 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: feadog79
Date: 2008-07-25 00:31
Real advantage over conventional pads is that they tend to last considerably longer. Condensation is more likely to be an issue in the upper joint; compared to conventional pads, cork seems to hold up better in these conditions (that's the reason I've always understood cork to be used...others may know differently). There are other options besides cork, but I haven't used them so I can't comment on them.
JW
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Author: mrn
Date: 2008-07-25 00:51
JW (feadog79) is right. Cork pads last longer.
As I see it, the biggest caveat with cork pads is that it takes more skill/precision on the part of the technician to put them in properly. I have seen my share of sloppy cork pad installations, unfortunately.
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Author: D Dow
Date: 2008-07-25 00:57
Cork pads in a close miking situation in studio work can make alot of sound..however the cheif advantage is their ability to seal and bind to the circumferance of the tone hole. Truly fine cork is also quicky becoming hard to obtain as well. Cork pads can also crack as well depending on the grain of the cork and its consistency...so what do I think...
A really fine set of bladder pads it really excellent..I feel that bladder pads are much harder to install though and alot of techs don't just do it too well. As to cork they can be cut so as to fit the way the keys are previously set. That being said it is more a personal preference issue for some. Glotin leather is quite nice too...
David Dow
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2008-07-26 05:33
I consider this to be a popular myth.
With cross-grain cork, the tech can see if there is any blemish on the surface, and choose a piece with blemish-free surface, between the areas of poor surface.
However, there may be all manner of holes etc, across the pad, just below the surface, that are invisible, but affect the way the surface behaves.
Indeed, if the surface is sanded for adjustment purposes, these blemishes may be on the actual surface.
An excellent example of the way cross-grain can fail is for a pad (oboe or bass clarinet) with a venting hole through the middle of it. With cross-grain there can be a significant leak along a pore, from this vent hole through to the side of the pad.
So better than cross-grain cork, is a blemish-free piece of cork where the blemishes are perpendicular to the surface and can ALL be seen and avoided.
When we buy ready-cut cork pads, I believe this is what they are made from, not cross-grain.
There was a time, decades ago, when we could buy entire sheets with no blemishes (holes) at all. I have not seen one of these for a long time. Perhaps they are all used for ready-cut pads.
Post Edited (2008-07-26 05:34)
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2008-07-26 22:51
Yes and no.
In the form of pre-cut cork pads... No problem at all. And my guess is that the best cork is now used for these pads, and also for a 1/8" thick laminate at the end of an otherwise doubtful-standard wine cork, to turn it into an upmarket cork.
In the form of sheets, it depends on what you call "good".
If I am re-corking the tenons of a top pro oboe, and want not only the function of the cork, but also the appearance, to match the quality of the instrument, then I don't want filled holes in the cork to stand out as much darker areas as soon as cork grease is applied. I want my workmanship to match the overall standard and beauty of the rest of the instrument.
If I am doing routine clarinet tenon corks, I don't want to waste a significant area of the the sheet by trying to avoid (filled) holes at the edges of the tenon cork. In spite of better filling processes now, filled holes at the edges are not as robust as a clean edge of true high quality cork.
It used to be possible to buy truly high quality sheets of cork without hard gummy sections, and without ANY evidence of holes (filled or otherwise). I have bought from several suppliers, but have not seen such a sheet for decades.
The best now seems to be covered with a myriad of tiny holes, or larger holes that have been REASONABLY well filled, but which are still unsightly (once greased) and relatively unstable at the edge of a tenon cork.
It is not cheap stuff, but in the last 10 years I have thrown out several sheets as unfit for anything. And that is without targeting the cheap grades.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2008-07-27 18:29
My old repairman, Murray Snyder, who used to be the chief repairman for Buffet many, many years ago when Carl Fischer used to be their importers in NY, used to always ask me if my parents drank wine because he wanted the corks to make his pads. That goes back a while. Now my repairmen either uses cork sheets or pre cut, his or commercial, I’m not sure, but is very particular about which one he uses. Must be perfect so they don’t crack or leak. Although I still use the original leather pads on my two-year-old Selmer I’ve always used cork on my Buffet set and Eb and will use them on my Selmer when I replace the originals. I don’t find cork to be noisy, they seal great if installed correctly and the tech uses high quality cork and they last forever. But, like everything else, it’s an individual choice. ESP www.peabody.jhu.edu/457 A little Mozart, with cork pads.
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