potiphar - I find that just polishing a plain brass lig helps with the higher notes...
If you want to get 'down and dirty', leave the patina on ! I've never known what the fuss about ligs is, having something looking like a hyperactive titanium dental-brace, just in front of my eyes, is downright distracting.
I've used all sorts of reed combinations, clari > sop, sop > clari, clari > c-sop > Eb clari, and even slim Bb clari > Eb clari. Not to mention the larger varieties.
They all give differing results, especially in the comfort of a home - but used live, when the full dynamic range is explored with the adrenalin pumping, it's almost always back to the correct reed at the end of the day...
It has a lot to do with the vamp/heart/width not being quite right, and, as Bruce mentioned, at some stage a poor fitting reed will bite back ! Fun trying though, I always find that such tests usually confirm that what I was originally using is the best. Peace of mind, albeit momentarily...
If you want to get 'down and dirty', leave the patina on ! I've never known what the fuss about ligs is, having something looking like a hyperactive titanium dental-brace, just in front of my eyes, is downright distracting. I've used all sorts of reed combinations, clari > sop, sop > clari, clari > c-sop > Eb clari, and even slim Bb clari > Eb clari. Not to mention the larger varieties.
They all give differing results, especially in the comfort of a home - but used live, when the full dynamic range is explored with the adrenalin pumping, it's almost always back to the correct reed at the end of the day...
It has a lot to do with the vamp/heart/width not being quite right, and, as Bruce mentioned, at some stage a poor fitting reed will bite back !
Fun trying though, I always find that such tests usually confirm that what I was originally using is the best. Peace of mind, albeit momentarily...
