Klarinet Archive - Posting 000430.txt from 2003/09

From: "Don Hatfield" <dhatfield@-----.org>
Subj: Re: [kl] Pads deteriorating quickly
Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 10:02:57 -0400

I agree with Walter. This whole subject reminds me of my first Buffet, that
came from the only Buffet dealer in our city in 1972. After about two months
I noticed one afternoon that most of the pads were turning brown, and were a
little 'rattly'. a couple days later in band practice at school I had my
only major accident with an instrument...it slipped through my
slightly-sweaty hands (after having to go over a solo a few times), and
before I could catch it the thumb rest hit the edge of my chair, and snapped
clean off.

I was mortified. Dad took it into the store to have it replaced, and the
owner, who was a fixture in the music scene here for 50 years, told my
father the pads were brown from nicotine and that I must be smoking. After a
screaming lecture I convinced Dad I didn't smoke (never have) and there was
a reasonable explanation. Off to the real repair shop in town, where the
shop guy told us it was because someone had used too much oil on the
clarinet (he said it looked and smelled like olive oil, BTW), and it
naturally was absorbed into the pads along with the moisture. Had to have
75% of the pads replaced, after which Mom and Dad marched to the store where
they bought it and got reimbursement for the repair bill.

And when I was playing 8 hours a day in college for nearly 6 years, I don't
remember wearing pads out in six months. I accept Walter's verdict, and
suggest you find a new repair tech who REALLY guarantees their work. And I
have a Leblanc A clarinet that's about 60 years old I'm about to rebuild,
it's been in a closet in a college equipment area for probably 25 of those,
and the wood appears to be no different than that on my Buffets that are
played regularly. Do any of you folks, like Walter or Clark, suggest
anything about "to oil or not to oil" on older instruments?

Thanks!
Don

> > Six months later, about a half-dozen
> > of them were falling apart.
> > He replaced them but charged me for it. :-(
> > He says I am just "hard on them" because I play so much.>>
>
> That's just plain b******t!
>
> You were cheated.
>
> Walter Grabner
> www.clarinetxpress.com

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