 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2012-01-13 03:07
Does anyone know where I can buy gore tex pads? I know Buffet uses the pads on the top endof the pro line.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2012-01-13 06:50
I'm not sure about this, but AFAIK The Goretex pads Buffet uses are the ones made by Music Center. they call them LP-Gore if I remember. Suppliers of Music Center pads (like KMP, Allied, Ferree's) might have them (notice KMP only sell to registered repairer, music stores, etc.).
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2012-01-13 07:37
WOW, thanks for the fast responses! You gave me some great places to check out.
Since Buffet uses these for their upper line of clarinets are these pads that good?
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2012-01-13 08:34
>> Since Buffet uses these for their upper line of clarinets are these pads that good? <<
Depends what you mean by "that"
They are "that" good, meaning they are as good as they are
They are bladder pads with an additional layer of Goretex which lasts longer than bladder. They have some of the advantages of bladder pads (which only apply sometimes). How much longer they last depends on how long bladder pads last and this can vary a lot for many reasons (the pads, the player, the clarinet).
As far as noise and feel (noise being the noise they make when they hit the tone holes and sometimes also the noise they make when released from the tone hole) they are slightly different from bladder pads, because of the extra layer. IMO they don't have any advantage here, but this depends on what type of noise you like from your pads.
[BTW "noise" isn't meant as anything necessarily bad. Whenever you press a key with a pad without blowing air, unless the result is completely silence, whatever sound there is, no matter how small, is what I call the "noise".]
Overall, I stopped using Goretex pads. They are well made (the ones by Music Center are at least) and the "skin" lasts a long time (I've seen very few torn ones), but IMO they are simply too expensive for what they give you. The main reason I've seen them need replacing is when they stopped sealing and it was impossible to make them seal (probably some of the layers of the pad have hardened). The "skin" (Goretex layer) still looked fine, but it may have distorted (don't know). For pads that lasts longer than bladder pads, I like the synthetic Omni pads. Both the pad and the seal should probably last longer than pretty much any pad and they cost significantly less than Goretex.
Post Edited (2012-01-13 10:23)
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Author: donald
Date: 2012-01-13 09:43
I've never met a repair artisan or pro player who likes them and/or feels they have any advantages over normal skin pads. I'm sure someone else HAS.
dn
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2012-01-13 13:49
I can't remember the name of the woman who does (did?) repair at Woodwind Brasswind but she addressed the sound in that the Gortex tended to impart a brighter sound than regular pads.
I second the idea of the Omni pads which are ALSO expensive but they are quite easy to float in due to the shape of the backing, they are impervious to hygromatic conditions and may last indefinitely. I think there may be an issue of more adhesion with water in the tone hole but this might be a livable trade off.
There is always cork.
...............Paul Aviles
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2012-01-15 05:52
>> I second the idea of the Omni pads which are ALSO expensive <<
Assuming normal price, without some quantity discounts, etc. excellent quality bladder pads cost about $1.10-$1.30 (per pad). Omni pads for clarinet cost about $1.70-$2.30, but... Goretex (i.e. LP-Gore) pads cost $6-$7.
>> I think there may be an issue of more adhesion with water in the tone hole but this might be a livable trade off. <<
IME of replacing various types of pads (bladder, leather, cork) with Omni pads, this is not an issue with Omni pads, statistically speaking.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2012-01-15 14:39
Of course I speak of conditions where you'd have a problem with moisture regardless of the specific pad, such as a winter in Kentucky where the room is heated only moderately (cool 69 degrees fahrenheit), and a goodly amount of humidity. Under these conditions I fought harder with this issue than a bladder/cork instrument but can't say that I did side-by-side double blind testing so I allow for others to arrive at their own conclusions
...................Paul Aviles
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