Klarinet Archive - Posting 000401.txt from 1997/04

From: Lord Rob <rteitelbaum@-----.EDU>
Subj: RE: Pad Savers
Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 08:58:37 -0400

>My intuitive reaction to Pad Savers has always been that it would
>retain moisture inside the instrument that would otherwise have just
>evaporated, thus encouraging unnaturally rapid pad deterioration and maybe
>molds and other flora growing inside the instrument (as well as in the Pad
>Saver itself).

This is my reaction to Pad Savers as well, because most players do not swab
their instrument out thoroughly. Just one or two passes with the drop cloth and
that's it. However, if you always thoroughly swab the instrument (3-4
times ought to be good, I think), then Pad Savers probably won't do any
harm, though I'm not really convinced of the good they do.

There is one instance where they can do a great deal of harm to the clarinet,
though. If you have a grain on the inside of your clarinet, the excess moisture
can open it up into a full crack. As I'm sure the repairmen on this list will attest,
cracks on the outside of the clarinet are primarily cosmetic and easily fixed.
But cracks on the inside can affect playing and sealing them is both complicated
and expensive. The bottom line is, I think Pad Savers can cause more trouble
than they're worth, and I don't use them.

Rob Teitelbaum