 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: wade
Date: 2010-06-29 16:21
Does anybody know, if changing the key pads from the originals to cork? is it easyer to play, oris it a mistake?
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2010-06-29 16:39
I have a number of cork pads on the upper joint of my clarinet. i would hardly classify it as a mistake. use cork pads wherever water damage might be a problem, such as the register tube, the side trill keys and the C#/G# key on the left hand, as wejj as the throat A/Ab keys.
Cork is not he best idea for the lower joint, but on the upper, they work great and last quite a long time.
Jeff
“Everyone discovers their own way of destroying themselves, and some people choose the clarinet.” Kalman Opperman, 1919-2010
"A drummer is a musician's best friend."
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2010-06-29 17:17
Have any pads installed properly by someone who can do a proper job, otherwise it will be a mistake.
And in addition to having cork pads fitted, the toneholes will most likely need all the pores and chips in them filled and then levelled in order to seat the pad onto so it creates an airtight seal. This has to be done as a matter of course otherwise you'll end up with a clarinet that leaks like a sieve if the imperfections aren't dealt with.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2010-06-29 22:29
I use the true cork pads, not the synthetic cork pads, for my horns as well as the one's I repair for others. If done correctly they will seal way better than the standard pad. I also use cork on 2 keys in the lower register, something I picked up from taking lessons from Hans M. The 2 lower keys were Bb and alt B keys. Cork will out last regular pads for many years. The only reason to really change them is they get a bit load, clunky, sounding as they dry out through the years. You should be able to get around 10 plus years out of them.
One of the very cool parts of the cork pads is if a note on the horn doesn't speak well or is very slightly out of tune you can sand the side of the cork and narrow it enough so that it still seals, yet the notes under it will speak more freely. This includes the octive key.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2010-06-29 23:08
I generally repad clarinets in cork from the speaker key down to the cross B/F# key on the lower joint - would prefer to have a cork pad in the Ab/Eb key (have done on Leblancs) but it can be noisy, so I use leather pads for the largest pad cups.
Sometimes I partially cork pad clarinets if that's what the owner wants - so usually the speaker, LH1, side F# and Eb/Bb, cross Eb/Bb and C#/G# keys will be cork padded. If they want the throat A and G# keys done then that's no problem. But the toneholes do have to be tidied up so there won't be any leaks before cork padding otherwise it's a waste of time fitting cork pads to them.
I always bevel the speaker key pad as well: http://www.clarinetperfection.com/galleryclar/Keywork/CP2/25.jpg
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2010-06-29 23:15)
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2010-06-29 23:20
I'll answer in a different way.
I prefer to be more practical (and cheap) in my old age, so if a clarinet is sealing ok the way it is (that is, if you can do a leak test by stopping one end of a joint with one palm, seal the hole/keys with the other and suck out the air with the result of the suction holding for a while - ideally ending with "POP" when your release) LEAVE it until you NEED to replace pads.
When you get to this step (needing pads) the question is, do you want the long lasting HIGH sealing benefits of cork, or do you require a softer pad that is less noisy (any number of bladder, leather or synthetic).
I have prefered cork over the years but have just recently been introduced to synthetic pad called the Omni Pad which is a more advanced version of the Valentino. These hold much promise but I won't recommend unreservedly until I've had them on a personal horn for some time. And I won't have need for that until my current pads start to give out.
................Paul Aviles
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Author: GLHopkins
Date: 2010-06-30 01:05
I use cork pads in the top joint of my soprano clarinets with the exception of the D/A pad (second finger). I will sometimes use them on the forked B/F#, but don't feel the need to have them there. Like others, I feel they are noisy, and they brighten the sound a bit, but they last a long time.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2010-07-01 12:58
I thoroughly endorse what Chris wrote:
"Have any pads installed properly by someone who can do a proper job, otherwise it will be a mistake.
And in addition to having cork pads fitted, the toneholes will most likely need all the pores and chips in them filled and then levelled in order to seat the pad onto so it creates an airtight seal. This has to be done as a matter of course otherwise you'll end up with a clarinet that leaks like a sieve if the imperfections aren't dealt with....
But the toneholes do have to be tidied up so there won't be any leaks before cork padding otherwise it's a waste of time fitting cork pads to them. "
Also, deal with any sloppiness in pivots and linkage silencers.
I stress that cork pads are less forgiving, and an AVERAGE technician is probably just not good enough to install them without leaks. Attending to tone hole blemishes to the degree that cork needs will also take maybe twice as long to do the job. Hence more expense.
And I disagree with Bob: "...If done correctly they will seal way better than the standard pad...."
All other things being equal, high quality membrane pads seal as well as cork pads. If they did not, then flute players would not be able to play low notes strongly. If GOOD QUALITY membrane pads seal poorly then they were poorly installed, or quite bad tone hole edges need attention. Take a look with a good magnifying glass.
BTW, cork pads are usually good quality, but I've seen poor quality cork used as pads too. They leak.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2010-07-01 13:30
Choose cork pads that have no imperfections on the face of them - so no pads with loads of pores, holes or hard granular lumps. If you do have to use one that happens to have a single pore or granular lump on it but is otherwise good, make sure the imperfection is either at the extreme edge or dead centre of the pad as that will guarantee it won't be where the tonehole bedplace seats against the pad.
Always use high density cork pads - low density cork pads can be found when grinding the face flat as they will wear away very quickly or crumble - they will also smell musty during grinding. In use they will compress or break up.
Also make sure the grain of the cork runs as parallel as possible with the pad face instead of being at an acute angle to perpendicular as they are less likely to distort during installation as the heat from the shellac makes contact with them.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: wade
Date: 2010-07-01 14:26
Thanks everyone. All of your answers were extreamly helpfull. I know where to go next time i need help.THANKS.
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2010-07-02 19:21
If you purchase cork oboe pads from a reputable supplier then you should be certain of getting the top quality product.
They are not cheap but the material cost is still quite small compared to the labour of installing them correctly.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2010-07-03 01:49
Well you received lots of very good answers. I just want to add that a great many professional classical clarinetists have cork pad replacements in all the upper keys excepting the one that works the 1/1 Bb-Eb key. That's because the upper and lower keys that work that fingerings should be the same type and are usually regular pads instead of cork though I've seen a few that use cork on both those keys as well but I don't recommend it myself. ESP http://eddiesclarinet.com
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