 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Meredith
Date: 2002-06-16 23:03
My clarinet is in need of repadding. I have heard that cork pads are the best for the upper joint of the clarinet but normal pads (gortex or otherwise) are usually used on the lower joint. Is this correct? If not any suggestions on repadding options would be great.
Thanks.
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Author: William
Date: 2002-06-16 23:41
BTW--I have cork pads on all (5) of my soprano clarinets and have never had any problems.
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Author: jbutler
Date: 2002-06-17 02:22
Some players like cork pads and other do not. Cork pads are a little noisier, but not so much so to be detracting. Most repairers will not put a cork pad in the ring cups of the upper joint. Cork can be used in the lower joint on the alt B key, but bladder or other (Valentino, Gortex, Leather) can be used in the remainder of the keys.
jbutler
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2002-06-17 06:27
i.e, cork pads are not so appropriate for:
1. Pads that are normally open (no constant seating pressure applied)
2. Those which have point pivots (which are likely to have more 'play').
3. When the diameter is larger (less pressure per area on the pad, especially when the weaker little fingers are involved.
That is because they have less 'give' to accomodate inaccuracies unless they are constantly under pressure, i.e. normally closed.
Yes, they are noisier when they slam shut, which can perhaps make them inappropriate for players involved in recording. They are more demanding of accurate installation, blemish-free tone hole edges, and 'tight' pivots; they last well, and resist being affected by well.
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Author: nzdonald
Date: 2002-06-17 20:31
Gordons comments are (as far as i see it) pretty darn true and correct... i'll add something- i've played 3 clarinets with cork pads on the upper joint (all expertly put on by Gordon) and have had virtually NO PROBLEMS after hours/weeks/months/years of playing- my A clarinet was padded by Gordon in about 1988 (when it belonged to Shona Charlton- then 2nd clarinet in the APO) and the cork pads he installed have lasted since then with only one replacement.
and as far as noise is concerned, if the cork pads aren't on any of the "held open keys" there is no problem whatsoever with this. On the other hand, my "normal pads" have needed many replacements etc over the time- including more than one splitting on the day of a performance (admitedly, we're talking over a long period, maybe i've been unlucky- but i've twice needed to change a pad less than an hour before a concert, maybe i need to check my pads more often, maybe this is a disadvantage of cork pads..... that you stop worrying?).
anyway, keep playing the good tunes
donald
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Author: jim lande
Date: 2002-06-17 23:19
Let me start off by saying that Gordon is right on this and I am wrong. I have two metal clarinets that are padded top to bottom in cork, and I don't think it is a problem.
The first is a Rampone double walled metal simple system clarinet in C. Restoration included unsoldering many posts in order to remove rusted screws, replacement of all screws & springs, and fabrication of a replacement spatula key. Once Mr Bolinski (at Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center) got to the pads, he found that they were all non-standard sizes. He started using cork at the top because he could file them to fit. The horn plays very well. Good thing that I like it, it is now the most expensive metal clarinet that I have.
I recently repladded an old metal horn marked Buescher (but that looks like it actually may have been made by Pedler). I used cork top to bottom, using store-bought pads for the top holes and cut sheet cork for the rest. The store-bought pads were nicer quality cork. I did spend a lot of time fussing with the pads to get them to seat properly. Anyway, I have not had any pad problems with either of these horns.
One note: I wrote to Dr Slick and asked about treating cork bumpers & pads with his all natural cork grease. He thought it would help preserve the cork. His cork grease does not have a petroleum distilates, and so will not loosen the pad glue (glue stick in my case.) I used his compound on the Buescher/Pedler. I wonder if the pads will pick up more dirt as a result.
Another note: the pads press against metal chimneys on metal clarinets, rather than wood seats. If the metal looked rough, I polished it with 600 grit sandpaper. This might not be a good idea with a wood instrument.
Last note: I don't use these instruments regularly. Write again in ten years and I will check whether the pads went bad in the case.
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Author: Wan
Date: 2002-06-18 05:10
I like using corks pads for upper register. Reasons are; they last, plus I can bevel their edges using sand paper so that the air from the tone hones can escape freely as to eliminate fussyness.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2002-06-18 12:54
I regard a cork pad as a must for the register key, so it can be shaped as a frustum (decapitated cone) for throat Bb clarity. As per what Wan wrote.
