Klarinet Archive - Posting 000211.txt from 1994/05

From: Clark W Fobes <reedman@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Pad Savers
Date: Wed, 11 May 1994 14:16:14 -0400

On Tue, 10 May 1994, Steven Popper wrote:

> What is the collective wisdom of the group on the subject of pad
> savers? Will they cause unintended problems or will they stabilize the
> moisture changes in the joints?
>
> Originally developed for saxophones, pad savers resemble the heads
> of wire brushes. The "bristles" in this case are soft, absorbant material
> and the wire ends are capped in plastic. The idea is that after swabbing
> you place them into the joints where they run the full length and remain
> until you next play. They will wick residual moisture away from the pads
> (and the inner joint surface) while, possibly, also stabilizing the
> moisture change in the vicinity of the instrument.
>
> Possible drawbacks include the possibility of accidently scoring
> the inner surface of the joint (difficult to see how this could occur,
> though,) or knocking the speaker tube in the upper joint.
>
> Possible benefits:
> Reducing wear on pads by reducing the "spit glued" problem when
> first fingering the keys and raising the pads;
> Reducing the range of humidity change to which the instrument is
> subjected, presumably thereby reducing wear and tear as well as
> susceptibility to cracking.
>
> Any thoughts? Any users of pad savers out there?
>
> Steven Popper
> RAND Corporation
>
The "Pad Saver" was invented and developed here in the San Francisco bay
area by one of the areas finest craftsman, George Koregelos. George makes
the Koregelos flute and head joints. The original name for this product
was the "Shove it!", but George thought better of this.

I have never given this product a lot of thought even though George's
daughter Angela, (a very fine flutist in this area) is a good friend and
colleague.

I have decided to order some of these for my clarinets to give them a
serious try. The assertion made by Anne (PSYCHO-CLARINETIST) that her
clarinet may have cracked due to the use of the "Pad Saver" may be a
case of misplaced suspicion.

She mentioned that she could not remove her barrel one day and then her
clarinet cracked? I hope that I got the order correct. Clarinets very
often will crack around the register tube when the barrel is left on with
moisture in the joint. As the wood swells at the tenon the strain is just
too great and the joint will fracture at the nearest weakest point.

I don't believe that the "Pad Savers" were intended as swab substitutes.
I believe that it is best to swab the clarinet, including all joints,
carefully before putting it away. Also avoid leaving a clarinet assembled
without this careful swabbing process.

An advantage that might come from using the "Pad Saver" is that if the
wick effect truly works it would draw any residual moisture out of tone
holes. This would be particularly effective on the upper joints of both
soprano and bass clarinets where the moisture tends to collect in the holes
and rot the wood and make a "mush" that gradually reduces the hole size.

As for maintaining the humidity in the case, how would there be any more
moisture than before inserting the "Pad Saver". Perhaps the makers feel
that the moisture does not evaporate as quickly once it is "wicked" on to
the "Pad Saver"?

We do not have to worry too much about lack of humidity in Sab Francisco,
but when I have travelled to drier areas I have always used a "Dampit"
and found that most effective for maintaining a humid environment.

Clark W Fobes