 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Wayne Thompson
Date: 2009-03-29 15:43
I want to have my Buffet Festivals checked out, and maybe they will need some pads. They are about 10 years old. They have the original Gortex pads, of course. My repairman (experienced and good) admits that Gortex pads are good, but that he prefers traditional double fish skin because they are easier to work with and because he is a traditionalist! That makes sense to me. Experience and traditional good quality count for a lot. I assume that Gortex pads are hard to get, and maybe available only in sets.
What do you all think? Stick with Gortex, or as time goes by replace them with double skin, or have the clarinets overhauled with all new fish skin?
I am an amateur having fun; if I played more and had more money, I'd send the horns off to the best repairman I could find and let him do whatever he recommends. But I'm not; I'd like to have the horns in 'good' playing condition and I'd like to keep them that way by using my simple local resources.
Wayne Thompson
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2009-03-29 16:34
Pisoni make Gore-Tex pads in all sizes, so maybe he could source them from there.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: jsc
Date: 2009-03-29 17:15
It was recommended to me a while a go to get the upper joint in cork and the bottom joint in either fish or Gortex. The cork was shaped so that they are more rounded on the edges. I plan on doing that with my recently acquired A. Both my horns are Festivals. I love them. Good luck. Depending on where you are, you might have someone close enough to do a good job on them.
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2009-03-29 17:24
I really prefer having cork pads on the upper joints of my instruments, but you could get very good results with any type of quality pad that is properly installed by a competent technician.
Gore-tex, probably has the advantage, much like cork, of being more resistant to moisture.
Jeff
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Author: Rob Vitale
Date: 2009-03-29 18:38
well, if your clarinets were able to keep gortex pads in them for 10 years, sounds to me like you should put in another set and not worry about it for another 10 years.
Honestly, I'm sick and tired of bladder pads ripping, and vibrating. I have them now, next overhaul I would like to do leather pads. As Chris P can tell you, the Howarth clarinets come stock with leather pads. The Oboe teacher at my school is a Howarth rep and she says that they last long and keep a better seal.
Cork suites the fancy of many players, Personally, you think of the troubles players have with their reeds and weather, then imagine porous corks covering every tone hole on your instrument. Doesn't make sense to me.
all the best, goodluck
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2009-03-29 21:12
Cork pads aren't porous - if they were then they wouldn't be used at all.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2009-03-30 04:37
I actually like the Goretex pads. I'm pretty sure Music Center is making them for buffet (they make them anyway, even if not for Buffet).
An advantage of bladder pads is possibly not having to wait for the pads to arrive, assuming he has all sizes in stock, while he has to order the Goretex pads especailly (if this is not the case then no problem). This is important to many people. It's not always possible for a repairer to stock Goretex pads because they are (last time I checked) about seven times more expensive than bladder pads. So it depends on clarinetists in area interest and willing to pay more for them.
Many (on this forum) seem to like cork pads (at least for upper joint). IMO people need to remember that pad preferance can be because of culture and/or tradition in one area, which isn't necessarily mean better. For example locally no one wants cork pads (other than for register key).
Superpads are quieter than anything else I've tried (which personally I don't consider an advantage actually, not to mention it comes with what IMO are other disadvantages), but last I heard you have to bring (or ship) the instrument to the pad maker for the repad. This is problem for many people.
I also don't really like Valentino for synthetic pads.
My favorite synthetic pads so far are the Omni pads from Kraus. However they are not perfect either, and can have one issue sometimes (but usually not). I prefer it much more than the above synthetics or other synthetics I've tried.
I still prefer the feel and sound (i.e. the noise pads make when hitting the tone holes) of bladder pads most, and Goretex is the same but supposed last longer (at a much more expensive price).
Comes down to your preferance really, but if the repairer is very good than any pad will play great, but feel different, so it's just your choice.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2009-03-30 12:51
We haven't addressed the sound of your horn in this post.
To me, Gortex promotes a slightly brighter sound ..... the material is very reflective. The Valentino pads are exactly the opposite, being very mushy and they deaden the sound and make side-key articulation sloppy.
The cork pads, as Chris P alludes, seal increadibly and are not mushy, nor do they brighten ones sound. And they last at least as long as Gortex.
However, if you have a well made bladder pad, they can last a goodly number of years (I recall Bill Brannen used to guarantee his triple fish skin pads for 15 years).
And finally for the Germans out there who love their leather, they do require monthly treatment with something akin to "Old English" furniture polish to keep them from cracking.
...............Paul Aviles
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