so much as a specific set of emphasized principles. I think that many of those ideas (which ever is the principle in the moment) work as long as we have good playing conditions at our disposal. When things get dicey (for example when the weather is cooler and drier in the Winter) the ligatures that offer a secure hold on reed and mouthpiece just seem to offer the most reliable performance from the reed.
...........Paul Aviles
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