Jim I cannot understand why you would want to make key corks (and pads?!) sticky with cork grease, They will just collect dirt and stick rather than leaving a surface freely. Untreated cork lasts for several decades.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2002-06-18 12:56
nzdonald, I'm glad the cork pads Shona prescribed are lasting so well. She was probably my fussiest customer ever, and had so much mechanical nous to boot.
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Author: Bob
Date: 2002-06-18 15:24
Very interesting comments and information. I've been using "hardware store" automotive cork gasket sheet successfully(!?) for tenons. I suppose it's inappropriate for pads. This is strictly for personal use.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2002-06-19 11:37
My preferences, in rough order: quality cork, lower quality cork (dodging holes at the edge), 'filled' cork, agglomerated cork (i.e. high quality industrial gasket material - not automotive), teflon tape, poorly filled 'junk' cork, 'junk' cork - dodging the worst holes, automotive gasket, thread, string.
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Author: Bob
Date: 2002-06-19 14:46
>My preferences, in rough order
Thanks for the insight Gordon and I assume you are talking about tenon material rather than pads. I for one don't know what "filled cork" or agglomerated cork are. Would you mind explaining?
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Author: Dr. Jacob Mathias
Date: 2002-06-19 16:32
I regard the cork pad as an enemy to my own musical thought , the clonking is absolutely terrible, yet this can be minimalized...i have always like the bladder pad as best then they stopped killing the sheep for this purpose....back in England in the 20s leather was also used and with the correct repairman could yeild fine results. Cork pad on the register key is best though! Or even a valentino rudolph pad with quite a strong penchant for jumping 12ths unbknownst to the phantom who last laid eyes on a tenon in the bore war last seen drinking tremendously vilous octaves wqhile the break was sealed up by cheapend gasket glue over a silicone base implant dripping with virulent cerebralcortex exuding gray matter and a phony id heading staight the chalumeau river across kangerous intervals of a harmonic serious crushed by weight or a repaiirmans sledgehammer on top of my ancient boosey and squaks deleted file url without a doubt a single must for the cork of my soul and the body of a perforated Bb clarinet
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Author: Dr. Jacob Mathias
Date: 2002-06-19 16:34
My I am getting hungry time to stop dreaming on the internet and head back the flora and fauna of my garden of delights....
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Author: Fred
Date: 2002-06-19 19:19
Doc, you've got a curious mind!
I've read 'scripts that appeared to say that same thing. I thought that medical phemonena was limited to handscrawl - I've never seen it duplicated on a keyboard.
Welcome aboard, Doc.
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Author: GBK
Date: 2002-06-19 19:24
Fred...I've got a sneaking suspicion that David Dow and the "Doc" are the same person...GBK
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Author: Bob
Date: 2002-06-19 20:19
I'm lost, must have missed a tempo change...again
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2002-06-20 14:59
Bob, you assumed correctly.
Agglomerated cork: Chip cork; The high quality stuff is very fine cork granules in a binder such as neoprene. It is extremely flexible so it can be squashed while folded double - very different from the typical automative cork with large chips barely held together. Of course there are many types and qualities.
Click on the green disk: "Compcork" at
http://www.geocities.com/caiaglos/start.htm
Filled cork: Cork sheets typically are riddled with holes. Holes larger than about 0.5 mm can be be a source of tearing at the edges of tenon corks. Large holes, often upt to 2 mm diameter, are plain unsightly. Some manufacturers are filling these holes with cork dust and binder. Some fillings are hard and fall out when the cork is bent for a tenon. Some are powdery and achieve very little. I have seen none that cope at the edge of a tenon.
The top quality cork that we used to get for tenons is now virtually impossible to obtain and is prohibitively expensive. It is almost certainly used up as wine corks. Most instrument repair suppliers are trying to get us to use filled cork. I hope the filling process gets more successful in time, or a truly useful synthetic emerges.
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Author: Bob
Date: 2002-06-20 15:45
Thanks Gordon. Even cork in wine bottles is getting rare. Will check the website mentioned.
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