Klarinet Archive - Posting 000617.txt from 1997/08

From: deerich@-----.net
Subj: Re: Pads
Date: Sat, 16 Aug 1997 00:01:47 -0400

Matt Coill wrote:
>
> Hi I just found out about this list yesterday.
>
> I justed began playing again after many, many years. However, my
> clarinet (a typical Bundy student model), has some pretty ugly pads,
> they don't even come close to making a seal. I read the post on sneezy
> about replacing pads yourself, it did not sound fun. But I am
> adventurous, fairly handy, and cheap. So weather I or a professional do
> it depends alot on cost. About what should I pay someone to do a total
> pad replacement? What should a set of pads cost me, if I were to do this
> myself, and where do I get them. Is there anyone out there who has done
> this themselves, what was the first time experience like?
>
> Any comments would be helpful,
> - Matt

I think it is great that you are getting back to playing. My
recommendation is to go ahead and have this done at a shop. Even a
clarinet that has been setting many years probably does not need a
complete repad so it should be reasonable in price.

If you tackle this job yourself, make sure that you approach it in a
logical, orderly fashion. You need to have some way to keep track of
which keys go where, the order they came off (there are some places
where they have to go back on in a certain order or you can't get them
on), and ABOVE all you need to be sure to keep the various screws in
order and be sure you don't lose them.

I have completely disasssembled a clarinet and reassembled it. If one
is careful and meticulous, it is only tedious not difficult. However, I
was only working on my old junker (not my good one). I wanted to buff
the keys and become more familiar with the mechanism. I had no problem
and when I put it back together it was fine. As a matter of fact, I
managed to eliminate some of the excess slop in the keywork.

If you do mess up, a good shop should be able to correct it. Or you may
simply want to treat yourself to a new or good used clarinet, perhaps an
intermediate wood instrument.

Good luck and keep playing,
Dee Hays
Canton, SD
deerich@-----.net