Klarinet Archive - Posting 000076.txt from 2004/08

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausmann1@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Silva-Bet pads with bolts
Date: Tue, 3 Aug 2004 18:02:28 -0400

At 04:09 PM 8/3/2004 -0400, Lelia Loban wrote:
>Currently, the upper section pads are ordinary fishskin bladder pads, the
>same type sold today in medium thickness. The pads on the upper section
>are installed in the normal way with French cement. On the lower section,
>there's no pad glue, and no residue of old glue. The pads are held in by a
>metal washer or resonator around a very small bolt that goes through a hole
>in the pad into a raised, threaded nut permanently soldered to the inside
>back of the pad cup. Holes have been punched through the centers of the
>pads for the bolts. The lower section pads thus look like flute pads (but
>they're not flute pads).
>
>This arrangement appears to be original, but I'm pretty sure the pads
>themselves are not original.

In sure this is original, since it is too weird to retrofit! It is not
unlike the Buescher "snap-in" sax pads, in that you must punch a hole in
the center of the pad to fit over the post soldered into the cup that the
resonator snapped into to hold the pad. Some folks liked them but in many
cases the posts were removed in overhauls and standard pads fitted. That
tends to be a NEGATIVE factor in resale of those instruments today.

>The pads are so deteriorated that I can't tell whether installing the lower
>stack with only screws and no glue worked well or not; and I don't know
>whether the clarinet was originally set up with *fishskin* pads. My
>inclination right now is to install the same kind of pads that I found on
>the instrument, but has anyone had experience with bolted-in pads on a
>vintage clarinet? Does anyone know whether I should be repadding this
>clarinet with punched leather pads instead of fishskin?

Personally I would stay original if possible. I know leather pads are
better for BASS clarinets. Leather should be much more durable over the
long haul.

America can do better THAN Kerry and Edwards in 2004.

Bill Hausmann

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is TOO LOUD!

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