 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-07-22 13:53
Gore-tex
double bladder skin
pressed felt (thinner, firmer)
woven felt (fatter, softer)
cork
valentino green back
straubinger
leather
Lucien Deluxe
What's your personal preference?
I like Gore-tex, leather, and sometimes cork - but limited to just a few pads mainly the ones which are always closed and tend to get water in the tonehole.
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Author: OpusII
Date: 2005-07-22 14:31
I just love my straubinger pads the most, but my gore-tex pads where also great pads.....
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Author: Aussie Nick
Date: 2005-07-22 16:07
I have heard good things about leather, but I really don't know much about pads. WHats the difference? Is cork good for throat tones which accumulate water?
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-07-22 16:11
Yes, very good (cork). Brightness though can sometimes be an issue so you have to test for yourself.
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-07-22 17:41
Pads do affect the sound of the instrument. And I don't just mean having them or not......... 
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Author: pewd
Date: 2005-07-22 17:57
cork & leather.
my r13's have cork upper joint, double skin bladder lower.
the cork pads last a very very long time - years - which is why i use them.
i have another horn with all leather pads - i get excellent results on that one.
I'll probably have the bladder pads replaced with leather the next time the r13's need pads.
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: Clarinetgirl06
Date: 2005-07-22 19:23
David- Just wondering what the prices were for each of the pad types you mentioned. Thanks!
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2005-07-22 20:06
Very little difference in pad prices per se -- insignificant compared to the labor cost of installing and seating them. Cork pads are probably the hardest to install and seat properly so your technician would be likely to charge more for them.
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Author: Clarinetgirl06
Date: 2005-07-22 20:20
Thank you Davids! I'm having cork pads put on my clarinet right now (well it's at the tech right now to get them on, which is one of the numerous things being done to it). I just never knew if one pad was extremely more costly than the other because I've only ever had fish skin bladder pads or cork pads. Do techs carry most of the different pad types? What are the pros and cons of each?
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Author: ron b
Date: 2005-07-22 20:32
I have a request to re-pad a taragato for an elderly but spry Hungarian gentleman.
After some research and input/feedback from some friendly technicians, I've decided to use Music Medic's RooPads. Probably better suited to saxes and the bigger clarinets, but the quality is said to be superior to other (kinds of) leather pads -- longer lasting, more supple and 'non-stick'. It'll be a month or so before I can get to the task but, if this thread is still alive then, I'll post the result.
- r![[cool]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/cool.gif) n b -
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Author: bill28099
Date: 2005-07-22 23:53
any kind that don't leak. When they overhauled my LL Gore-tex was used, when I do the work myself normally Ferree's cheap double bladders, but sometimes I put on a leather pad or two, depends on my mood and how the horn tunes/sounds. I think leather seals better on old horns with badly worn and sometimes chipped seats. I've an old Buffet A where there is no seat on C#/G# and the only thing that will seal is a small leather pad.
A great teacher gives you answers to questions
you don't even know you should ask.
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-07-23 02:17
Bill - Goretex should also seal and possibly even better than the leather. It breaks in really well.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2005-07-23 08:49
Does anyone know what type of pads are on the Eaton International clarinet? I have Goretex on my Buffet, and I like them because they are hard and make more clicking noise. The pads on the Eaton are much softer, and sometimes after they sealed they feel like you can press more. They are black and I was told by a repairman (that studied in the Buffet factory) that these pads abosorb the sound more than the Goretex and they last longer, but they feel a little weird (because they are very soft).
So, what pads are they?
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Author: mnorswor
Date: 2005-07-23 15:08
On my instruments I have a variety of things. Mike Hammer likes skin and cork, as does Kal Opperman. So for the most part I have those. I also, however, have some Valentinos that were put on my A clarinet by Morrie Backun. I kinda like them. I wonder, however, if these synthetic pads suck up some of the overtones on the instrument. Does anyone have an opinion on that? They seem to last longer than regular skin pads (triple skin that is) so I'd be curious about reactions.
--Michael
P.s. I'm most curious because I have 2 other instruments that need to go to the shop!!
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-07-23 15:16
Michael, yes - the pad certainly does have an effect on the tone. (not Valentino specifically - I don't know if it would do that)
Factors include the density of the pad (hardness of the outside) as well as how "deeply" it sits inside the tone hole.
The Valentino's absolutely last longer than non-synthetic pads. Gore-tex last a really long time too.
btw-
Beverly Hawkins just told me that Valentino was just sold to another company (not sure who).
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Author: mnorswor
Date: 2005-07-23 15:29
Thanks David. I already knew that pads have an effect on tone. I'm curious WHAT that effect is. In people's opinions, how do these different materials effect the tone? I hesitate to use words like brighter, darker however, if that's what people think, please do say.
I find with the Valentino pads that I currently have, I get a better seal on the instrument. Hammer attributes this to the material having some give in it which allows for sealing even around imperfections in the tone hole.
Cork is of course the hardest to seat because there isn't much give in the material. Thus the tone hole surface has to be smoothed out quite a bit to make them work properly.
