 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: janlynn
Date: 2009-12-07 12:15
how/where do I find out the kind of materials that different pads are made of, and what is good and what is not?
is there a book? or just take someones word for it? are there many different kinds or just a few?
any book recommendations?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2009-12-07 14:58
The best place for opinionated answers is always here!
Basically most traditional pads are made from an airtight membrane covering a felt disc and have a cardboard backing. This membrane is either skin ('goldbeater's skin' which is intestinal lining - used for sausage skins and also twisted to make gut strings) or thin leather (kid or similar).
Skin pads generally have two layers of skin so if the outer layer gets damaged, the pad will still function on the inner layer so giving the player time to go and get it changed.
Leather pads only have the single layer of leather - some may have a plastic membrane between the leather and the felt disc but most don't.
Then you have Gore-Tex pads that are skin pads but have an outer layer of PTFE tape and an inner layer of goldbeater's skin.
Cork pads are cut from cork, and the choice pads are the ones with no visible grain or blemishes in them. There are also cork pads faced with leather - Yamaha uses them on their bass clarinet speaker pads.
Then there's a variety of synthetic pads which are either solid silicone rubber, silicone rubber faced gasket cork, neoprene faced cork or gasket cork, high density polyurethane foam, Valentino pads (paper backing, layer of glue, layer of high density foam and an airtight surface layer) and various others that have come and gone over time - the traditional pads (skin, leather and cork) tend to remain in favour over the synthetics as they've stood the test of time and trial.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: knotty
Date: 2009-12-07 15:15
Excellent ChrisP! you've added greatly to my quest for clarinet knowledge.
Thanks..knotty
~ Musical Progress: None ~
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2009-12-07 22:49
Don't worry - no human kids are harmed in the making of leather pads.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2009-12-08 03:11
The obvious response to that is "What a shame!" (But I happen to like most kids, so I won't say it. 
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
