Klarinet Archive - Posting 001017.txt from 1998/07

From: <CEField@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] leather pads
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 1998 07:36:27 -0400

Although I am hardly experienced (only two years fixing clarinets), I have
sometimes used leather pads on the larger tone holes (and sometimes on balky
little ones, too) when bladder pads do not seat well, even after a second or
third try with different bladder pads. I generally work on old and "neglected"
instruments where I suspect that tone holes have miniscule (sometimes unseen
to the naked eye) imperfections and keys have been treated with less than
total respect. These older clarinets seem to benefit from the leather pads.
BUT...I have ALSO repadded my own ca. 1990 Buffet R13, which is lovingly used
and protected, with leather pads. I LOVE the response and projection. It's
almost as if this is the way my clarinet SHOULD have played when I bought it
new or after having a professional overhaul done several years ago.

Cindy

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