 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Delaney.B
Date: 2018-05-10 20:43
On my schools bass clarinet that I play (A Yamaha 221 II) the register key always sticks and at times it actually makes it very difficult to play across the break. I’ve used cigarette paper and dollar bills to help, and they do but not for very long. What should I do? It’s been sent to the shop many times about this issue.
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2018-05-10 21:07
This is extemelt common on Yamaha bass clarinets. Have a repairman replace the pad with a cork pad and it will never stick again.
-Jdbassplayer
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Author: Grabnerwg
Date: 2018-05-11 23:34
Sorry to disagree, but cork pads can also stick, especially on keys that are opened by a very weak spring.
If it happens, I clean the surface of the pad with alcohol.
Walter Grabner
www.clarinetxpress.com
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2018-05-12 06:44
When I get reports of sticking pads my first suspects are fizzy drinks. I've lost count of the number of school instruments with sticky pads where the culprit was the bottle of Coke beside the music stand. Warm water is better than alcohol here, as sugar is more easily dissolvable in water than in alcohol.
Tony F.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2018-05-12 10:03
The thing with automatic or articulated mechanisms is there are two forces on the same pad - a strong closing force from the master spring and a weaker opening force from the mechanism needed to lift the pad cup.
The pad is held closed whilst the instrument isn't being played and that force against the tonehole or bush plus any residual moisture from playing can contribute to the pad sticking no matter what the pad is made from.
And being at the top end of the instrument, the speaker vent pads are prone to getting wet. Cork pads can help, but they too can stick over time as cork pads are great under light to moderate closing pressure, but anything stronger will compress them and cause them to deform and stick to their tonehole or bush. You can use a much lower spring tension when cork pads are fitted, but balance the mechanism well to make sure it functions correctly and still feels positive instead of mushy.
While I'm not a massive fan of Gore-Tex pads, they can be used in the speaker vents on basses to reduce the risk of the pads sticking. Also using cheap leather pads that are made of leather without the plastic waterproof membrane can be less likely to stick, but the tanning chemicals can cause a green sticky residue to form when it reacts with the copper content in the metal of the bush.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2018-05-13 07:14
>> but cork pads can also stick, especially on keys that are opened by a very weak spring. <<
...and especially on metal tone holes with a thin rim, which register vent sometimes are.
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