Klarinet Archive - Posting 000321.txt from 1995/01

From: Gordon Tulloch <Gordon_Tulloch@-----.CA>
Subj: Re: Repairing pads
Date: Mon, 23 Jan 1995 14:15:03 -0500

Fred Jacobowitz writes:
>
> Gordon,
> As a doubler I play sax too but I have always had alot of trouble
> dealing with sax pads. The reason is that they usually need alot of

[Good advice omitted]

> Frankly, as a pro, I leave it to the other pro's (the repairmen) to do
> THEIR job so I can
> do mine and I write it off to business expenses, as I advise anyone else
> to do. It's just to much time and effort for me and time IS money. If
> you really want to get into repair, there are a few repair manuals for
> band instructors out there (the ERIC BRAND book comes to mind) but most
> of the repairmen I've dealt with skoff at these saying, "That's NOT how
> to do it!" or some such. And they're probably right! Sorry to be rather
> negative about do-it-yourselfing but good luck if you wanna try.

I tend to agree - although in all my years of playing clarinet, sax, and
bass clarinet, I've never really sent any any of my horns for a repair - I
wonder how much was luck and how much was just ignoring and playing around
obvious defects? One of the real benefits I've seen from this list is to
make one more aware of what's normally done to keep an instrument in
playable condition - although dabblers (I play for three community bands)
like me can't exactly expense a big repair bill, we certainly should be
aware that our playing can be made better by proper attention to the
instrument. And I'm not exactly planning on embarking on a repair career,
so I'll get someone else to do it :) Although if someone knows SOME regaulr
maintenance/checkout things that anyone with a modicum of handyness can do,
I'd like to hear about it - Thanks for replying!

Regards,
Gord