CARBEC Soprano Clarinet Ligature

These ligatures are the only ones I'm aware of that are made from Ergal. Ergal is a one of the strongest aluminum alloys made, and it's used in high-performance applications like Aerospace and Racing, where lightness and durability are critical. 

I'd say clarinet playing is pretty darn high-performance. Bring it on!

The other thing about aluminum is that it self-resonates (if you'd like to see an interactive, visual demonstration of this visit the CARBEC barrel page). Their idea was to make a ligature into a "resonator ring" (like the ones CARBEC uses on their barrels) that was also stable enough that it didn't slip off when removing the mouthpiece—like in an orchestra setting where there are quick changes.

So, on the back of the ligature, there is a screw that attaches to a cork-lined metal plate that firmly grips on to the REVERSE side of the mouthpiece (I have to confess, I was putting the ligature on backwards when I first got it, because that plate sure did look like it was supposed to go on the reed. It isn't). In addition to the resonator ring, the connection between the screw and the support plate is a ball-joint, which allows the screw and ligature to vibrate without dampening the vibrations from the cork and plate. This is the critical point — the Ergal self-vibrates along with the reed, which is decoupled from the mouthpiece itself because of this ball joint. 

On the Ergal ligatures, the screw/plates are the variable: Silver- or Rose Gold-plated, or keeping it all-Ergal are your options. The plating on the screw and plate might have an audible effect if you have ear-microscopes, but honestly, it's probably more aesthetic than anything. 

You can also go full Silver-plate or Gold-plate over Brass (not Ergal), which has a different sound profile. Again, teeny, but I notice it more in the response than the sound.

Give it a try for a week. If you don't like it, return it for a refund and pay only 2-way shipping. 

I think these things look exceedingly cool. Sometimes that's all it takes for you to sound better, you know? 😉