 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Reese Oller
Date: 2024-05-07 22:37
Hello all,
Lately, ever since I got my elderly R13 Prestige bass, I can't get my C# pad (by C# pad I mean the pad that uncovers the tonehole when you press the C#/G# key) to stop sticking to the tonehole. I can get it to stop temporarily, but never stop it completely. Today I had to disassemble the lower half of the top joint, get the pad off, and try every method of cleaning I could think of, just to reattach it-- and it kept sticking!
What could I be doing wrong?
Reese Oller
Clarinet student (performance major at Millikin University)
I can play bass clarinet, Eb clarinet, BBb contra, alto saxophone, bassoon at a decent level, and flute in a pinch.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2024-05-07 23:50
Sounds like the spring tension needs to be beefed up and balanced better - the pad cup should be sprung with more tension than they usually get given to counteract the stickiness of the pad and the touchpiece sprung to make sure it closes the pad cup. Far too many people spring them too lightly and the pad sticks - same with saxes. They need to be sprung much stronger than you think and not sprung.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2024-05-08 08:40
The spring tension is very likely.
Other than that, how did you clean it? Did you clean both the pad and the tone hole? Some cleaners work much better than others depending on the type of dirt (e.g. lighter fluid vs. alcohol).
Another thing that can help, though some people wrongly claim it can cause issues, is very thin teflon powder, or even better the Yamaha powder papers. This is a temporary solution but can help for a while. Obviously don't pour a whole box of powder on the pad.......
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Author: Reese Oller
Date: 2024-05-08 09:08
I sprung it a little tighter and that seems to be helping.
Thank you!
Reese Oller
Clarinet student (performance major at Millikin University)
I can play bass clarinet, Eb clarinet, BBb contra, alto saxophone, bassoon at a decent level, and flute in a pinch.
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Author: Julian ibiza
Date: 2024-05-08 13:43
That key tends to be a bit of an Achilles heel on the bass, and if you wonder why the linkage arms are not coupled so that pressing the lever actually obliges the pad to open , then you'd be joining a very big club of often grumpy wonderers .Many people have this pad swapped for a less sticky alternative to leather. I just clean it frequently and simply by trapping a piece of moistened kitchen towel in there for about 30 seconds, and then releasing it and re-trapping it again in a shifted position. The stickiness is water soluble like a little dried up drinking soda, so you don't need solvents or anything with any special detergents to clean it.
There are no doubt other opinions...but that's mine, because by keeping it simple, I believe one is more inclined to do it as often as is required, which is ultimately the best insurance policy against the problem.
Julian Griffiths
Tel. 34 696 798 853
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2024-05-08 15:14
I find it odd that as it's an articulated mechanism but not linked to the RH main action and that it's made and sprung like it is on Buffet and Yamaha basses instead of how Leblanc reverse the mechanism (linkages) and reverse spring it with a closed sprung pad cup and either a lightly sprung or an unsprung/floating touchpiece that physically lifts the pad cup.
Obviously on Leblanc basses it can't be turned into a fully articulated and linked mechanism without some surgery, when adding a linkage arm from the RH main action will do that on Buffets and Yamahas, just as Selmer fit as standard on their basses to facilitate a B/F#-C#/G# slur or trill.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2024-05-08 20:32
>> I find it odd that as it's an articulated mechanism but not linked to the RH main action <<
>> Obviously on Leblanc basses it can't be turned into a fully articulated and linked mechanism without some surgery, when adding a linkage arm from the RH main action will do that on Buffets and Yamahas <<
Probably that's why, along with a few more minor design/space reasons. I guess they could make some kind of removable mechanism but most makers including Buffet generally avoid this sort of thing. I'm glad they don't make a "permanent" mechanism since it would be a bit of a hassle to remove it since it would prevent quite a few multiphonics which for some players are critical (they are to me).
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Author: Julian ibiza
Date: 2024-05-08 21:04
Between the pad staying stuck down on the open sprung C#G# design and the miserably short, over strained needle spring between the narrow posts of the lever needed to hold it shut, it's basically a lousy bit of design. Especially as by springing closed instead ,both those issues are avoided...Ho-hum!
Julian Griffiths
Tel. 34 696 798 853
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Author: Reese Oller
Date: 2024-05-09 21:29
Yeah, I guess I can see where they may be coming from making it that way. Perhaps another reason could be because all the other toneholes in line with it are naturally sprung open too?
Reese Oller
Clarinet student (performance major at Millikin University)
I can play bass clarinet, Eb clarinet, BBb contra, alto saxophone, bassoon at a decent level, and flute in a pinch.
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Author: Julian ibiza
Date: 2024-05-09 22:45
Or maybe they got the designers of the Citroen 2 CV in on that one.
" You just rev up ze engine.... zen you pop ze clutch....zen you just wait a petit moment for somsing to appen..........................et viola !!!"
Hee-hee!
Julian Griffiths
Tel. 34 696 798 853
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