 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: David Kinder
Date: 2001-04-05 05:45
I'm getting my R-13 overhauled next month, and I want different pads on my clarinet. I'm sick of my double skin pads. I've heard about cork pads, and I've even seen a site selling premium leather, and what about Goretex from Buffet? Is there an ideal combination between leather and cork? Please help!
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Author: Daniel Bouwmeester
Date: 2001-04-05 08:51
David,
I would recommed using leather pads for everything, apart from the places where there's water. There I would use double skin pads. YOu get get some white leather pads so that it looks good on the clarinet.
Double skin pads are the best for me, but they don't last long and change shape too fast.
Leather pads are good too, but they don't absorb any water, and you can get pads sticking.
But, I'm not an expert. YOu should better ask your technician. He'll know better.
Myself, I use mainly double skin pads, because I can't stand keys sticking. But I change them quite often. I nevertheless have some leather pads for holes where there isn't much water.
REgards
DAn
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Author: Jo
Date: 2001-04-05 13:42
I have cork on the upper joint and bladder on the lower. Brannen Woodwinds overhauled it for me, and it's been great. The cork NEVER sticks and I love it.
Jo
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Author: Steve F.
Date: 2001-04-05 13:43
Just to throw in my two cents, Normal practice is to change most of the skin pads on the upper joint to cork after the originals wear out. Specifically these would be the 4 keys on the right side, the c#/g# key, the e-flat/b-flat trill key, and the register key. These keys usually collect the most water, hence the switch to cork. I have no opinion on leather pads, as I have never seen a soprano clarinet with any, although I know they are available.
Personally, about 10 years ago I changed over to Norbeck pads that I bought through Ferree's. Although they were initially slightly sticky, I quickly got used to them. I have not changed a pad since.
Steve
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Author: John
Date: 2001-04-05 15:51
The primo set up is all cork except for the bottom four large pads ... they can be bladder. This set up should last as long as you want to play that clarinet. The bladder pads may need to replace occasionally.
I have repadded hundreds of clarinets .. and this is the best as I see it. There is a move to valentino synthetic pads with the teflon surface. I think this may be a good choice but I need to do a bit more research on that before offering it.
Have you looked into the famouse Straubinger pad?
Cheers,
JV
www.westwindmusic.com
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Author: John
Date: 2001-04-05 15:51
The primo set up is all cork except for the bottom four large pads ... they can be bladder. This set up should last as long as you want to play that clarinet. The bladder pads may need to replace occasionally.
I have repadded hundreds of clarinets .. and this is the best as I see it. There is a move to valentino synthetic pads with the teflon surface. I think this may be a good choice but I need to do a bit more research on that before offering it.
Have you looked into the famous Straubinger pad?
Cheers,
JV
www.westwindmusic.com
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Author: Mario
Date: 2001-04-05 17:11
My instruments have large gortex pads for the big tone holes, and silicon pads everywhere else. Eveything is silent, does not stick, and can handle moisture without problems.
W.r.t. cork pads, I was under the impression that they were added to the upper joint in order to provide more resonance to weak short tube notes (the ways sax players fiddle at lenght with resonators in their own instrument). The buffet elite for instance uses such resonators in the lower joint.
I am also told that putting corks on the bottom joint make these notes too bright, and unbalance the response and color of the instrument.
Can somebody comment as to whether these are accurate views?
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Author: David Spiegelthal
Date: 2001-04-05 19:37
I've had good luck with using leather (kid) pads everywhere. They do in fact absorb some moisture (unless heavily pre-treated) so they don't last forever. But they seal well for years, never buzz, and are more tolerant of toneholes that are less than perfectly level. As for Norbeck pads (discussed a while back on Sneezy), I personally don't like them at all.
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Author: Cass
Date: 2001-04-05 22:40
What is it about your pads that you are sick of? The different types of pads are meant to solve different types of problems.
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Author: David Kinder
Date: 2001-04-06 00:12
Well, I'm tired of the skin wearing off and having them stick as I press my keys. They make an annoying sound when they lift off the tone hole. I'd also like to just get a better tone out of my clarinet. I've heard good things about cork pads, and I wanted to see what everyone else's experiences were before shelling out $250 for an overhaul.
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-04-06 03:11
I've used standard pads for years and never really had a problem with them sticking. Of course I don't drink beverages other than water or eat right before playing.
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Author: John
Date: 2001-04-06 03:55
Trying to get off the list serve here. Please ignore this.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2001-04-06 04:46
Then why would you post on the BBoard? The bottom of every Klarinet post has instructions to leave, including a "help" address. FYI - john@westwindlmusic.com is an invalid address. Check your From: and Reply-To: addresses on your mail client. If either are not correct you will have trouble getting off the Klarinet list.
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Author: Ryan
Date: 2001-04-06 05:31
I would like to put in a good word for Straubinger pads. I just had my clarinets worked on by Straubinger, and they are now truly the best that I have ever played. They seal amazingly! Perfection in my book.
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2001-04-06 08:08
If your double skin pads stick, you can avoid that using rootinely 'end-sheet'(or end-paper) to get rid of saliva of moisture. Care is necessary not to shear it against the surface.
p.s. You can buy end-paper very cheap at cosmetic shops. It is used to get rid of face oil of women(sometimes men?). Tobbaco paper is not recommended since if you buy them at shops they may its purpose(somebody wrote so in the past).
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2001-04-06 13:05
I agree with Dee.
I've heard that cork pads can do a disastrous swelling act too. Look at the state of the end of wine corks.
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Author: Meredith
Date: 2001-04-09 23:41
I have had leather pads on my old intermediate model clarinet for 16 years and have never had a problem with them sticking. I just had the instrument in for repair and the repairman said they were in fine condition and they may last another 16 years. They were expensive but have been an excellent investment.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2001-04-11 08:02
But if you do an air pressure leak test (sucking, or probably more validly, squirting a mouthful of air, with a cork in the end of a body section) do you find that the instrument leaks significantly compared with bladder pads?
A plastic instrument well paded with bladder pads does not leak at all. I suspect many timber clarinets leak slightly through the grain at places like tone hole edges. I would EXPECT leather pads to leak slightly, but perhaps they eventually fill with gunge and become non-porous.
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