 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: ejm
Date: 2010-10-29 17:39
I have keys on the upper joint that tend to get the dreaded "gurgle" from moisture accumulating. Swabbing the horn doesn't help for long. A local tech has suggested replacing the pads with sax. pads. I would appreciate any thoughts on this-good idea? bad idea? many thanks for your help.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2010-10-29 21:26
What does your tech mean by "sax pads?"
Whenever the ambient temperature is on the lower side, and the relative humidity is on the higher side, you will fight condensation more. Swabbing more regularly is important. However if there is a certain note (the most common problem are the last two side keys, usually the Eb/Bb) that is a problem, you might try a judicious use of some bore oil at a point just above the tone hole (speaking of the inside of course) to help guide condensation around the hole.
As for pads, I have been wrestling with this myself just a bit. The common fish-skin/felt pads will absorb a little moisture before they get soggy and this helps but I can't imagine any sort of pad that would give you relief from moisture pouring out the tone hole.
Other quick fixes are to run cigarette paper under the pad at long rest, or just quickly blowing the moisture out with a puff of breath.
....................Paul Aviles
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2010-10-29 22:25
You'll get condensation in toneholes regardless of what type of pad you have fitted.
Cork pads will be best in low lying side keys and others prone to collecting water as they will last longer than skin or porous leather pads, though treated leather pads (leather with a waterproof coating) will stand up fairly well to the effects of water. There's now the Omni pad which is fully synthetic so should be impervious to moisture.
Whenever you get enough time to take the top joint off, give it a good shake, then block the middle tenon off with your right hand and close the toneholes with your left hand, then blow into the top tenon and open the side keys and others one at a time that have waterlogged toneholes to blow the water out.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2010-10-29 22:35)
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2010-10-29 22:28
On the top A tonehole I have found that lining the tonehole with thin coat of vaseline/petroleum jelly (applied with a cotton bud) has solved this problem for several months at time at least though may need to re-apply at intervals.
Just clean tone hole rim well after applying or use a cork pad which doesn't seem to mind any remaining vaselline
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Author: ejm
Date: 2010-10-29 22:55
Thank you for the suggestion. The problem IS the Eb/Bb key and also the C#/Db key. I will give the bore oil a try and hope that helps. I'm not that clear on what kind of sax pads he was considering but if I had to guess, leather?. I know he put one on his own Buffet on a side key on the lower joint. We play in a community band together and I just had few minutes to ask his advice. Maybe the kind of pad he used holds up better after being damp. The pads on the keys I'm having trouble with are starting to discolor and probably need to be replaced, although I don't seem to be having any trouble with leaks. I tend to be picky with the horn-we've been together for over 30 years. Thanks again for the feedback, ejm
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Author: ejm
Date: 2010-10-29 23:20
Thanks to ALL of you who answered my post regarding the pads-I answered Paul before I realized I had other answers. ejm
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2010-10-30 03:16
Sorry for chiming in late on this. In my experience the use of leather pads (you could call them 'sax pads' I guess, but the ones I use are a bit thinner and are sold by Ferree's as their B32 bass clarinet pads) seems to reduce the tendency to gurgle, probably because leather pads are slightly porous and absorb some of the moisture that collects in the offending tonehole.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2010-10-30 04:44
I've had success in overcoming this problem by wiping out the offending holes with Q-Tips soaked in a silicone spray used to stop car doors from squeaking and sold in automotive stores. I wipe the pads as well. Fixes the problem for 6 months or so, repeat as necessaty. So far (5 years+) I've had no ill effects.
Tony F.
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