On Clark's article, I have to disagree with him about Brannen's pads. I think they're the worst skin pads I've come across. The skin used to cover the felt is very "vein-ey" and because of this makes the surface of the pad unlevel. The veins in their skin are very prominent and actually raise above the surface of the skin. I had two instrument done wiht the se pads by Brannen and I found the work terrible and the material difficult to work with. So, I removed them within 6 months of having them. Once I got rid of these, I got a much better seal and didn't have to work so hard.
Michael
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Author: LarryBocaner ★2017
Date: 2005-07-23 15:45
Beg to disagree, Michael! I have Brannen pads on my bass clarinet that he made and installed circa 1970(!) that are still intact and tight as a drum! And this is on an instrument that has had almost daily hard use for most of that entire period.
Larry
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Author: mnorswor
Date: 2005-07-23 16:02
Great to hear Larry. I just didn't care for them at all. My opinion of course, and you have yours. Great to debate as always!!
Michael
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-07-23 16:28
Could it possibly be just a difference in the era of the pad?
btw - try this:
Play 2 scales 1 with light finger pressure and 1 with really heavy finger pressure.
Obviously don't leak with the light finger pressure, but there is a difference in the tone. That (to me) would be from the reflection property of the surface of the finger for the sound waves.
btw - Gore-tex seals around the tone hole too if there are imperfections in it.
Post Edited (2005-07-23 16:29)
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Author: Tyler
Date: 2005-07-24 04:45
Ok, so my tech replaced several of my lower joint pads with this yellow-ish looking stuff. Can anyone tell me what it is? She told me it is supposed to help a lot with 'slower finger action' for lyrical pieces where you don't want to be as quick with your fingers as with a fast technical passage.
Any help as to what these pads ARE or OPINIONS on this type would be greatly appreciated.
-Tyler
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Author: musicbex
Date: 2005-07-24 19:24
Have you come across 'superpads'? I have these on my Selmer 10s II and love them! They are a very thin black synthetic facing which is bonded onto a cork base. I find that they are so reliable, seal really well, are very quiet and my sound quality is much richer and fuller.
I wonder if that's what is on your Eaton? As far as I'm aware these pads are only available in the UK- my clarinet had them on when i got it. They were done by Eddie Ashton at Woodwind and Co.
Check out www.woodwindco.com for more info!
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Author: ron b
Date: 2005-07-24 20:17
Tyler -
In my experience the only yellowish looking pads I've seen or heard about are unbleached pads. Some flute pads are gold covered but I doubt that's relevant to your clarinet pads. White pads are bleached, which removes some (maybe most) of the natural oils and coloring from the membrane. Many flute players perfer the yellow (un-bleached) skin pads, so you see them most often on flutes. I suppose they're "better" from the aspect of being all natural as opposed to being [over?]-processed.
I honestly can't comment on the effect either way of how pads might influence one's fingering technique but feel strongly that it might be more psychological than physical -- my opinion, of course.
- ron b -
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Author: OpusII
Date: 2005-07-24 21:41
The straubinger pads are also yellow.... http://www.straubingerflutes.com/pad.html
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Author: cigleris
Date: 2005-07-24 22:16
My eatons have leather pads which i prefer, I think Peter's clarinets have the option of leather or these 'superpads', did try an eaton with these on, felt quite strange. Not quite convinced about the seal of these pads.
each to their own i suppose
Peter Cigleris
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2005-07-25 12:54
David B wrote
<<<Play 2 scales 1 with light finger pressure and 1 with really heavy finger pressure.
Obviously don't leak with the light finger pressure, but there is a difference in the tone. That (to me) would be from the reflection property of the surface of the finger for the sound waves.>>>
If you press lightly, then there is very likely to be leaks along your finger print grooves.
To test, put a cork in the end of a clarinet section, wet your fingers, lightly close the keys/holes, blow into the other end, and listen to the bubbles of air leaking out of the finger print grooves.
This is one of several things I have against open-hole flutes. The larger the area that the fingers contact, the more likely to be groove leaks.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2005-07-25 15:55
I just found a very old (1996) post from Clark Fobes:
I have tried the Buffet gore-tex pads on a very limited basis. I put
them in my own horn and played a few rehearsals on them and took them
out.
My experience was that they did not hold a seat very well. Perhaps I
needed to give them a longer period to settle in, but I did not have
the patience. I have also worked on clarinets that have them installed
at the factory. Generally the larger pads felt too hard to me. A pad
needs to have a slight "give" to accomplish a beautiful legato. I
personally heard an increased reinforcement of upper over tones which
I did not like.
The small pads in the upper joint seal extremely well and most likely
are fine for that area.
At this point I am still very satisfied with the STRAUBINGER pads and
use them on all of my overhauls. Highnotes Inc. , in association with
Powell Flutes is developing a pad that looks very interesting. I will
be trying them soon.
[A Google search for "Highnotes, Inc." turns up nothing but this post, so it apparently was never marketed. KS]
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Author: Tyler
Date: 2005-07-25 22:47
Does anyone think I should give the leather type a go on my lower joint? I haven't talked to my tech for a while and I think I'm due for another overhaul soon, anyway.
-Tyler
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