AK Ligature for B-Flat Clarinet, Silver/Raw Brass
AK Ligature for B-Flat Clarinet, Silver/Raw Brass
I don't believe the "ligature makes the clarinetist" (practice makes the clarinetist), but if you are looking to upgrade, this ligature is one to seriously consider. I have never seen anything like it on the market, and it is simply an incredibly clever bit of engineering. Watch the video below to see why I think this.
The design of the AK Ligature makes it so that the structure of the ligature itself is not physically in contact with the reed. Instead, the free-floating, magnetic reed plates are the only part of the ligature that contacts your reed. Since these plates are not rigidly attached to the ligature with a screw, solder or other hard mounting mechanism, the reed plate is free to vibrate with your reed rather than against it. This allows the reed to respond more quickly and fully, which I personally can vouch for. You can read more about it on the manufacturer's site.
Invented by Mechanical Engineer and Woodwind Player, Adam Kessler, It's manufactured by hand in Las Vegas on a CNC machine and then shipped to California to get Gold plated (you know, because there's probably still gold in them thar' hills from 1849).
Full instructions for use can be found here. Comes with rubber mouthpiece tip cap.
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This is a pretty terrific ligature. Right off the bat my reed response was markedly better. It really does work the way they say it does. It frees your reed to vibrate in its entirety. I have to say I’m extremely impressed by the innovation and I will be a big advocate for others to try it. #freethereed
I've played dozens of ligatures in all price ranges throughout my 60 years of playing. I've been using the AK ligature for the past few years. Yeah, it doesn't always loosen the reed with a flip of the switch but the articulation and sound is the best I've found. Isn't that the most important thing?
I owned one of these for awhile. It's very sensitive to the size of the mouthpiece and reed. I could never get it to work properly. Finally gave up on it.